Fringe Benefits

3.1 Phillip Lim Reversible Fringe T-Shirt Dress

Fringe is back with a vengeance! Runways, celebs, and stylistas alike are predicting it to be one of the key trends leading into fall. Don't blow your hard earned summer savings on a limiting statement piece. Ingenuity, careful measuring, and a little elbow grease will go a long way in giving your wallet a big break.

What You'll Need:
Jersey mini dress (I shortened this navy one from American Apparel)
3 yards fringe (I used black, to match Lim's inspiration dress)
Needle
Thread
Ruler
Sharpie

1. Determine the two points on the neckline where it perfectly hits your shoulders (Hint: there is usually a seam connecting the sleeve at this point). Sew the fringe around the neckline in two pieces - one that goes around the front, the other around the back.

2. Next, try the dress on and determine the width of the fringe you want to hang down the front (or back, this dress is reversible!). Make a mark with the Sharpie where you want the fringe to stop on each end. I trust Phillip's design eye, so my fringe stretches across most of my body, with two small strips of exposed dress down the side.
3. Take the dress off, and carefully lay it flat on your table. Be sure the side seams lay exactly straight, as jersey stretches and it is easy to end up with crooked fringe. Following the scooped neckline as a guide, draw a small semi-circle approximately 3.5 inches underneath, between your two width marks. The fringe should cover the semi circle by about 1.5-2 inches when hanging down, as this will be the seam for the next layer of fringe.
4. Lay the fringe on the semi-circle, and cut to the appropriate length. Sew the fringe to the dress along your semi-circle, securing the mid and end points first to avoid a lopsided semi-circle.

5. Repeat steps 3-4 for as many more layers of fringe you want. Three to four layers below the neckline is usually plenty, as you want the fringe to hang just above the hemline.

Now it's time to slip on your dress and celebrate your savings by shimmying to the Charleston all night long!

xx, CC

P.S. The American Apparel dress comes in a variety of colors, so if you prefer my navy dress's flashy mint counterpart, all the more power to ya!