Upcycled Denim Maxi Tutorial Video

By Kirsten Greig – @style_balm

I’ve always been creative. If there is such a thing as an art nerd, that was me at school.

This helped get me into the creative side of Fashion retail.

After a few years on the shop floor, I took a role as a VM & got introduced to the fun bit of retail.

It’s like being the cool auntie to retail stores.

Coming in, making store look pretty, & travelling the country.

Well, on the surface, but It’s often sweaty, thankless & doesn’t pay overly well.

That said – I’m very grateful for all I have learned & achieved in the roles I’ve had over the years.

So I now keep the creative stuff for my hobby –

Upcycling.

I’ve always been one of those ‘I’m not paying that’ kind of gals. I’m not overly competent at sewing, so I needed a way to cheat sheet the pieces I want.

The easiest way? Buy it vintage or thrifted & add a bit of my own flavour.

The latest being this denim maxi shirt.

Thanks to the rebirth of denim through celebs like Julia Fox & revitalised brands like Diesel.

Denim is now more than ever at the forefront of fash.

This time it’s reworked, re made & reshaped.

Think Brit & JT back in the day, full denim fits but, just f@&* my sh*t up & hold the bedazzler thanks.

I already had the ingredients for a Y2K inspired denim maxi.

Street style pics for inspo.

X 2 old zara jeans – because why waste more water buying new denim.

& a borrowed sewing machine

Step 1

Take a seam ripper & rip the inside leg seams of both pairs of jeans.

Choose the pair you like the look & fit of the most. This will form the main part of the skirt.

Step 2

Lay the unpicked pair of jeans flat and flip the curved edges of the crotch (hehe) to the front so the denim sits flat.

Step 3

Take the second pair of jeans and cut the legs off keeping the outside seams intact. This will form 2 large pieces of denim with a seam running down the middle.

Step 4

Position these pieces underneath the raw edges of the inside legs, with the right sides all facing out. Pin & repeat on the back.

Step 5

Sew the flat pieces to the first pair of jeans. Just follow the lines where the original stitching was.

I chose to leave the edges raw, but you could fold under the raw edge if you’d prefer a more polished look.

Step 6

Cut the hem at the bottom.

I cut mine with a really sharp pair of fabric shears in a slight curve.

I ran a row of stitching along the hem to stop too much fraying. But you can hem more neatly if you’d prefer.

I chose to remove the back pockets of the jeans also, this gave an extra design element as the jeans I used were a light wash & this revealed the dark denim underneath. Kept the pockets for something else.

I also split the front seam & top stitched each edge. Just for a flash of leg. Otherwise it was a bit brethren chic – but you do you.

Chuck in the wash & then the drier to fray up the raw edges. Yes, I hear the denim purists screaming out there…never tumble dry your jeans!

But this is a necessary evil to get a more authentic finish.

Style however you wish. I like mine with a kitten heel + sock situation, body suit and thrifted men’s xxL blazer combo.

Head scarf is a must if you are leaning into the whole 00’s boobtube ‘n beads thing, but finish strong with a croc n’ sock to keep it more L.A hippie trippy.

Better living everybody