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As a woman in my mid-thirties, I’ve seen trends come and go, and I’ve learned a lesson: If your bell bottoms fit like a glove, keep them even when the style changes, because they’ll be back before you know it. That being said, I only hang onto clothes that are The Perfect Fit and go in the capsule wardrobe category.
More to the point, statement zippers are (back) in right now — what’s up, ’90s fashion — so we’ve got a handy dandy hack for you to try if you want to level-up your clothes and accessories. Grab one of your turtlenecks from back in the day and purchase a chunky zipper. Then read on to learn how to rock it.
Depending on the fabric, adding zippers can be a cinch or a total pain. The turtleneck I chose was very stretchy, which made it quite difficult to work with. The trick to making it work is to GO SLOWLY. This is a test of patience, so do some deep breathing if you’re someone who likes to whip through projects.
Materials and Tools:
- fabric scissors
- pins
- sewing machine
- turtleneck
- chunky zipper
- 2 needle nose pliers
I’ll start by preparing the turtleneck; then I’ll show you how to shorten a zipper.
First, fold over the top of the turtleneck. Then cut up the middle of the shirt all the way through the neck.
Okay, this next step is where you need to take your time. Fold over the raw edge of your cut and pin the fabric to the zipper, starting with the base of the zipper at the bottom of the shirt. Make sure you avoid little folds or kinks. Pin, take it out if you need to and pin again. Get it right!
If you have excess zipper at the top, you need to shorten it. Mark where you want the top of the zipper to be. Then remove the metal teeth around your mark with your pliers. Pull hard — they’ll eventually come off! Be sure to remove the larger piece up top and don’t lose it. Cut the zipper where you’ve removed the teeth, then add the larger piece back onto the zipper so the pull doesn’t zip right off.
Once your zipper is the right length, SLOWLY sew it in place on the turtleneck, making sure to avoid any wrinkles and creating a straight line.
That’s it!
I prefer the zipped-up look, but you can wear it like a light layer as well.
Tuck it into high-waisted pants to really get the look.
What other items will you add zippers to? Follow us on Pinterest for more style inspo.
Author: Roxy Taghavian
DIY Production and Styling: Roxy Taghavian
Photography: Chris Andre
Modeling: Roxy Taghavian
