The no sew dress shortening trick

POSTED BY Geri Hirsch, 04 June 2008

Ever want to shorten a dress but don’t know how to sew? Want to shorten a dress but not permanently? Ever realize that a dress would look adorable shorter but don’t have the time to alter it? If you answered yes to any of these questions then I have the solution for you!
I always say that there is no better and less expensive way to update a wardrobe than by altering your own pieces. The other night while getting ready I came across a dress that I love but hadn’t worn in a while because simply it was too long. I thought, “hmm, how can I quickly make this work?” I grabbed a belt, buckled it mid waist and bloused out enough material to create an intended looking ruffle with a length to my liking.

In this case I used a thinner belt but you can use thicker belts to hide excess material or long pieces of fabrics to mix and match for spring (think florals with stripes, stars with solids, heavier materials over your thin flowy dresses, etc.).

If the dress doesn't calls for ruffles don’t worry, this trick still totally works, I’ve done it with countless items and all it takes is a little time and creativity. It’s really amazing how quick of an update this shortening trick is and how different a dress looks an inch or two shorter so try it and let me know how it goes!

-geri hirsch
because im addicteddress, shortening, no sew, ruffle, trick, because im addicted