Aibu to get a vintage dress altered?

[Bluwhiteblack]

I’ve recently inherited a vintage dress from the 70s. British designer fairly well known. Dress is beautiful but far too small. WIBU to get it (quite significantly) altered? Otherwise it’ll never leave the wardrobe.

Friend seemed appalled and said it shouldn’t be altered and should be left completely intact and sold to a specialist vintage dress agency if I won’t ever wear it (looked on eBay and there were some similar going for under £50)

The person I inherited it from didn’t have strong feelings on what I did with it.

If you love it and would wear it I'd it fit, alter it and wear it! Clothes shouldn't just be passed around for posterity.

It's a lot harder to make a dress bigger than smaller. If you have a seamstress who could do it, go for it, you'll still be getting the enjoyment from it.

It's only from the 70s. I'd agree with your friend if you were talking about a beautiful 20s flapper dress or something but I'd hardly call a 70s dress super rare or needing to be treated that specially+

Is there enough spare fabric in the seams to even allow it to be made significantly bigger?

It’s just a dress, your friend is being weird. Absolutely get it reworked if you want to! Clothes are there to be worn.

Absolutely alter it if it makes it wearable for you. Fashion shouldn’t be hide bound.

It’s very difficult to make small clothes much bigger-how are you thinking of them doing it?

I can’t see how selling an inherited dress (after which anything could happen to it) would be preferable to keeping in it the family and giving it another lease of life.
Interesting that your friend has such a strong opinion on it!

Your “friend” actually seemed “appalled”

Although ambitious to make adjustments to a “far too small dress - vintage or not

It was designed and made to be worn. Perfectly your right to alter it so you can wear it. People are weirdly precious about these things.

I've got a few of my mum's 70s and 80s dresses... size 10... I'm size 8 and can't zip them up since children added an inch to my waist. Very, very few women could wear them now. Getting them altered to make them useable would be very sensible.

70's is now being sold as 'vintage'?

🤣🤣

I'd love to see it if you don't mind posting a photo!

I grew up in the 70's, struggling to see it being something you need to be precious about preserving. It's hardly a stylish 1920's item is it?!?!

Unless it is incredibly old/fragile/unique/very valuable, I think it's fine to alter vintage clothing to fit you, and to enjoy it.

I agree with the previous posters - unless the dress is antique, valuable or precious, you are doing nothing wrong by altering it, @Bluwhiteblack. People used to do this all the time, in the past - take garments apart and remake them to suit the current styles, or to reuse the unworn/undamaged fabric from a worn garment. It makes a lot of sense, and is a green and sustainable thing to do. And it is nice to give the dress a new lease of life.

@FantasticFebruary

70's is now being sold as 'vintage'?

🤣🤣

I'd love to see it if you don't mind posting a photo!

I grew up in the 70's, struggling to see it being something you need to be precious about preserving. It's hardly a stylish 1920's item is it?!?!

It's still 50 years. 2 generations.

Hate to break it to you but clothes from the millennium are being sold as vintage now!

I'd love to have the skills to upcycle old clothes! Go for it - don't leave it in the wardrobe, if I'd given it to you I'd want it to be worn .

I think that's a fab idea. I have a 70s pink and white psychedelic dress I was able to wear at age 19 that no longer fits that you have inspired me to alter ( will add a panel stripe in white or pink at each side )

I wear quite a lot of 70's clothes - especially shirt dresses - I really love them.

I especially like that they are generally in some sort of polyester fabric that does not crease!

I am a size 10 in UK shops now but need a 14-16 in 70's style - think a size 10 70s is a 22 inch waist?

I have had success if making things bigger - but generally only about 1/2 to a full size.

They usually have a pretty good seam allowance - or hem where you can take extra fabric - and a couple of times I've been success using the pockets as extra fabric to make it a bit wider.

It's really hard work though - takes me ages!

If you want to wear it, get it altered.

Your friend is an idiot.

Is it Laura Ashley? If it's one of the "Made In Wales" ones you can probably get up to a couple of hundred quid for it online, if it's a really nice one and in good condition. They're very popular now, if you found one for £50 you'd be getting a bargain! All the ones I've seen have also been absolutely tiny (no vanity sizing!) and generally without big seam allowances - were you planning on reworking it into something else?

If you will wear it, go for it. Your friend is being weird.

If it's possible to alter it so you can wear it, absolutely get it altered. Clothes are made to be worn, not kept as museum pieces.

Thanks for all the messages, much appreciated!

The dress came with a shawl/cape in the same fabric which I’m hoping to use to put some panels in to make it bigger. I’ve sent a message to a local seamstress but haven’t heard back yet.

As many PP have said I’m looking forward to giving it a new life!