When I walk through the doors of an op shop my eyes are tuned not so much to the bargain, but to the unique. For me, op shopping is a treasure hunt through the masses of china made, synthetic, almost single season stuff that is sadly so popular, to the classic quality of yesteryear.
I'm searching out stuff perhaps even decades old that has been looked after and loved by its original owner, stuff with little faded tags that read 'Made In Australia' and 'Pure New Wool', stuff that is blemish free as if it were some little lady's Sunday best and has been worn, washed and put away with such pride and care over the years, to preserve it for seasons to come.
My hairdresser, Om Shalom, is on Darby Street in Cooks Hill, and I time my appointments carefully to ensure that I'm heading out the door just in time to take my fresh blow-dry out for lunch. Lunch is always a super simple something from Natural Tucker, and is always-always followed by what I justify as a 'digestion shop'; a wonder through the Darby Street boutiques.
About two years ago while on my post hairdresser shop I wondered a little further than normal, and found myself on the residential side of Darby street heading towards Bar Beach, and that is where I spotted an old lemon yellow terrace that housed a humble alteration business and op shop. It was there that I found this Australian made, 70% wool, tartan treat. I was blissing - but... it wasn't my size, so for the past two years it has hung in my wardrobe desperately waiting for the alteration that would finally see it wearable - and, over the weekend I found the rainy-winter-day motivation to get stuck into it's remodel.
The remake involved a take-in and a take-up, which, when dealing with pleats involves a little more work than normal (note to anyone wishing to do a take-up on this style of skirt, it needs to be done from the drop-waist (as pictured below) to maintain the crispy pleated hem at the base of your skirt).
The remake was well worth the effort and just hours after finishing I was heading out the door in my new skirt feeling colourful, warm and satisfied that I had given this ten-dollar tartan skirt a new lease of life.
