You're not as basic as you look. 16 ways to customize your button ups, the (mostly) lazy way.
A Bode girl's guide to DIY.
You already know my passion with expressing our personalities and inner worlds through the clothes we wear. Clothing is more than protection, it's a canvas for storytelling. Personal style transforms fabric into a language of identity that magnetizes meaningful connections and amplifies our unique creativity.
The most common question I hear is "how" - and my answer is frequently, customize! Tailoring isn't an elite privilege or a professionally-bound skill (evident through the below chaotic IG reel). It's an accessible art that can be done yourself at home, turning standard pieces into something one-of-a-kind and priceless.
Customizing our clothing brings play to the forefront of our attire, encouraging our inner artists to breathe and attitudinize.
Discover 16 (!!!) playful ways to transform your potentially plain or basic button-downs, including second-hand shopping recs, and unlock a world of creative self-expression through today’s letter.
Recommended but not required to turn customization into a creative hangout with a friend over some non-alc apéritif & a great playlist.
1. Buttons (duh)
A simple & effective solution to make your button down 1-of-a-kind. Search for unique & possibly mismatched buttons to (literally) weave more nuance and interest through your piece.
From left to right: Bug buttons, Vintage Estate Buttons Lot, Carnelian Orange Buttons, Vintage Gucci Tiger Buttons, Mystery Vintage Buttons, Vintage Dorset Buttons
2. Lazy embroidery
You don’t need an embroidery machine nor a tailor for this one. Just a pre-designed fabric patch to incorporate on your top as you see fit. Some fun spots would be:
On the front of the shirt: a random placement on a sleeve, atop a pocket, near the hemline.
On the back of the shirt: in between the shoulder blades (maybe there’s a line of patches down the spine), slanted outward on the shoulders (create some symmetry and use 2 patches here!)
From left to right: Have a nice day patch, My heart belongs to patch, Women want me patch, The future is bright patch, Funky women patches, Sounds like bullshit patch.
3. Swap the cuffs
Add a pop of color, texture , or pattern to your shirt by swapping out the cuff entirely, or by sewing in an unexpected layer to the interior of the sleeve. Use the existing button ups you have and simply swap their cuffs, or rummage through your closet/ local thrift to find something with fabric potential to do the trick.
Inspo:
(Super lazy gals like me would take this one to the tailor for a ~$20 fix, but if you’ve got that dog in you, here’s a solid tutorial).
Do you have unworn pieces sitting in your closet? Need a second opinion on your tailoring and clothing customizations? Rework Lab: Customize & Create is a 45-minute session where I’ll guide you through tailoring tips, DIY fixes, and creative add-ons like dye, beads, and brooches. Plus, I’ll curate a mini shop to bring your vision to life. Let’s transform your forgotten clothes into custom masterpieces.
4. Layer ‘Em Up
Inspired by The Row’s Lysandre Leather Jacket, play with mixing texture, pattern, & color here too. Sewing is not required as you can simply wear one on top of the other, but if you want to fully commit, I’d recommend cutting off the sleeves of the interior shirt and sewing the arm seams together from the inside out. Style as shown!
