Last night, Channel 4 screened the first of a new series by Dawn O' Porter about vintage clothes and Dressmaking Fabric called This Old Thing: The Vintage Clothes Show. Dawn is well known for her unique look and is an advocate for wearing vintage clothing, especially on her Twitter account. In a world where 'fast fashion' and 'high street fashion' are king, Dawn was encouraging people to buy vintage clothes and adapt these pieces using Dressmaking skills and adding Dressmaking Fabrics to create something unique. The programme took on a makeover style concept as Dawn took volunteers to vintage clothes shops to rummage around to find a unique piece that could be worn off the rack or altered to create a more contemporary piece while maintaining the vintage feel. It is a great way for people to stand out when everyone is wearing the same outfit from high street stores. One of the volunteers brought on a tartan jacket that was made in the 80's. It was a box style jacket with large shoulder pads and gaudy gold buttons. With a few Dressmaking tweaks from Dawn's dressmaker, the jacket was nipped in at the back, the arms were tapered and the buttons were replaced to create a more fitted and stylish look. If you cannot find an original like this but wanted to create an 80's jacket like this, our Tartan Dressmaking Fabric would be ideal for this. All you need is some shoulder pads and you can create the 80's 'power look'. If you do not like the idea of shopping vintage but still want to create the a retro look there are a number of Dressmaking Fabrics and vintage style patterns sold at Calico Laine that can help you. Our Rose and Hubble Dressmaking Fabrics are ideal for recreating a 50's style circle skirt, our crepe Dressmaking Fabrics are perfect for a 60's shift dress and our printed chiffons are great for a 70's maxi dress. Why not, give it a go. If you have bought any vintage pieces and used your Dressmaking skills to alter them why not share the pictures with us on Facebook. We would love to see your creations.