DIY: When Online Orders Go Wrong - The Imperfectly Perfect Green Dress
Don't you hate when you order something online and shows up looking nothing like or somewhat different from the picture on the website?! That perfect gold in the photo turns out to be more rose in tone than yellow; or that perfect shade of pink turns out to be more on the peachy side in real life? It's easy to get discouraged and send things back or make-do. Another option, if possible, is to alter the item or change the part(s) you dislike.
I'm always cutting up, rolling up or altering items that are almost perfect, but not quite because, let's face it - not EVERYTHING in this world comes 100% perfect to our liking 100% of the time, regardless of how much you do or don't pay for it. In this case, it was an Army green Bardot-styled dress I saw on shein.com. It was love at first sight. The color drew me in along with those chocolate-y brown buttons; the crisp looking cotton, flap pocket detail and the lovely off-the-shoulder neckline...all for under $20. I'd seen dresses on other sites for triple that price, so this was a steal! After checking the measurements to make sure I was ordering the correct size (a MUST on Shein), into the cart the dress went. THIS is what I ordered...
And THIS is the dress that arrived....
As you can see, it's a true green, not olive or "army" in the least, unless you count those plastic green toy army soldiers kids play with. And those buttons were a garish reddish brown instead of chocolate brown. I felt like a Christmas tree. Such a disappointment! The dress would have to be returned.
And then I tried it on just to see if at least the fit was right...and it was. And the more I looked at my reflection in the mirror, the more the color didn't seem that bad. The off-shoulder detail was absolutely perfect. It wasn't full on love, again, but infatuation was creeping in. Maybe I won't return it, I figured. But those buttons...those awful reddish buttons...they had to go! Thankfully, switching out buttons is an easy fix.
Found some buttons that weren't too hideous from Walmart and replaced the ones I hated while binge watching YouTube videos. It was productive afternoon. And then I tried on the dress, again. This time, to add more interest and contrast, I swapped out the matching belt that came with the dress for one I already owned.
And it was love all over again ❤ (although I AM thinking of changing the buttons, once more, if I can find the perfectly chocolate-y ones)!
FYI...If you're not handy with a needle and thread, you can take items to your local tailor and have them change details like buttons and zippers for a nominal fee.
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