Thrift and Make Ep. 01: H&M Sweater

What will you do when you can't get a sweater from H&M worth Php 1,490?

You could: a.) cry and do nothing about it, or b.) Do-It-Yourself. 

I've mentioned this quite a few times already, but I'm reiterating it for the sake of the others: I'm a shopaholic but I live for thrifting. If you're on a tight budget or you think a certain amount for an item is too ridiculous, and you have a knack for crafts, this series is for you!

What is Thrift and Make?

Thrift and Make is a new series I'm starting here on the blog wherein I find items and attempt to recreate them – may it be clothing, accessories, shoes, or even food! I'll have to emphasize on "attempt" since I know I can't recreate an item exactly as it is.

Another common phrase here on the blog is my motto "Why buy it, when you can DIY it?", which basically sums up what this project is. I think most of my friends know that I like tinkering on things, tweaking everything to match this certain "style" I'm aiming for, so Thrift and Make is a mere documentation of my journey of recreating branded items. This series is inspired by a YouTuber I've been following for a while. Annika has a series called "Make Thrift Buy" on her channel and I thought maybe I could give it a try.

Disclaimer: All finished products are for personal use only. I don't know the rules and legal things regarding DIYs and fashion recreation, so any further faults or unlawful actions will be sorted out accordingly.

I saw this incredibly cute sweater while window shopping at the men's section of H&M with my friend a few months back. I stared at it too long that I eventually fell in love with it. As soon as I saw the price tag, the sweater went right back to the rack.

It was sold for Php 1,490 and I honestly don't think I need to spend that much for a sweater.

But... it was too cute and the concept was too clever, I couldn't let it pass.

I ended up ordering a customized patch that says "YOU'RE TOO CLOSE" as well. When the patch arrived, my oversized sweater was still an idea in my head. I haven't gotten the chance to look for one until I went last-minute thrift shopping for a Christmas outfit. I found the perfect one and it was just for Php 250, with no damages or defects! I knew I had to get it.

I belatedly found out that it was a Uniqlo sweater, one that I also want to get my hands on – and now I have! This sweater and I are meant to be, I can feel it.



I got my needle, thread, and sewing pins, and got started. It took me roughly half the duration of a movie to finish everything and voila!

This hack was definitely worth the wait.

If sewing is too much of a hassle, you could always go for fabric glue. Painting or writing the design would be good too!

Cost of original product: Php 1,490
DIY total cost: Php 330 (Sweater, Php 250; Patch, Php 80)
Total savings: Php 1, 160

We definitely have an obvious winner here. (Also, I've shown proof that I can Math.)

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There goes the first episode of this series, I hope I get to do more hacks soon! If you have any suggestions for the next episode of Thrift and Make, comment below or contact me through my social media accounts (@idasiasoco) ((yes, I've changed my social things back to my name #uniformity))  yay~

Watch out for the next Thrift and Make story!

ida_