Is it just me that finds it hard to understand how they can justify charging the same amount for some denim shorts, as they do for a regular pair of jeans? There's less than half the material yet they're the same price?!
Anyway, I refuse to pay £20 for some shorts, so I've been looking at ways to get away with paying a lot less. Now, you can always go down the eBay route. Or even try your luck at a charity shop or car boot sale!
But how about making your own? Now I'm not talking starting from scratch, I'm talking repurposing and old pair of jeans. Maybe the bottoms have got ripped up, maybe the knees have too many holes now. Or perhaps, like me, you decided to wear them whilst painting walls! Either way, they can all be turned into an awesome pair of shorts for the summer!
The easiest way I have found to cut the jeans down to the correct length, is to find a pair of shorts I already own and use those as a template. Just make sure to cut them around an inch longer than you want the finished item to be to allow for fraying etc.
Once you've cut them down, I like to bleach them, you could dye them if you like too! I just use regular neat bleach and completely cover the shorts. If you do this outside on a sunny day, the process will be much quicker. I did this and it took about 15-20 minutes for my dark indigo shorts, to turn to a nice pale blue colour. Once you are happy with the colour, rinse really well with cold water and then chuck them in the washing machine on a cold wash just to be sure.
You can distress them, add patches, add studs, even add colour panels to the pockets if you like! Go crazy :) a lot cheaper than buying in store, and they'll be unique too. Ohh and you're recycling, lots of green brownie points for you ;)
Have fun! And share pics of any you make :D
