Thread: 'fix' it or leave it alone?

I've got a costume with hot pink, emerald & AB coated clear pointy-back acrylic stones in settings that I'm thinking of replacing. It's got the AmCab/vintage orientale look to it though, so I can't decide if leaving the acrylic stones would just keep with the overall look, or if it'd look better with some bright pink, emerald, and AB crystal Swarovskis. It doesn't sparkle much right now.

This same costume has a drape with 30mm silver metallic paillettes, which mimics the fringe on the belt. The paillettes on the drape look bad tho and need to be replaced, but Cartwrights is out of them and has been it for a few months. This is the only thing keeping the cossie out of rotation. I'm wondering if it'd look ridiculous to replace all the silver paillettes with hot pink, green, or alternating pink & green paillettes, or if I should keep with silver since the base is clear beading on silver lame?

Thoughts? Suggested resources for these items?

Can you post some pics?

I think upgrading to swarovski crystals would be a great idea. I also think replacing the pailettes with the same color is a good idea. Ebay can be a great place to find them. Let me go look and see if they've got any 30mm.....


Here's some that are holographic silver. That might look nice with your AB crystals.

30 MM SILVER RAZOR (LAZERSHEEN) PAILETTES - 100 PCS - eBay (item 310210763699 end time Apr-30-10 09:59:55 PDT)

When in doubt, go crystal.

I don't have any clear close ups of it on me, but on Dahlal it's Grecian Goddess.

I held some silver holographic paillettes up to it, but it really doesn't look good, I feel like it clashes with the silver coins on the back of the belt somehow. But, I don't know if going with a colored paillette instead will also clash or break up any continuity of the clear bead/silvery base & paillettes, if that makes sense.

I'd thought another alternative would be alternating hot pink, green & the existing silver. That'd extend the 'good' silver ones left until I could find a source for future replacements. But, of course, I don't want it coming out looking tacky. I'd like to keep the vintage feel of the set, it goes over well with GP, and I like it too. ..g.:

I'm one of those who have trouble visualizing modifications/alterations to costumes - I need to have components or colors in front of me to hold next to it, which I don't right now. Hoping some of you who can visualize can help me out here with your thoughts & opinions...g.:

Originally Posted by TexasRuya

I don't have any clear close ups of it on me, but on Dahlal it's Grecian Goddess.

Is your costume the same colors as the one in the link above? If so, I'd replace the worn out silver paillettes with white ones.

How do you go about replacing them? Aren't they beaded into the fringe? I wouldn't know how to do something like that, so I'm curious.

Well, on the ones I fixed, the pailettes were strung into the end of a strand of beaded fringe. So I sewed the new pailette in place, next to the old pailette, through the strings that looped through the eye of the old pailette. Then I snipped away the old one and added a touch of fabric glue.

Yes it's the same colors. It appears white under camera flash or bright lights, but it's silver lame with clear beads on top & the drape & fringe is larger clear beads with the paillettes at the end.

To replace paillettes I plan to restring the fringe. They're all strung individually.

Originally Posted by TexasRuya

Yes it's the same colors. It appears white under camera flash or bright lights, but it's silver lame with clear beads on top & the drape & fringe is larger clear beads with the paillettes at the end.

To replace paillettes I plan to restring the fringe. They're all strung individually.

Ok so it isn't really white? Well, then please disregard my previous suggestion about white paillettes :)