Thread: Vintage Costumes.....HELP!

I have inherited 4 beautiful vintage costumes (circa 1980...lots of fringe...lots of leg!!!!) I love them, and I would love to wear them again, but the colors on the sequins are wearing off. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? These are too beautiful to be put away for good!!

As far as I know, there isn't really an easy fix for this. Remove and replace would be the most obvious.

Though, I've always been curious if somebody sprayed some auto body paint onto old sequins, or meticulously brushed on nail polish or a tough paint, if that could work? Assuming you could find the right shade...has anybody tried anything like this?

pics of the damage and the costumes in general to get a better idea (and to gawk at vintage costumes of course :)

Be careful with nail polish. Some have chemicals that will melt the sequins.
I've had good luck with zoya brand (no formaldehyde). Sometimes model paint works too (for toy cars and trains etc)

Color matching will be the big issue. Can the damages be covered with appliques or strategically added fabric?

Appliqués to cover the missing color might work. I will post pics soon. I really hope they can be fixed!

I thoroughly support the posting pics idea.

:-)

no alterier motives here

This has happened to me with some Pharaonics. I find that what works best is permanent sharpie marker (get the variety pack at Staples or Office Depot... the one with like 12 colors). I just color over the sequins and they look brand new (and this works great for holographic sequins which still look holographic. I wouldn't try nail polish (weird finish, esp. on sequins) or spraying paint (propensity to get everywhere and would also have a funky finish). I'd go with permanent marker or just pull off the worn ones and sew new ones on...

Good luck and please post pix!

For inspiration on rehabbing vintage costumes, you can't beat Ozma's Costumes page on Facebook:
Ozma's Costumes | Facebook

Check out the Photo Albums for various vintage fix-ups

You send them to ME, and I'll take care of the poor previously neglected things! ;-)

Seriously, post photos so that we can assess the amount of work you are looking at. Sometimes what seems overwhelming to one person will actually have a simple solution to someone who has done the work before.

{{{HUGS}}}

I'm a member of the 'remove and reapply' club. If they are costumes that you want to totally rejuvenate it's the way to go. Nothing wrong with temporary fixes but if you have the time and access to supplies, why not?

Cartwright's is a very good company to order sequins from if you need a source and for beads, Fire Mountain Gems (?) is a name I've seen a lot here.

Can't wait to see your pics!