Tailor your outfit yourself with these 3 tips


Actress-model Bea Benedicto shares pointers on how you can personalize your denim 

If there’s one good thing this Covid-19 pandemic and isolation have brought some of us, it is the call to explore our creative side. Our local lockdown is now the longest Covid-19 isolation in the world and this paved the way for people getting into different hobbies from gardening and painting to designing and even tailoring. 

This new found hobbies even inspired international clothing brand Levi’s to kick-off its tailor-it-yourself (TIY) project, a DIY tailor kit that will allow anyone to customize designs for their shirts or any apparel. This encourages self-expression and creativity through fashion, and it can also be a perfect gift this coming Holiday Season. 

Basically Cool

To help everyone to kick-off with their TIY projects, actress and model Bea Benedicto shares three starter tips. 

  1. Visualized your design peg

“Have a general idea of what you want the end result to look like,” she shares.  “Do you want to have a theme or would you like to incorporate a certain style? That would really help you set things up for a cool trucker jacket, or any piece of clothing.” 

Every Levi’s TIY kit comes with fabric cloth, patches, pins, fabric glue, etc. Designs of the patches and fabric depend on the chosen set, which comes with four different styles. 

First is Basically Cool for those who prefer a basic and simple design that includes trendy and bold statement patches. Second is Down to Earth, perfect for #plantitos and #plantitas. This set is nature inspired that includes floral prints and patterns. Third is Trend Setter, which comes with bold and loud colors with trendy patterns. Last is the Creative Spirit set, which contains mismatched colors and patterns, and fabric pens that encourage creatives to explore more designs as they wish. 

2. Don’t be afraid to experiment

“Experiment little by little. If you’re OC like I me, try testing a technique on a small, hidden part of the jacket first,” she shares. Bea is among the first ones who have tried the TIY kit and she used hers in designing a trucker jacket. “I tried the textile markers on my fabric first to see how I wanted to use them. If you like what you see, then you can increase scale and be more confident with the outcome.” 

BE CREATIVE Bea Benedicto having fan designing her trucker jacket (Image from @bea_benedicto)

3. Be creative

“Don’t be afraid to let your creative juices flow,” she says. “Sometimes we hold back because we’re scared, but I promise, you can really surprise yourself with something amazing if you just let loose! Just enjoy the process.” 

MANILA BULLETIN | UNSPLASH

Bea also assures everyone, especially first-timers, that designing their outfit is easy and fun, and they have nothing to be afraid of. “I’m definitely a beginner when it comes to DIY-ing, and I didn’t have a difficult time at all,” she says. “The materials are pretty straightforward, I was able to execute a really cool design without even sewing anything! I love it.” 

Aside from using what’s inside the TIY kit, one can also explore using other art materials such as acrylic or textile paints to draw images. If your going for the faded or washed jeans peg, bleaching agents can come handy. 

Levi’s limited-edition TIY kit comes free for every P4,000 worth of purchase.