Confession: The dress pants I bought for my son Aarick at Walmart, though perfect in size, style, and color, lacked a crucial feature requiring Post-Market Modification. I bought them knowing this. But it still took me right up until an-hour-before-his-school’s-spring-program to get down to business and modify them…
No belt loops.
I could not find kids’ black dress pants with belt loops. So I bought kids’ (yes) black (check) dress pants (check) without belt loops.
And fixed them at home.
I planned to create matching belt loops out of his brother’s worn-out pair. (Not his own pair—those got passed down to his brother, freeing up his brother’s shiny-kneed pants [which had already been through two kids] for cutting up into belt loops.) (If you followed that sentence, comment and I’ll send you something. Well, maybe just a prayer. For your prosperity and felicity.)
(Life is complicated.)
(Where was I?)
Oh yes. BUT. One-hour-before-the-program did not lend itself to extensive poring over raw material. So I pulled out some sturdy black ribbon. Cut 2 ¼ inch lengths. Burned the edges with a match so they wouldn’t fray. Folded them under. Sewed them on.
Now that’s what I’m talkin about.
Hmm. If only I could fix his belt… which was reversible and broke after a single week of use… Elmer’s glue did not work and the only other thing I can think of is duct tape. Even I have slight scruples about using that. (Slight.)
Sometimes I worry that my son will grow up with scars from wearing his brother’s belt and black-ribbon belt loops on stage. And then I think—Oh what the world. I wore worse and look at me. Coming off antidepressant meds and getting lost in parentheses. How bad can it be?
*****
Do you jerry-rig clothing? What and how?
Baling wire. Definitely. Oh, and I have worn a rope and a bungie cord as a temporary belt. Fashion statements, both.
I think the pant loops look really good. I’d be proud of myself if I had thought of that.
I did follow you in the 5th paragraph, by the way. I’ll be looking for something in the mail, say flowers, chocolates, Bath & Body soaps etc. Prayer is acceptable too! ☺
Loved this post.
Oh you’re wonderful! Even if your son grows up scarred, which I strongly doubt, he’ll be secretly proud of his brilliant mother. Take it from a gal who grew up in a house that we jokingly said was held together with bungie straps.
You wore worse?…um, wait…maybe we should have a talk…what are you remembering that i don’t? :<
Double knits, my dear, double knits. Nuff said.
BWHAAA! Ahh yes, I too wore double-knits as a child . . . I remember a particularly vivid blue solid colored double knit dress that was given to me as my Mom had a hard time sewing. The kind lady actually gave me TWO nearly identically made dresses out of the exact same fabric. Oh yes. . . . double knit . . . never to be seen in my house except in the form of rugs for the feet . . . I don’t think double-knit is good for the health except in rug form.
I even made plaid and checkered pants for my boys out of double knit, Shari, and have some pictures to prove it, and they wore for a long time. Maybe that gives you a clue…about Not the Boss!! And I remember several times baling twine in pant loops up that would have been at home on the farm, not on stage! And I love your creativity!! ribbon works for me! And no one has to be scarred by things in their childhood when God’s grace is soaked in, and thoroughly bathed in gratefulness to God for 1000 gifts!
And I have a couple pieces of leftover double knit that I thought I could use to make the baby some pants . . .
. . . so you are saying he will be scarred? 🙂
Haha…yes the double knits were quite traumatizing! I agree.
I totally followed your lengthy sentence. Now….where’s my iced mocha? 😉
I feel totally crumby about the clothes (not to mention shoes!!!!!!!!) my kids are wearing right now. If I ever get a chance to breathe or think…………I’m going to the Salvation Army to look for some better options. (anywhere but Walmart)
You know, you can get some pretty decorative and trendy duct tape these days.
Well, I got to the end of the sentence or paragraph whatever it was and sorta didn’t know where I started. So I guess I didn’t follow, but I get some chemo brain slack, right? 🙂 Hah! The ribbon is ingenious and looks better than “normal” belt loops, in my generous opinion. Did you try super glue for the belt?
I followed that sentence easily—but then, my first two children are also boys, so I completely “get” the world of hand-me-downs and make-dos, and broken (or lost) belts.
Your belt loops are genius. I am so impressed!
It amazes me what we discover when the spring program (or Christmas program) is days away, and there’s a strict dress code to which boys must adhere. This time around, we learned that our firstborn was wearing dress shoes that were a full two sizes too small for him. With only two days remaining till the program (no time for bargain hunting) and a sleep-deprived mama (no PATIENCE for bargain hunting!), he landed a brand-new pair…and thought that he had the world by the tail! 😉
I am just super impressed that in this frenetic hour and a half of which you speak, you took two pictures!
Er, yes. I wondered if that would come to public attention. Let’s just say this–I stayed at the sewing machine and made Ryan bring me the camera. 🙂
This woman has the presence of mind of a Zen master.
Uh oh. Was the belt that broke from Walmart?
This post is all kinds of fun. I have scotch-taped dress hems and safety-pinned my own tie belts into place. I think the belt loops look great. You’re very creative.
I do the same thing when I worry about how my kids look….remember the terror of my childhood. Double knits, pointy shoes when NO ONE else wore them, and horrible sweaters. It was good for me and I still love my mom.
Oh yes, I noticed the photos and wondered . . . but of course, a good blogger knows photos are important to the blog and will make sure to snag some in the heat of the moment at least part of the time!
Nice job! My thought was…”why the belt, when it look like the pants had elastic?”
Two things: skinny kid, and tucked-in-shirt-with-belt required for program.
The belt loops are great idea. On the day of the broken belt, I did consider adorning your son with a thin white rope I had on hand. 🙂 It wouldn’t have been any more scandalous (although more visible) than some of the clothing solutions I’ve done more often than I’d care to share. Sticky tac is my most unique one. I save that for the dressy occasions.
I was never this smart! I have given too many pairs away that just wouldn’t stay up and didn’t accommodate a belt.
If I could have found your denim post, I would’ve left this there. But this kind of relates to sewing inventions or em-makes. 🙂 I thought of you when I saw this: http://threadingmyway.blogspot.com/2012/06/denim-fabric-baskets.html
I like this post, and wonder why I never thot of making belt loops. I have some Walmart, elasticy-waist boys black dress pants, that my eldest son will.not.wear. I betcha he’d wear em if they had loops. I might just try this.