Ribbons to Transform Tops

Beautiful ribbons are a lightweight, easily transportable treasure. Long before integrating ribbon into clothing you could find me in the local fabric store gazing into glass cabinets filled with ribbon and lace or leaning into the bin piled with leftover ribbon still on the cardboard spools.

This bottle green and bronze-brown ribbon was inside the glass cabinet in a Houston store named High Fashion Fabric. The store is no longer there, but the memory of that day over ten years ago stays with me. The piece of ribbon is only 12” in length. My visits to fabric shops and merceria (notions shop) around the world have never revealed its equal. Simply looking at it gives me great joy.

Current fashions are covered in fluttering ribbons. This Celine top embellished with looped ribbons stamped with the word “Celine” is an image from September, 2025.

This woven midi length top or dress is from the Fendi Cruise 2027 collection.

(Pili Vila and Ivan Salvador (Vila under full length and Salvador under close-up)

Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalia worked with Jonathon Anderson, creative director of Dior for her world tour wardrobe. This story was a feature in Harpers Bazaar Australia. Here we see a pannier gown covered in pale blue satin ribbons. The panniers give it a historic feel while the ribbons give it a lightness. Panniers, originating in the 18^th century, were made of whale bone, steel, or cane and were worn under the gown to give the wearer a wide hipped appearance.

This fringed mini dress by Hodakova gives the appearance of being covered in thousands of thin ribbons.

While at first glance you might think this Khaite top is covered in ribbons it is actually pierced with strips of leather, However, to my eyes it was ribbon and it is this image which served as the inspiration for my transformation of a midi length black knit cover up purchased for a family trip to the lake and never worn. The cover up languished in the basket of swimsuits in our dressing room until this image flashed up on my screen. Coincidentally, I had recently purchased 9 yards of Petersham 100% rayon grosgrain ribbon in black.

To begin the dress had to be cut into two pieces. The bottom part was not long enough to do anything with so we will concentrate on the top. The ribbon was cut in pieces about 8 inches in length with the ends cut at an angle.  If you want to do something similar you should look for a knit with an open weave. Pin a large safety pin at one end of the cut piece of ribbon and push it through the opening in the garment and then through a nearby opening (above or below) and back to the outside of the knit pulling until both ends of the ribbon are on the outside of the garment. Then take a needle and thread and sew the ribbon to the garment under the flap of the top part of the ribbon where it will not show. Two or three stitches should do it.

The top should look wonderful with a pair of black slacks and perhaps a plain unadorned tuxedo style jacket. You could also wear it with a pencil skirt or an a-line skirt. The unexpected thrill of wearing it is to see the ribbons in motion!

With more ribbon in the cabinet and a jacket needing some attention we can continue transforming tops! First, the inspiration…

This jacket is designed and created by Elena Dawson, a British designer who is inspired by the vulnerability of garments and the deconstructed look of a garment under alteration or turned inside out. The clothing reminds me of something that might have been worn in the Victorian era. Her work is all handmade in the UK.

(Photo credit theladyofthegoldrings)

This image of a pink jacket with bow closures was the final inspiration for the reconstruction of my black tailored jacket. There are a number of these in our closet left over from my “suit days”.

To achieve this look you can work with a classic tailored jacket. Pop the collar up and create the bow closures by folding a ribbon in half and sewing another piece of ribbon mid-way down the folded length to create the look of a folded bow. Sew the ribbon to the jacket and underneath, sew a snap closure to keep you from having to tie a row of ribbons when you want to put on the jacket. Some of the ribbon closures are sewn over the jacket buttons. This makes it quick and simple and the jacket retains its look.

To complete the transformation extra pieces of ribbon were sewn under the pocket flaps and tied through the cuff button closure.

Give me a roll of good ribbon and it’s a happy day!