My mum always told me about how she dressed up using passed down items back in the 80s and 90s. Looking back at the photos, I am always amazed at how she made ill-fitting clothes work - add a belt, pin the sides, sew a dart, or just wear it confidently.

On rare occasions, she went to the tailor to make an outfit using affordable materials. I can still remember the story of how she never received the completed order because her tailor’s house caught on fire, so did her made-to-measure clothes.

If she was my customer back in the 80s - and if I was alive back then, here are the clothes I would make for her. I, too, hope you will love it as much as she would.