Make Your Own Cargo/Utility Vest in Three Easy Steps

Can you believe that August is almost half over? I have always loved August because it is my birthday month and as a kid I loved starting a new school year. I don't have any kids going to school this year, but next year I will! I can't believe I will have a kid old enough to start school!

 Speaking of school starting, I know you have been back to school clothes shopping for your kiddos, but have you thought about your own Fall wardrobe? A few months back I posted about how to make and wear a denim vest....now I'm back again with the vests! Why? Because vests are huge this Fall and Winter. They are perfect for layering and adding a lot of interest and style to any outfit. So I'm hoping you listened to me and made your denim vest....this time around we are making our own cargo vest!

To start you'll need to head to the thrift store. I scoured the racks for a smallish military jacket with cool cargo pockets on the front. I found this Old Navy jacket for about $5 in a size smaller than I normally wear. I tried it on to be sure that it fit in the shoulders and that I could move in it. Then I took it home.



Next, I cut out the sleeves. Start with the jacket inside out and at the under the arm seam. You want to keep as much of the original seam as you can so just cut close to it on the sleeve side.

My jacket had top stitching on the top half of the arm hole, so I was able to cut very close to it and leave it as is. The bottom part of the arm hole was not top stitched so I needed to throw some stitches on to prevent fraying. Take a zig-zag stitch around the arm hole in a similar colored thread.You can see how I did it below.

And guess what? That is it! You have your own cargo vest for a FRACTION of the price it would cost to go buy one. And you will LOVE it because I already love mine!

In three easy steps you went from this...to this!

For its trial run I paired it with a loose tee, black leggings and tall boots. Doesn't this make you excited for Fall? I'll be posting ways to style your new vest in the next few weeks so get working on this easy project for Fall!

Shirt: F21

Pants: TJ Maxx

Shoes: Frye