I had an old shirt of S in the closet that had been well worn and seen it's days and I was keen on making a reconstructed top using it. Since plaid is so in this season and this shirt had a beautiful color combination, it gave me the perfect slate to work with.
I started by cautiously cutting out the sleeves, cuffs and collar close to the seams, so as to leave a neat edge and not waste fabric as you never know when you might need a spare inch that got wasted away.
Next, I cut out the back yoke, again close to the seam, cut a straight line in the front matching the back yoke, all this while keeping the shirt buttoned up in the front.
Then I placed some tucks in the front pieces to adjust the width to my size, as I was looking for a slim fit around the chest and made a big box pleat at the center back, stitching it down till the waist length. This gave me a fitted upper silhouette and flare at the bottom. I had to remove the top most button to get the piping and finishing done neatly, I am yet to attach it back, my laziness gets the better of me at times.
The top rests right below the hip and so flares out beautifully. Then I cut out straps for the shoulders using the fabric from a sleeve that I saved before, also made an extra flare for the front using fabric from the second sleeve and making two triangular panels diagonally, stitching them in a cut I made in the front panels.
I used the cuffs as a design detail, attaching them at the sides and used the collar for the neck. I opened up the collar stitched its label inside out, that gives it character and stitched it sitting over the front panels like a necklace. I used the fabric from the yoke that I had cut out earlier for piping and finishing details.
The whole rugged feel and character it gets from an old worn out shirt makes it even beautiful. It goes perfectly with fitted denims or shorts and will be a staple in my wardrobe this summer. It was a shirt I gifted S years back and I am happy it got this makeover rather than going in the trash!
Happy DIY'ing everyone! Be Yourself! Be Awesome!xx
