Isn’t it great when the simplest of tweaks can bring a rather boring garment bang up to date? I’ve been loving this season’s contrast collars and button bands, so thought I’d try out an idea that’s been niggling me for weeks. I bought this shirt from, yes you guessed it, a charity shop. It cost me the princely sum of £1.75. It’s a really good quality shirt but needed a little bit of “modernising”…
There were alot of buttons down the front of this shirt. One continuous line of them, with only a few of them being actually “functional. The rest were simply stitched onto the placket, in the gaps between the buttonholes, for decorative effect. Now I like buttons as much as the next stitcher, but this was just overkill. I removed all the buttons and used contrasting black ones instead, and went for a double button effect.
I reshaped the collar from pointy to Peter Pan and finished with contrast black bias binding. I’ll be sharing a “How To” on the reshaping technique tomorrow, so check back for that if you fancy giving this a go 🙂 COLLAR TUTORIAL HERE
I’m not quite finished with this shirt yet. I can’t quite decide what to do with the sleeves (if anything) and I need to take it in a teensy bit. But I was so pleased with how this stage of the transformation has turned out, that I thought I’d share it early! What say you about the sleeves? Leave well alone or change ’em up a bit? I was thinking 3/4 length but I’d have to lose the cuff as it doesn’t fit around that part of my arm. Hmmm, maybe make a new black cuff?? Decisions, decisions! Of course, what I really ought to be doing is cracking on with Christmas sewing…
This is a really great refash – it’s so much easier to do when you have a garment with good bones!
Gorgeous…have you thought of a cream cuff trimmed in black to echo that beautiful collar?
My thoughts exactly! That would look lovely!
The black details make such a huge difference – I especially like what you’ve done with the collar!
You have a great eye. This looks wonderful already!
You’re such a clever sausage Portia, I love how this ‘minimalist’ approach has completely transformed and updated the look of this blouse. I do quite like the sleeves as they are (looks very chic) and I’m not a huge fan of 3/4 length sleeves personally. But I reckon you could make short sleeves with ‘turn-up’ cuffs that have a rounded edge with the contrast black binding. That would look ace!!!
Gorgeous! Love a bit of monochrome. Very Coco.
Qué ojo!
Un gran cambio!
I said it on the refashion co-op, and I’ll say it again here – this is amazing and I can’t wait for the tutorial!
Zhenya
http://beingzhenya.com
What about making some black cuffs for 3/4 sleeves?
such a simple change but it makes a huge difference in the look!
I liked this blouse before, but it’s divine in the after! Those touches of black really liven it up.
whhha I really love this refashioning. I need to try this!!!