Refashion: XL Clearance Top

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I finally got around to altering the second of two shirts I scored for $5 at Target last month. I wanted to complete this before leaving for San Francisco, so having a bit of a deadline for the project was a great motivator.

The theory of tailoring this top was simple. I needed to take up the neckline and take in the sides. It was a bit more daunting because of the slippery fabric and the hem finishes. I had a lot of unpicking to do in order to even get started on the project.

Thank heavens the structure of the top was so simple. I took up the shoulders by 3 inches and took in the sides by 4 inches on each side.

It’s not quite sheer, but it’s really cool and super simple. It’s a fantastic summer top. The color and texture are what attracted me to the top in the first place. I could definitely see myself styling this top for spring, summer, fall and winter.

I think if I were making this top from scratch, I would’ve pressed the bottom pleats better than you can see here. I wonder if my steamer will get the puckering out?

Outfit Details:

  • earrings: i heart a million little things, etsy
  • necklace: handmade by my dad, c/o cambria cove
  • top: Target
  • denim: PacSun
  • shoes: gift from Sarah

A few of you wondered how I took in the neckline, this is a rough sketch of what the refashion looked like. I made sure to unpick hems before taking in any seams. As soon as the seams were right, then I reconstructed the hems. It’s all sort of case-by-case basis, but that’s generally how I work on my refashions.

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    1. Heidi says:

      Ha! The ‘before’ falling off the dress form totally made me smile.
      I have a shirt that looks like it is a similar fabric (I think it’s actually silk), size, and shape that I scored for 50 cents a while back. Have you ever bleached or painted silk? I think I need more stripes in my very limited wardrobe.

    2. Megs says:

      how did you take in the neckline?

    3. Megs says:

      how%20did%20you%20take%20in%20the%20neckline%3F

    4. Emily says:

      Nice work! PS it’s definitely worth trying to steam the pleats. :)

    5. Brooke says:

      Girl it was SO fun to meet you at Soel last night! This shirt really turned out so cute! Also, I just know that you make everything you wear look super cute :)

      Now we can be real life friends as well as blog friends. Cheers!

      Brooke

      liningthecloudswithsilver.blogspot.com

    6. I think this is one of my favorites.

    7. Andrea Howe says:

      Super cute! I found you via the comment you left on my polka dot tray project at Making It Lovely today and so glad I did. Your site and style is great!

    8. ira lee henson says:

      this is good. thanks for the illustration, it makes it easier for me to see what you did. i like to ‘try’ to thrift clothes and i stay away from necklines bc i wasnt sure how to make them smaller.

    9. Fatima says:

      Wow I love the top! It’s great that you can alter clothes to fit you perfectly :)
      Fatima

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