MelissaEsplin.com

Refashion: XL Clearance Top

June 26, 2012
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.