Outfit 012

The secondary title of this post is: "No Way,  I Made a Shirt!" This happy gingham wrap shirt, a pair of white denim and saltwater sandals, made up classic outfit that just called out to take a stroll to Hollywood Studios. I have a healthy fear of white denim (how can one avoid sitting in something!?) but I really love the way they look. I guess a little bit of bravery and constant vigilance could encourage me to wear them more often... Anyways --back to the shirt I made-- I recently started sewing again! I started out small with a little pillow, and then (foolishly?) jumped right into making clothes.


I followed this tutorial from Sew Your Hart Out, and in total it took about four hours, which for this novice who had to look up multiple tutorials on turning fabric and bias tape (thank GOD for Youtube), I'm pretty proud. This is a basic wrap shirt, and the tutorial says it's based on Life Magazine images from the 1950's. I chose a heavier weight cotton fabric and slightly reduced the size of the square (I'm short y'all).

If I were to make another I'd play with the placement of the straps to have it wrap a little more evenly. There are definitely areas where I could improve; my seam allowances are definitely not even and my lines are not straight because I'm cursed with impatience. I also really really need to invest in an ironing board, because a steamer isn't cutting it for pressing yards of fabric at a time.

There's something so fun and satisfying about making something that you can wear. I love shopping, and making your own clothes is like shopping and visiting a tailor combined-- giving you the possibility to create exactly what you were looking for. In this case it was a perfectly retro-vibe basic shirt. It is so comfy but elegant at the same time (that also happens to be my goal look 24/7) with sleeves that drape so naturally despite being essentially one big, simple rectangle.

Next up, my dress for Fall Dapper Day.... why not go even bigger, right?