Crossing over to the bright, floral side for spring!
You will need
...and a mirror and sewing machine.
Hint: You want the blouse to be as
big on you as possible to allow for the crossover. Mine was a charity shop buy - thrifting for the win!
Difficulty
Pretty easy
Going on the glib assumption that you're reasonably confident with a sewing machine, this summery floral number's a breeze - and a quick one at that.
Time
1-2 hours
Getting it across
Cut away the sleeves.
Trying on your blouse in front of a mirror (vanity optional) mark it with pins at or slightly below the waist, both at the back and the front. Make sure your measurements are consistent. Use the points to trace a line where the hem will be and use the patternmaster to trace a line 1cm away from it - this will be the seam allowance. Cut along the seam allowance.
Returning to the mirror, wrap the blouse as tightly as possible, with one side in front of the other (hint: it works best if the side with the buttonholes is at the front). Also, try to get the fabric to slope upwards towards your shoulder. Draw a curved line on one side and trace out a seam allowance, as before. Cut along the seam allowance.
To ensure your lines are symmetrical, fold the blouse in half along the centre back with the uncut front panel underneath the cut one. Trace along the curved edge and cut away the excess fabric.
Going back again to our old friend, the mirror, you'll probably notice that the armholes are gaping because of the new angle you've given to them. Pin the excess fabric together to create a
dart but don't sew it - trace it with your pen and sew it together on the wrong side of the fabric, so the dart is inside your top, not outside it.
With one more trip to the mirror for old time's sake, pin the front panel in place and mark where the buttonholes are on the other front panel. sew the buttons in place...
...and voilà
In an attempt to replicate the neo-grunge brand of street style typically associated with the cool kids on the blogging circuit, I got sidetracked and found myself channelling Dalston-hipster-does-normcore, with a muted palette betrayed by a Japanese-style embroidered bomber jacket, a glam visor, bold geometric sunglasses, pyramid eyes and chunky cut out sandals. At least that was the look I was going for, as wrapped up as I was in it at the time. Indeed, as far as wrapping up is concerned, I should possibly heed the Virginia Woolf quote that "Clothes have...more important offices than to merely keep us warm. They change our view of the world and the world's view of us" if I am to enter normcore's sartorial psyche. The look/ trend/ subculture/ lifestyle/ conceptual re-evaluation of humanity does revolve around a discipline I'm really not used to: caring what other people think. All doubts aside, I probably should 'rock the look' with more conviction if I am to claim the authority on trend-setting associated with fashion bloggers. So, here it is, my darkly comfortable ode to normcore, or brand new take on it, or something!
With Kenzo once again claiming the honour of the go-to piece for street fashion snaps with their eye prints and motifs, my first thought was: what to do to make the look my own? After eschewing the standard fare of shorts and satchels, the swing dress was the piece that set the mood and inspired the concept: kaleidoscopic retro with tribal overtones. I worked with a palette of blacks, blues and reds to emphasise the jagged stars and stitch detailing, and to draw attention to the details and centre piece. A psychedelic selfie? The eyes have it!
