A wardrobe staple made a favorite again

This green shirt has been one of my favorites for a good 8 or 10 years. The color suits me pretty well and I liked the snaps instead of buttons. A critical look at my wardrobe made me realize that, although the weight of the fabric was light and draped okay, it was rather boxy and not so flattering.

The first thing I did to update it was to rip out the stitches holding on the collar piece and sewed it back together, leaving a little band collar. I also added darts to the back of the shirt, to bring it in and give it some shape. I still go back and forth a bit on whether I should have added more darts or taken more up in them.



Another contributing factor to the boxyness was the 3/4 length sleeves. The 'cuffs' hit at my waist and it just added more fabric and visual mass to the middle area I was trying to trim down to show my shape. Using another shirt as a guide, I gave 'em the chop! I actually took some of the scrap and made a band to edge the new, shorter, sleeves. This required a little tuck on the top, center, to match up the circumferences. It didn't start out as part of the design, but it is a neat little touch that I like.



I actually refashioned this shirt back in May, when I took my first pledge. I've worn it several times since and I'm so glad to have found great examples on Wardrobe Refashion that encouraged me to take the leap... this shirt is definitely a favorite all over again!