Urban Victorian - Mens button down

Men's button down shirts are to me, like a canvas to paint on. I grab them at flea markets and garage sales savoring the fullness, masculine lines, fabric and the opportunity to transform them into a feminine creation. I enjoy the juxtaposition of a feminine silhouette coupled with a few masculine lines. I guess that could be interpreted as "my style".

What I like about refashioning is to not hide that I have refashioned, de-constructed and redesigned the garment. The shirt on the left was a man's xtra large button down that I draped on my body form to create new lines, darts and details.

I added frayed organza to the placket and cuffs, antique lace to the repositioned pocket and antique buttons as a cinched detail on the back. I loved doing this shirt and the results of what I had produced. The step by step is more than I can outline in this blog but I will provide a detailed video on my site: http://www.dzynurlyf.com/ in the near future.

The other shirt was oversized also. Other than the tapering, darts and repositioning of the pocket, I didnt do a lot of draping on this shirt. My emphasis was the combining of patterns to create interest and style. I incorporated ribbon I picked up at a flea market for pennies, the ruffles on the cuffs are from a skirt purchased at a thrift shop and I added patterned, refashioned shorts. To complete the look, I will show this with an Edwardian ruffle type of scarf, antique broach, distressed brown boots, and a brown suede duster I found at a yard sale.

Style doesnt have to be expensive. Creating it yourself....says so much more.