[VIDEO] Men’s Shirt Refashioned into Halter Top Dupe

I was inspired by this designer top from Ulla Johnson, while browsing online recently. When I saw the inverted pleat, I immediately thought back to the men’s dress shirt, as you almost always see a box pleat on the back of them. In case you didn’t know, the reverse side of a box pleat is an inverted pleat.

It didn’t take much convincing as I love a classic halter neck design. It’s one of those styles that’s universally flattering in my opinion.

Another thing I noticed about the designer top was that it was made from a mid-weight cotton/linen blend and I so happen to have one of similar weight on hand. The timing could not have been more perfect!

You’ll Need:

**FYI, I used a size medium shirt. I chose a bigger size to play it safe, since I was removing the button closure and cutting new armholes.

↓  Make sure to watch in HD, for the best viewing experience  ↓

Bow Tutorial

As for the bow, it’s made from the shirt’s buttonhole placket. Here’s what I did

1. There were two rows of stitching running down the length of the placket. First, I undid the one closest to the cut edge. It had the same kind of stitch as the shirt so it was super easy to remove.
2. Next, I closed the end of the placket. To do this, I had to also undo a tiny section of the other side stitch. I then folded the raw edge under and closed it with a straight stitch. I also redid the tiny section of the side stitch at the same time.
3. Afterwards, I folded the side under twice, pinning it in place. I then finished with a straight stitch following the old stitch line (which was still very visible).
4. Before making the bow, I steam ironed it to give it a nice, clean finish.
5. Next, I started by folding the strip to form three loops.  A left, center and right loop.
6. I then took the left loop and crossed it over the top of the right one.
7. Once that was done, I folded the right loop over the left one and under, through the center loop.
8. Lastly, I pulled the left and right loops until it formed the knot in the middle. *I had to adjust it a few times, loosening and tightening the knot until I was happy with it.

There you have it! To make it detachable, all I did was added a safety pin.

Thoughts? Let me know if the comment below.

Disclosure: I may receive a small commission (at no charge to you), if you purchase products through my links above. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you!