D.I.Y Not?

It's easy to make a fitted Victorian shirt. You don’t need to spend a good deal of money to look mod, when you can alter your current clothing to suit the current styles.

Photographs by Christina O'Connor

There’s a lot to think about beyond the gratification of wearing something that you and only you can. It’s easy for to take for granted the resources it takes to create the clothes we wear, with issues like unfair labor practices, and the fossil fuel consumption it takes to ship materials from over seas. Yes, clothing can be a political statement, a simple way to rebel against consumerism.

Alterations can be as simple as cutting the neck out of a shirt to make it more comfy. Or they can be slightly more complex, adding embroidering, and sewing on buttons. My mom taught me how to sew and crochet when I was very young, and in high school I took to juxtaposing several different pieces of clothing together. Because I didn’t much like the styles that were abundant, I started improvising. Take a look at what you can do with a couple of second-hand shirts and some rather inexpensive accessories.

Things you'll need:

• one t-shirt
• one collared shirt
• sewing needle
• thread
• lace ribbon
• safety or straight pins
• measuring tape
• scissors
• vintage buttons (optional)

Step 1: Preparing the t-shirt

• 1a:
  With the t-shirt laying flat on the floor (or other flat surface) begin your cutting about an inch from the neck.
  Cut in a straight line towards the bottom of the t-shirt to right below the bust line (it often helps if you put the shirt on and make a mark with chalk or pencil).
  Do the same on the other side of the shirt.
  Cut straight from the end of your first cut to the end of your second cut.
  Peel back the front of the shirt and cut a straight line across the top of the back of the t-shirt right underneath the collar.
• 1b:
  Remove the sleeves by cutting as close to the outside of the seam while leaving the seam on the t-shirt.
  Cut each removed sleeve along its seam line so they can be opened up and laid flat. Set aside for making pockets in later steps.
  You should now have four separate pieces.

Step 2: Fitting the two shirts together

• 2a: Pull the t-shirt over the collared shirt, pulling the sleeves of the collared shirt through the arm holes of the t-shirt.
  Fold the raw edges of the t-shirt under and begin pinning the two shirts together.
• 2b:Use the measuring tape to make sure the t-shirt is centered over the collared shirt. Measure the shoulders of the t-shirt to make sure they are the same width on both sides. Readjust pinning as necessary.

Step 3: Sewing the shirts together

• To sew by hand, measure and cut an arms length of thread and thread through the needle.
  Begin by inserting the needle through both shirts anywhere along where the two shirts meet and pull through until you have a an inch of thread left on the underside.
  Straight stitch all the way around the cut you made to the neck of the t-shirt until you come back to your first stitch. Tie both ends of the thread together to finish the stitch.
  If you have one or have access to one, this may also be done on a sewing machine.

Step 4: Trimming the collared shirt from the t-shirt

• Turn the entire piece inside out and cut away the collared shirt from the t-shirt by trimming a half inch from outside of the stitching you've just done.

Step 5: Making the shirt "fitted"

• 4a : Put the garment on inside out, and using at least three pins, pin the excess material in towards your waist &endash; between your arm pits and and the widest part of your hips.
• 4b: In a "connect-the-dots" manner, sew from pin to pin between the pits and hips (hand sew or machine sew). Cut away the excess by trimming a half inch from the finished seam.

Step 6: Finishing the collar

• Remove the collar from the collared shirt by cutting 1/4 inch from the top of seam all the way around.
  Take your lace ribbon and begin pinning to the 1/4 inch trim you left on the collar, folding the ribbon around each open end of the collar to give it a more finished look.
  Hand sew or machine sew the lace to the collar.

Step 7: Making pockets

• 7a: Remember those t-shirt sleeves? Placing one on top of the other, fold them in half and cut a "half U shape" on the fold, making sure the top of the "U" is the finished ends of the sleeves. Once cut and unfolded, you should have two pocket shaped pieces of fabric.
• 7b: Gather 1 1/2 to 2 inches of fabric at the bottom of each pocket and pin to hold together.
• 7c: Place the pockets on either side of the shirt, measuring to make sure they are equal distance from the bottom and each side of the shirt. Pin them on and finish by sewing around the pockets to attach.

Step 8: Details and extras

• Use vintage or decorative buttons to replace those that came on the shirt.
  Add more lace to other parts or edges of the shirt
• Make a cute little purse or handbag from the leftover scraps.