This shirt is from a very generous pile of great women's dress shirts that my sister-in-law's mother gave to me. In the bag of loot were two shirts that were exactly the same except for color. There was a blue and white stripe and a brown and white stripe. I decided that since this would be a new design I would use the brown and white stripe as my sample and then make another from the blue and white later.
The only trouble with transforming stripes into a diagonal pattern is that it takes more fabric. I had to use the entire back of the shirt and both sleeves in order to have enough fabric for the skirt portion of the dress. I realized that piecing the fabric into a chevron pattern would be the best solution aesthetically and realistically given the amount of material I had to work with (this would be a little easier with a larger-sized men's shirt).
Below is the way the design looked when I first pieced the bodice and skirt together but I realized quickly that the rounded neckline was not working with the angular pattern of the fabric. I changed it to a V neck.
This is the way the design started but I realized quickly that rounded neckline was not working with the angular pattern of the fabric so I changed it to a V neck.
The back of the dress is high to the back of the neck and is taken from the front button placket of the shirt.
A detachable belt ties at the waist and is made with fabric remaining from the front button placket of the shirt.
