Everywhere you turn someone’s showing some shoulder and whether it’s one or both, this trend is definitely one to try, so why not DIY? Thrift a large men’s shirt and bust out some ultra basic sewing skills for a new look…

And when I say basic, I mean basic…I got a D in home ec and I managed to pull it off, so I’m pretty sure you got this! I took a leaf out of a pair and spare’s book and with Geneva’s simple steps it was a piece of cake!

Here’s what you need…

• Thrifted men’s shirt (this Country Road one was $2 at a rummage sale) …make sure it’s long enough to cover you. I went with an XL to be on the safe side.
• About two metres of thick elastic (I found 2m at Kmart for $2)
• Tape measure or ruler
• Scissors
• Pencil

Here’s how you do it…

1. Pull out a tape measure or ruler and draw a line across the shoulders right below the top button to maximise length

2. Turn the shirt inside out and fold about an inch of the shirt back on itself so there’s enough room for your elastic and pin it down. It helps if you iron it a little to keep it in place but no dramas if you can’t be bothered! I found the shoulders a little tricky as it dips a little right on the end where it’s chopped so use the shoulders as a starting point for the fold down.

7. If the shirt’s a long sleeve roll those puppies up! I found the XL had way too much material though, so I figured out where I’d like my sleeves to end, chopped off the excess material and repeated steps 2-6. I had to use a nappy pin instead of a butter knife for feeding the elastic through the sleeves though, because it was too tight…just call me Macgyver!

I was hoping to make a dress but I think it’s better paired with some cut-offs underneath for everyday wear! Would still work as a dress at the beach though…it’s all about context!