Thrift flip: transforming a men's shirt into a cute new skirt

In this blog-post I am going to share an example of R E W O R K I N G. In this case, I flip a large mens shirt into a cute mini skirt.

The return of the sewing machine.

Being someone who thrives when existing with a busy schedule, the Lockdown, a time for pause and reflection, was, inevitably, a massive shock to the system. This meant I was able to pick up some new hobbies, including running and painting. It also opened up time for other loved, but forgotten, past-times like writing poetry, and, the greatly-loved but often-avoided activity of sewing - avoided solely for the hate-hate relationship I have with my sewing machine.

A few years back, after having a terrifying experience with breaking m-u-l-t-i-p-l-e sewing machine needles, the devil machine was pushed under my bed, banished from use for the fear that another broken needle may just snap and pop right into my eye (not a nice thought). But alas, the gift of time that was presented with the unconventionally beautiful situation that is a global pandemic armed me with the bravery to free my sewing machine from its very own lockdown. Yes, the machine was still broken, causing me great frustration; and yes, it was nearly put back into its under-the-bed lockdown. BUT, against all odds, I fixed it. Now, everything is plain sailing, and I am reminded of all the fun that comes with reworking, altering, and creating my own clothes. Hence this blog post. I hope you are inspired to give this a go!

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Ten simple steps.

So, here are 10 simple steps on how you can flip an oversized mens shirt into a super cute new skirt!

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a before and step-by-step pictures, but I can talk through the steps and show you the end result. In the future I do plan to flip another shirt so I will be sure to take pictures of the steps and give an updated guide!

TOP TIP: always try on the piece as you go to avoid having to un-stitch your material

(yes, I did have to do this, it was not fun – plus I accidentally ripped the fabric while un-stitching ☹)

1. Lay the shirt flat, buttoned up, and cut of the top part (just under the sleeves).

2. Try on this piece of fabric and hold from your waist, marking where you’d like the length to be - we will be cutting from the top, not the bottom.

3. Cut off the top part of the shirt to preferred length, adding 2 inches to allow for seam allowance. (we later hem the top of the skirt to tidy up the cut edges)

4. Turn this bit of fabric inside-out and try it on. Pinch and pin the sides to comfortably fit your waist.

5. Pin all the way down to the bottom of the skirt in a gradual curve – the curve will allow room for your hips and booty hehe. You can make it as tight or loose as you want.

6. Sew along where you have pinned. Flip out the material to the right way and try on. If fits well, cut off the excess material.

7. Undo all the buttons and lay out the material fully on a flat surface. Fold the top of the skirt about an inch to hem it, hiding the untidy cut edges. Pin the hem into place.

8. Sew the hem in three parts: right front side, left front side, and back.

9. Sew in a hook and latch at the top of the skirt to join it together nicely – you could use a button from the excess material we cut off at the beginning. I decided to opt for the hook and latch as then it would be concealed.

10. I also sewed an extra button at the bottom as there was quite a big gap between the last button and the bottom of the skirt.

so, to summarise:

CUT the length, SEW edges to fit your shape, HEM the top, ADD any needed buttons

And viola! You have a cute new skirt! It works with literally anything, crop tops, t-shirts or an oversized jumper.

Here is the result:

Oh and one more thing! You could keep the top part of the shirt (and hem the bottom edge) to make for a cute cropped shirt to go over a crop top, making a cute co-ord. I decided to throw mine out as the collar on mine was pretty bulky and ugly.

I hope you liked this guide! :)

Thank-you for reading <3

love April