July 17, 2018

Thrifted Men’s Shirt Upcycle Hack in 7 Steps

I adore the patchwork look of upscale designer clothing. This sewing hack uses a couple of thrifted men’s dress shirts and some fabric scraps to bring a new feminine style!

This post contains affiliate links. By making a purchase I will receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. Thank you for your support!

Men’s Shirt Upcycle Hack

Upcycle hacks are all over the internet, and some of my favorites use men’s dress shirts. They are inexpensive, plentiful, and come in lots of great fabrics. I have been keeping this one on hand for a project for awhile. I loved the orange and blue plaid colors but it was just too unfeminine for me to wear without feeling awkward. It also didn’t fit very well around the middle, which is no surprise as this is my biggest fit problem a lot of times.

My inspiration for this men’s shirt upcycle hack came from this shirt from Soft Surroundings, my former workplace. I always loved seeing how their designers put fabrics together in new ways. The feminine look of the back of this shirt was what I loved most about it.

You can easily make a men’s shirt into a feminine statement piece with these 7 steps.

Supplies Needed

• 2 men’s cotton dress shirts with similar colors, works best if they are the same size (I used 1 plaid, 1 stripe)

•1/2 yard of contrasting floral fabric

•scissors

•ruler and fabric marker

•sewing machine and matching thread

Men’s Shirt Upcycle Hack Directions

1. Remove the shirt back by cutting 1/2″ away from the armhole, yoke and side seams while leaving seams intact.

2. Use the piece you just removed as a pattern for cutting the contrasting floral fabric, adding 1/2″ to the top and side seams. Cut floral hem slightly shorter than the original piece, at your natural waist.

3. Cut the second shirt under the armholes, across the front button placket and remove the back.

4. Pin top edges of the floral fabric to the seam allowance just under the yoke. Stitch in place making a 1/2″ seam.

5. Sew sides of floral fabric to the back armhole, underarm, and side of the shirt. Break stitches at the top corner as you sew and clip fabric as needed to get a square seam at the shoulder.