10+ No Sew Ways of Shirt Transformation
Shirt transformation is an easy way to make our clothing work for us. I remember talking about color combination with my stepmom while taking inventory of her closet, and the next question was about pairing a top with the bottoms. Sometimes the color combination works but the proportions or shape may not work.
BTW, I apologize that some of the photos are blurry. Let’s blame the heat and lack of patience for standing out in it, LOL!!
Quote of the day: “When you start to develop your powers of empathy and imagination, the whole world opens up to you.” Susan Sarandon
I thought this would be a great resource after using my color recipe to have some shirt transformation hacks! Of course you can always have a top altered to fit you better but sometimes it’s even better to have one that is bigger, so you can change it up to make it work with a variety of bottoms.
I wore the same top and skirt for all of these no sew shirt transformation ideas. What that means is the proportions aren’t perfect for many of them. In fact, with this denim skirt, you could leave it long with nothing done to it and it’s a better proportion.
However, what you don’t notice is how boxy it is from the side and back. Remember, a photo only shows you two dimensionally what is actually 3-D!
You may not like some of these shirt transformations with this exact outfit, but what I’m trying to showcase is how many of these tricks could work.
Make sure to pin this post to have these shirt transformations at your fingertips
Tuck It In
This is a perfect example of how these two ideas are NOT the best proportion. But imagine if your skirt was longer or you were wearing long pants. Then the outfit might look better by tucking in your top!
With or without the belt is a personal preference.
Other Belt Comparisons
Accessory Style Challenge: When to Wear a Belt
Simplified Belt Style Depending on What You Like Best
The Half Tuck
Using a half tuck method is a great way to give a boxy shirt some shape and add interest to the overall look. If you are new here, I covered 3 reasons that the half tuck is helpful.
With the front half tuck, you still get coverage in the rear, but open up the front of the look. Again, the belt is optional.
Again with the Belt
A belt can be useful OVER a top too. Just because there aren’t belt loops in sight doesn’t mean a belt isn’t allowed!!
Just think if I had a rust colored belt. Then it would blend into the background yet serve a purpose of nipping in your waist. Even if you don’t think you have a waist, this can work! Trust me.
Front Knot
Gathering up the extra material in the front and creating a knot with an elastic is an easy way to give a boxy top some shape.
Insider tip: I swear my clear orthodontic elastics serve me well for tops, dresses and even scarves. If you haven’t gotten any yet, I highly recommend it. You can share the bag with your friend because it’ll last you forever.
Back Knot
The knot trick can happen anywhere on the shirt. By creating that tied up material on the back of your body, you keep the front looking sleek and flat.
The time when this doesn’t work well is for a sitting event because it can be uncomfortable against the chair. A standing event?? Now that’s the time this works fabulously.
Side Knot
If you don’t want that wad of material in the front of your body, you can create the same knot on the side of your body.
The second photo shows the wad of material tucked up so it’s hidden.
Side Tuck
You can also create a similar look by tucking in your top to the side of your waistband, your pocket or even the belt loop.
The disadvantage of this over using the elastic, is if the placement of the waistband or pocket is not the height you want. AND you have to retuck it after every trip to the bathroom. But if you are without elastics, it’s the way to make it work.
The Inside Knot
The inside knot is a fabulous shirt transformation that creates a ruching effect. You create a knot on the inside of your shirt with that handy, dandy, elastic and it creates this look.
Double Inside Knots
You can double your fun of creating inside knots to have one on each side. Think of it as no sew darts.
Shirt Transformation with a Scarf
Ignore the fact that the top isn’t perfectly lined up. The photographer’s eyes aren’t always even, LOL! Here I took one of my Gibby’s scarves and created a way to give the top more shape. Obviously you could use any scarf you already have and try to fold it to create this trick!
Insider discount: I work with Gibby’s Frillery because I A.D.O.R.E her scarves. These aren’t just ordinary scarves. They are made from a material that stretches 4 ways. And they are such a great length to make them so easy to style.
The Outfit
Skirt: Gap~~Top: Old Navy~~ Shoes: Jessica Simpson
I bought this tank to use some of my Banana Republic rewards, which can also be used at Old Navy. Last time I looked, this top was $5 and came in a couple of other colors/prints too.
The denim skirt is an oldie, but goodie as I wear it quite often. It came with the raw hem, but heck, that’s something you could easily do to one you already have in your closet. Just pull out the seam for the hem and iron the heck out of it.
Hopefully these tricks will help you with any shirt transformation in the future. Especially those tops that are boxy and just hang on you.
Make sure to pin this so you can refer back to it when you need it. There are so many ways to make your clothes work for you without having to alter them.
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