How to Make a Romper from a Men's Button-Down Shirt

This is a long tutorial, so hang on for the ride...

Ever wanted to remake one of your guy's shirts into something for yourself?  Not just a skirt, or a dress...but yes, it's possible to make a ROMPER!

We'll be using one ENTIRE shirt - and leave only the tiniest scraps behind when we're done. It will take awhile, and this tute is probably not for beginners.

(The measurements in the tutorial are to make a Misses' Medium. I recommend you making the shorts as measured, and adjusting the crotch lower if you require more room, or wearing them slightly baggy if you are smaller.)

This little romper can be worn with the shorts as is, or rolled up for a cute look that exposes more leg. You can leave the top unbuttoned and wear a cute camisole or long-sleeve tee underneath, or button up and pop the collar for a more edgy feel. You can wear with the waist-tie, or without, tie it in a big bow or just knot it, add a belt for a more structured feel...you can even salvage some more fabric from the cuffs or sleeves and add ties or buttons to the sides of the shorts! There's so many options...and I hope you customize it to where it's truly yours!

Happy DIY'ing...and please check out my blog www.chic-steals.com for TONS more men's shirt refashions and DIY tutorials!
xoxox
Carly 

Step 1 You Need:

*1 men's button-down shirt (mine was sized M, which I found wasn't wide enough when I went to make the shorts. Whatever size you are in Misses' (XS, S, M, L, XL), I suggest you use a shirt that is 1 size larger in Men's (at least!). Otherwise you will have to salvage leftover fabric from the shirt to add to the outside width of the shorts...unless you prefer shorts that are tight or slim-fitting on your thighs.)

*about 12" of 1/4" wide elastic (not shown)


*3 - 4 pairs of sew-on snaps (the larger the better) (not shown)

*elastic cord, doesn't matter how much as long as it's about a yard (we'll be removing it from the shirt once everything is sewn together)(not shown)

and...
*iron & ironing board
*sewing machine
*needle for wovens
*matching thread
*scissors
*marking chalk
*pins
*tape measure
*seam ripper

Comments

[GinnyPottersDaughter]

thnx 4 the instructable i used it 4 costumes 4 my singing group

[sabbbanana]

It's really cute!! I wanna try to make one ~

[carlyjcais]

Good luck!
The hardest part is definitely fitting the crotch right - it's trial and error to get it exactly the right height for your torso length - because once you connect the shorts to the top, you'll really be limited in movement if it's too high (I think mine is just ever so slightly). And there's really nothing you can do to change your torso length!!;-)

[Luke401]

I'm a novice when it comes to sewing, but had an idea that I think might help determining torso length and hopefully eliminate the trial and error process. Wouldn't a piece of string looped around a person from shoulder to crotch give a reasonably close measurement?

[hohum]

Cool instructable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you don't mind a suggestion from me? You could use men's cufflinks as buttons---- a way to reuse and re gender

add a few more layers of fabric to the back placket, this would take up the slack of the clip, button hole the front placket, add a small groment to the back in reverse, so as not to scratch the lady,

it's your idea to use or not, free and clear


jhg


I have been remaking street-found- jeans into grocery bags

[carlyjcais]

That sounds like a great idea! When you write "back placket" do you mean the shirt yoke? I was having trouble visualizing what you suggested above...but it sounds like a great way to re-use cufflinks if you have them lying around...

Jeans into grocery bags sounds like a fabulous re-use - denim is really strong and the flat-felled seams can take a lot of stress before busting! That's a great idea too!

[hohum]

am glad you like my suggestion, the back placket, IMO, let's see, in the model shirt you are wearing, where the button hole is, not that part, there would be a hole in front and a hole in back, it's the back part the would have some extra material, to take up the slack

or not, I figure a button hole would allow the cuff link to turn out of the button hole, you could use small groments, then use a soldering iron to burn the holes.

we are such a throw away society,

hope you don't mind a few more suggestions towards custom fitting the garment,

use smocking to pull the garment in, or sew some 'channels', let's say the bodice is to big, no problem, sew in some channels (2) from the neck to the shoulder, add some ribbon, and tada, the wearer can gather the garment and tie off the ribbons to make a custom fit.

Thanks Carlyjcais, for allowing me to present to you some of my ideas.

These ideas are yours to do as you may want, make money with them, call them your own.

GO CARLY

[kambizpascia]

you are very sexy
ps
great job

[static]

I like attractive women wearing my shirts unmodified, and nothing else with the shirt. I'm not a tailor, so I can't rate this instructable from that viewpoint, but my guess is that an amateur would have no problems duplicating the project using the instructions you given. BTW; you couldn't have chosen a more attractive model, to model the modified shirt..

[psuddeth]

Sweety - that looks HOT!

[mary candy]

to my favorites , now!

[hydrnium.h2]

lol. No offense. But the color reminds me of a jumpsuit.
But besides that, this looks great!

[carlyjcais]

Yeah, when I finished it I realized it looks just like a prison jumpsuit. Niiiiiiiice.

I was going to make one in black but then I thought the details wouldn't show up so well, so I went with a huge shirt I had that was grey.

[hohum]

lot of work, phew, great instructable

ya know carlyjcais, your really good at this, maybe you could approach a tv station and call your show idea 'sewing with Carly', or ''Carly can sew"

it might be worth a shot? who knows??

jhg

[carlyjcais]

Haha who knows, right? I used to work with Threadbanger and then they re-organized everything and I got swept out the door. I've tried making a couple videos but it's too much work to be in front of the camera, doing the tutorial, and then editing afterwards (especially in iMovie, which is the most impossibly dumb editor ever. Automatic separation of audio for L-cuts?? A whacked-out timeline with minimal sound editing capabilities? Only a few, fixed locations to superimpose titles and text on the screen? Ugh. Saving up for Final Cut Express and then maybe I can get a little more done!)
Thanks for your comment that was very nice of you:-)

[eoverton]

Aw great... You just came up with one more reason for my sweetie to raid my closet in search of shirts. (Oddly enough, she never steals the ones with those oh-so-cute holes in them... She just throws them out...) Keep this up and I'll end up going to the office stripped to the waist. And at my age, nobody needs to see that...

Seriously, that's a super cute outfit. And you made it work with some super cute shoes, too. My gosh, you have both fashion sense *and* a sewing machine!

And I didn't even notice the model in the photos has faaaabulous legs. Nope. Not one bit. I was strictly reading the instructable. That's my story and I'm sticking to it -- lest more of my shirts disappear as punishment...

[carlyjcais]

Oh, sorry to potentially leave you shirtless!;-)
I've raided my husband's closet so much he practically has nothing left; now I just thrift my men's shirts to make over since he's banned me from swiping his stuff. Tell your sweetie to go to a Goodwill Outlet instead of forcing you to go to the office stripped to the waist! (Yikes - in winter??! Wouldn't want that!:-D
At the Goodwill Outlet you can get clothing for $1 a pound...I bought 48 pounds last time I was there and above 40 lbs. the price goes down to 89 cents a pound!! (I think above 20 lbs it's around 95 cents or so; though every location may have different pricing systems...)
Though some of the clothing there is dirty or torn, some is in *excellent* condition and only needs a wash!

The shoes in the first photo are Michael Michael Kors and the last pair are Velvet Angels which have a really unique platform attached to the heel.
Thanks 4 your comment!

[phoe]

great legs !

[victorvector]

Nice legs !

[mossDboss]

http://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-Playskool-Romper-Stomper-Girl/dp/B000SMRMK6

I got confused.

[sail4sea]

But it is $59.99 for one of those. We got them for free by using old coffee cans and twine. Oh I see the problem. Coffee cans are made of easy to flatten plastic now.

[carlyjcais]

Haha! I remember those stomper things!;-)

[BtheBike]

Great re-use . Big weakness for cute redheads wearing my shirts . Awesome

[l8nite]

cute outfit... even cuter model.. just saying

[carlyjcais]

Awww, thnx I8nite:-)

[omnibot]

That's a great use of a shirt.

[tcup120]

I love it, super cute!

[carlyjcais]

Thanks tcup120!
I love your cheap easy sew pants too!
xoxo
Carly