New obsession: blouse-to-two part dresses! Thanks, Anthropologie!

New obsession: blouse-to-two part dresses! Thanks, Anthropologie!

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• 2.10.2010

These are all over the place this and last season.  Nordstrom, Anthropologie... lots of combo two-part dresses that look like blouse/skirt outfits.  My new obsession is taking unflattering blouses and converting them to cute dresses!  Here's one that I just whipped together in an hour or so.  I just got on a roll and raided my closet for icky blouses.  I found a couple that I am planning on using for cute dresses, as the weather gets better!

Here's one of the dresses I made and a few pics, based on Anthro's Bustling Avenues Dress:

This started as a nice quality cotton gauzy, shapeless J.Jill blouse that I got at the Goodwill Outlet for $1.39/lb.  So, like 25 cents.

There are darts, but it's still loose and shapeless.  It had 3/4 length sleeves, an open neck, and some cross-stitch details at the ends of the (wimpy) darts.

I used a yard of cute black and white cotton and this darling vintage pattern.  I didn't have enough fabric to do the buttons.

(View C, the yellow one, without the buttons).

I cut off the sleeves of the blouse, into a flattering tank top style.  I cut off the bottom of it to a little longer than natural waist, and gathered, and attached to a black cotton waistband I added:

I had to take in the side seams, too.  Then I added the faux yoke at the front in the neckline (all made from the bottom 5" of the shirt, which I had cut off) and made a little rosette from the sleeve scraps!!