Today's offering is a top I made a few weeks back from a couple of unwanted men's T-shirts and a secondhand men's stripey work shirt. I developed this style for the range at work but I really couldn't resist making myself one, considering the inspiration point behind this design is one that is very close to my heart:
diner waitresses!!!
The aim was to make a fun and wearable interpretation of the look, so I concentrated on a couple of details to get the vibe across on a semi-fitted jersey shape. One key detail that comes up often in traditional diner waitress uniforms is a pointed or curved contrast turned back cuff on the sleeves. I noticed the
Tammy Doll Polka dress by Rockabilly clothing company
Collectif also seems to riff on this particular vintage detail.
But the cuff detail alone on a white T-shirt looked a bit random so I added a little fake pocket flap with matching button. It's not
the first time I've used this pocket flap detail, and I doubt it'll be the last! It's such a simple addition and really can make an otherwise boring garment pop. Or make it unnecessarily kitsch, whatever your take on it!
The T-shirt itself was created by cutting the front and back pieces from one men's T-shirt, and the sleeves from the other. I lined up the bottom edges of the front and back pattern pieces with the existing hem of the T-shirt so that I wouldn't need to bother to hem my final garment. The T-shirt that had the sleeves cut from it also had the hem section harvested for overlocking to the neckhole to finish that raw edge. This is the same neck-finishing technique I described in my Bustier line T-shirt tutorial (find
Part 1 &
Part 2).
Although my initial inspiration was the diner waitress uniform, this version I made with a candy striped man's shirt engenders the final garment with more of an ice cream seller effect I believe! I view the traditional ice cream palor employee as a sub-division of the diner waitress genre, so it's a happy outcome as far as I'm concerned!
The aim was to make a fun and wearable interpretation of the look, so I concentrated on a couple of details to get the vibe across on a semi-fitted jersey shape. One key detail that comes up often in traditional diner waitress uniforms is a pointed or curved contrast turned back cuff on the sleeves. I noticed the Tammy Doll Polka dress by Rockabilly clothing company Collectif also seems to riff on this particular vintage detail. 
13 comments:
Those pointed cuffs are a really clever idea! It gives the garment a little pop. Is it still stretchy enough to move your arms around a lot?
V. cute! I'll have a triple-choc sundae, hold the cherries with extra cream + chopped nuts on top please :)
Really like it, great way of jazzing up a top
Again, great idea! Love the look on the last photo. :-)
Very cute stripe details! They really trun an ordinary t-shirt into something special.
Oh Zoe, I love this idea!! It's fab!!
I've just come across from Refashion Co-op and have loved looking through the wonderful things you've made.
Oh I love the movie Waitress! It is adorable. The pointed cuffs are really cute.
Love it! Goes nicely with the feathery head-dress too, well fashion.
I'm going on a American road-trip in September this year, will be sure to keep an eye out for any diner waitress uniforms to document.
Lovely! My friend and I polished off a banana split yesterday afternoon, starting one at each end, that really ought to have been served by a waitress in such an outfit, not by an outlandlishly roackabilly bloke with big steel rings set in his earlobes that to my eye looked as though he was missing some kind of fitting that needed these holes to bolt into place!
Soooooo cute! x
Gorgeous! I love mint and white striped fabric (I have been trying to find some for years!). How awesome was that movie, Waitress?? It makes me want to eat constant pie.
Can't wait for SSS!
So sweet! I love stripy fabrics. The cuffs are supernice!
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