Upcycled Men's Shirts, and an Auction Adventure

There is almost nothing more fun than an auction in the summer. I had a blast this last weekend attending one. The weather was just perfect for a June day in Wisconsin, and I ended up bringing home boxes and boxes of books which I am having fun sorting through. I wish I had completed this men's shirt upcycle before the auction so I could wear it there,  but it's done now!

I've combined three men's shirts in the same color family, along with an old T-shirt from my own closet. I did NOT cut up all of SW's shirts for this (!) but I was lucky enough to hit the thrift shop on a day when they had "fill a bag for $5". So I loaded up on men's shirts in various sizes with colors that pleased me. It was a terrific bargain. The back of this top is made from sleeves of the shirts, something I borrowed from a post on Pinterest. The front is a layered look which includes buttons and pieces from the shirts. There is a surprising amount of fabric in a men's shirt, especially the XXL ones, so there is plenty of fabric to use in other projects if I choose.

To make the top super fun I added a shirt pocket and this vintage clothing label which I picked up along with a box of others at an antique store about ten years ago. Rescuing them from obscurity, is how I think about it (although sitting in my supply bin for ten years did not bring them out of their exile very quickly, haha).

Suzy Perette was not a real person. This is a 1950's clothing label from a manufacturer that copied Parisian designs for cocktail dresses. I do not cut labels from vintage clothing, but since someone else did, I thought I'd use it. Now if anyone asks about Suzy Perette I can tell them all about it.

Here's one of the books I got at auction.

Guess I should start reading up on this. Haha.

Stay cool out there, and try shaking things up with an upcycled fashion of your own. It's fun and easy! --The Elevated Bag Lady