The Scheme

I planned on wearing this outfit during my first Birthday Week, but I bumped it up to the week before because I found out that the website College Fashionista would be on campus taking pictures of "Fashionable Freshmen". I chose this particular look because I made all of the pieces myself (except for the shoes of course), and I knew they wouldn't have seen anyone else wearing the same clothes.

Basically this outfit was a scheme. And it worked because I got photographed! Definitely one of the best days of my life. Now I guess I'm just waiting to here back from them on when my pictures will be up on the website. I hope I didn't get my hopes up too high.

I bought this dress in January, and didn't do anything to it until July. I didn't know what I would do with it initially but I knew I could turn it into something. My mom thought I was crazy for buying a dress that was a size 20. But the bigger the size, the more fabric, and the more possibilities! At the time I really wanted an overall skirt. I thought the fabric was perfect for this. A lot of work went into transforming it, but it was worth it.

This is the shirt before I cut it up. I got the shirt in the men's section at the thrift store. I always go to the men's section because it always has great prints and the clothes are big enough that there's enough fabric for me to alter it into something else. I couldn't resist the print of this shirt. I love the olive greens in it, and I thought the little golfers and bike riders were so adorable. Originally I had just planned to wear it as a shirt dress, but soon I realized how hard it was to style. It didn't look right layered over or under other clothes. 

It took me almost 6 months to decide what I would turn the shirt into. Finally I decided on a five-panel hat. I'm in love with it now! I referenced an online template and I watched some YouTube tutorials. I had to cut up a canvas bag to give the hat more structure, and I took the brim from a hat my brother didn't want and covered it with the lining of the bag. 

I got the idea for the backless top from a dress I saw a girl wearing on Instagram. The style, I think, goes perfectly with the print. The print is unexpected, and so is the shirt. From the front the top looks modest and looks like a regular cropped tee, then when I turn around, it's backless.

I like the polka dots against the bicycle print. They're two different prints but they go well because the pattern of the top is busy, but the polka dot pattern of the skirt is simple.

Hat: Thrifted and altered

Top: Thrifted and altered

Skirt: Thrifted and altered

Loafers: Thrifted