11 May 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.
Sources:
- Dress: Target, refashioned by me
- Earrings: Wet Seal
- Belt: Gap Outlet
- Sandals: Target.com
End Notes:
Shortly after beginning to date my now-husband, I told him, “You should like my collarbone. I have a great clavicle.” He hadn’t thought a whole lot about clavicles at that point, but he agreed that mine was a fine specimen and appreciated all my wide neck and v-neck tops. Today I’d like to add my sternum to the mix as well and generally give a gold star to my sterno-clavicular region, aka, my upper chest.
I think there’s something really sexy about curvy bones just below the surface of skin. I love the play of hard bone and soft skin, swooping lines and flat planes. I love how my collarbones pop out when I laugh. I love how I have more expansive sternum than real cleavage.
11 May 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.
I refashioned this dress precisely so that it would better show off my upper chest. When I bought it at Target a couple of years ago, it had spaghetti straps and a matching waist tie. The skinny straps were too close together and cut off my favorite sterno-clavicular lines. So, I cut up the matching waist tie to create wide straps that I set further out on the dress’s bodice. The resulting open neckline is far more flattering on me and, I think, makes the dress more successful as a whole.
I have loved reading so many fantastic posts for Dress Your Best week and we’re only on Day 2! Thank you all for your enthusiastic participation. It is so exciting to click through blog after blog and see women claiming their favorite parts! Keep ‘em coming!
You guys are awesome! You’re giving me some great inspiration for how to dress, although I need to make it work for my age (58, but don’t tell anyone). And I’m not a professor, but I work with them. I know one thing; none of the professors looked as good as you women when I was in grad school. Keep up the good work and the nice photography, too. I loved the pictures of peppers and radishes.
Yay for the upper chest! I love this region on myself, as well. I never thought of it as “expressive” before, but that’s the perfect word for it. And this dress, post-alteration, is so amazing. Far better than the original!
Ooh yes. The fix you did on this dress is crazy amounts better than the original. Sooo pretty.
I was just viewing some pics of a friend on facebook and she was wearing this same green dress! I judged the dress on her as sort of ‘eh’ but with your alteration it is a definite ‘wow’!
WOW! LOVE that dress on you. Love the alterations you made. When did you get that one? I love the pattern!
You do have a good looking collarbone/clavicle area! I love how you altered the dress, spaghetti straps are the pits sometimes!
That made the dress look amazing! You are so talented.
Wow, are you clever. I really love how you changed the dress. It looks so much better. I never would have thought of using the sash to make wider straps. Guess I’m too used to following a pattern. Thanks for showing me new possibilities.
Brilliant refashioning! Not only is the shape nice, but it takes the dress’ formality up a notch.
I’ll also chime in as loving the wider straps – this alteration makes the dress much more bre-friendly! Great tip.
I used to have the same dress, and I altered it in a different way. I love what you did with yours!
Great alteration! I never wold have thougth of that, but the dress looks so much better after the change.
Thank you for posting this idea of chest/clavicle.I am actually quite sensitive about mine because I find it too “bony” even though I like the clavicle region itself. trying to find a way to enjoy the clavicle without using deep v-necks which I don’t like.Thanks for the inspiration though!
The modification of your dress is ingenious!
I also love this region of my body. My friends always laugh, but it is my favorite. :) Glad to see someone else is into clavicles too :) haha
You look lovely! I celebrated my collarbone/decolletage today too! I think all women have a beautiful clavicles, so feminine!
Oh, what a great idea! I’m always setting aside spaghetti strap dresses I might otherwise love because of the lack of bra-strap coverage – now I’ll have to start looking at the ties to see if I can do something like this. Thanks!
That dress looks infinitely better than the original!
I remember seeing that dress but thinking the thin straps wouldn’t work for work. Why didn’t I think about repurposing the sash?! Next time, I will!
I’ll also say I think you have manipulated this dress to show the *perfect* amount of chest/hint of cleavage to keep it tasteful but alluring. love!
Thank you, all! This was my first real foray into clothing refashioning, and it prompted me to start looking at clothing’s potential in a whole new way. I was sad that I didn’t get to wear this dress much last year. First the bump got too big and then the “girls” were too big during the early days of breastfeeding. I’m happy to have it back and to see that it’s still as flattering as I remembered!
I love the way you’ve made that dress work for you in the most flattering ways :)
Wowza, I love the way you refashioned the dress. You’re right, it highlights your sternum perfectly. I’m really enjoying all the DYBW posts, and the inspiration I’ve gotten from the experience. You chic(k)s rock!
Amazing idea that I will have to remember next time I run across a dress that has too tiny of straps for me.
Very clever refashioning. Your re-worked version looks beautiful on you!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who loves her collarbone. I love shirts that show it off. While others suck in their guts, I try to suck in my shoulders to make my collarbones more prominent.
Wow, you look great and that refashioning was a clever move, very inspiring!
I am so excited to find this. I have this exact style dress (in black and pink) from Target from a couple years ago. And like you, I didn’t wear it often because of the straps. I decided to make this same modification to my dress.
Only I decided to bring it to a tailor to do for me, otherwise I might mess it up (or just never finish). For $20, this dress is going to get a whole new life.
travel trailers
This post has me confused.
Your alteration made the dress so much better. Much more elegant. I’d buy the dress as you changed it to be but probably would walk past it on the rack as it was. Well done :-)
I love that you pointed out to your guy that he should love collar bones. “hey I love this part of me and just incase you dont already, so should you!” It shows such confidence. Would all of us women could always be that proud of our bodies.
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