academichic

1 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Green Tank Dress – Gap Outlet
• Navy Tank – Gap
• Teal Belt – Old Navy
• Earrings – F21
• Wedges – Kenneth Cole Reaction, via DSW
• Wooden Bangle – gift from S.

Endnotes:

I found this kelly green tank dress at Gap Outlet when shopping with E. It’s similar in style to E’s. homemade one, but the tank is the same color as the solid colored skirt part, which is cotton and lined.  The tank has an unfortunately placed pocket that I just couldn’t get over, yet also just couldn’t pass this one up, so decided I would take it home and make it work. I immediately arrived home pulled it out of the bag and created five possible outfits from it and then text-ed E. to share my success. You will no doubt be seeing this dress remixed several times this summer – I will be sure to post a picture of the dress as it came next time.

I was drawn to the dress primarily because of it’s color.  I love almost all shades of green but find this kelly green (with a bit of blue undertone) to be one of the more flattering on me.  I made a tight analogous pairing between the skirt and teal belt and another, more distant, analogous pairing with the belt and tank.

analogous colors, originally uploaded by academichic.

I folded the bottom of the ruffly navy tank under so that it ended around where the original tank portion of the dress ends and then belted it into place. I like that it still looks like a tank dress, rather than a skirt and top.

I wore this ensemble to attend a few graduation parties over the weekend.  The rest of the weekend I mostly spent in either running clothes or gardening/construction clothes. Here is a little sneak peak of my latest summer construction and garden project.  It’s become a bit of an obsession, so I will save the details for a post of it’s own – check back later this week!

Summer Project Sneak Peak, originally uploaded by academichic.

1 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

At long last, I present a tutorial for the tank dress I made a few weeks ago before the end of the semester blindsided me. I’ve been seeing these tank+patterned skirt all over the place lately, but frequently they were too short or too short-waisted for my particular proportions. After some googling, and studying the really excellent skirt tutorial and t-shirt dress tutorial at Ruffles and Stuff and the skirt with pockets tutorial at Freshly Picked, I decided that even my fairly rudimentary sewing skills could handle this project.

And since I celebrated my height yesterday for Dress Your Best week, it seems appropriate to post a sewing project prompted by my need for a longer-than-in-stores dress.

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