DIY CUT-OUT TANK TOP

A.k.a the 'side boob' tank, complete with twisted straps. This festival essential, as well as year round basic, is this week's project for Harper's BAZAAR Australia. I made it from a cast-off mens t-shirt, super super simple.  Perfect worn with a black lace triangle bra peeking out the side. Head over and check put the tutorial.

Clicky clicky for the tutorial over at Harper's BAZAAR

DIY INSPIRATION - LOGO TEES

Hand painted tees are possibly the easiest DIY around. A couple of years ago the Chanel tees did the rounds (this was one of my faves), and now Celine has popped up with one that's inspiring me to write my own logo or saying on a tee.You can use a Sharpie to do your design, but personally I prefer acrylic paint and a more relaxed looking logo. Acrylic paint is great because it's basically liquid plastic and sets quite nicely on a cotton tee. So what are you waiting for? Grab some paint and a white tee and go crazy!

Update: One of my readers let me know that a blogger was asked to remove a DIY logo tee from her website due to copyright infringement. If this concerns you my advice would be to put your favourite saying or something else on your tee rather than a branded logo.

 Image: Harper's BAZAAR Australia

DIY SCARF PRINTS

Scarf prints are trending pretty heavily right now - a la vintage Versace, more recently in the Celine S/S11 show and now they seem to be pretty much everywhere. I think they look so good on, and what's even better is that your local thrift store most likely has a mountain of vintage printed scarves for you to make a masterpiece out of. Scroll down for a few ideas.

I'm loving this DIY by Bleach Black showing how to make a scarf print blouse. So simple! Check out her post here.

Images: Sandro at Net-a-porter (#1), Alberta Ferretti Resort 12 (#2), Balmain Resort 12 (#3), Celine S/S11 (#4) , Maurie & Eve (#6 & #9), Twelth Street Via Because I'm Addicted (#7),  Harper's BAZAAR Korea Jan 2012 via Because I'm Addicted (#8), Bleach Black (#10, #11, #12).

DIY INSPIRATION - THE REVERSE DIP DYE

Whilst on the subject of dip dying - why not dip your item of clothing upside down to create a reverse dip dye effect - a la Phillip Lim?

Image: park and cube

DIY Crop It - Inspired by Blushing Ambition

The gorgeous Annabel of Blushing Ambition seriously knows how to dress. She always looks simple and chic, and her style has a timelessness that I absolutely love. I had to show you this cute crop top she wore recently, because as soon as I saw it I thought 'ding ding ding! DIY!' (no joke). Do you want to make a similar style? Take a thick strap, loose singlet and cut it off a few inches below the bottom of your bra line. Annabel shows us that sleeveless and loose is a great way to wear the crop top trend - and pairing it with a pleated high waisted skirt means you can show off a little bit of skin but not too much. Perfect.

Images from here

DIY In Colour

This is such an amazing shoot by the gorgeous Zanita and friends. Every single picture has me drooling, and the mix of grey and pops of colour is perfection. What especially caught my eye was the gorgeous perspex and rope jewellery and belts. So. Cool. The jewellery is by Alexandra Blak - I have to thank Zanita for introducing me to this amazing designer! You know what I love most about this post? The eye for DIY detail is impressive - often stylists make the best DIYers!

Loving this top made out of two pieces of fabric.

Amazing neon chain (spray paint your own) and a DIY one shoulder top from made out of jersey fabric.

Knotted rope necklace. Amazing!

Neon tipped sunglasses - pick up a similar style from ebay and add your own neon tips using paint.

Neon rope + carabiner = coolest belt ever!

Images: Zanita Zanita

Can you count the number of times I used the word 'amazing' in this post? Clearly need to find a few more descriptive words....

Blue Uniform

I have recently been completely taken with silk top and short sets. And bright blue colours like this one - which is a few shades south of cobalt.  I am loving the slightly 80's/uniform feel of wearing a top and shorts in the same fabric! It also gives the appearance of a onesie without the associated (and usually drunken) toilet debacles.What do you think, would you rock a matching set?

Wearing: A Pair & A Spare blue silk pocket front top and matching shorts with ribbon belt, River Island gladiator flats.

DIY Rug Bustier Top

Last week I posted here about the outfit that I planned to wear to the wedding while I was in Thailand, but in true Geneva style decided to change it last minute. A lovely girl over at the AP&AS facebook page commented that I should make a top out of the rugs (I am sure by now you are familiar with the rugs!), and really the rest is history. I made this cropped bustier before I went on holidays and paired it with my watermelon high waisted trousers on the day. Who said you can't wear a doormat to a wedding?

And just in case you thought a girl can't have fun while wearing a rug...

Wearing: DIY rug bustier top, A Pair & A Spare watermelon trousers, rope bag from Thailand, Karen Walker 'Number One' sunglasses, River Island tan heeled sandals, pendant necklace from a boutique in Le Marais.

ps. how cute is the elephant trainer's denim getup? oh so very Stella SS11!

DIY Cacharel Inspired Collared Midriff Top

As soon as I saw this image I fell in love with the gorgeous collared midriff top. I loved the fitted and rib grazing style. Only recently I worked out that it was by Cacharel - and decided I need to make a similar style in a bout of pre-holiday craftiness. Whilst I haven't jumped head first into the crop top craze for fear of not being able to pull it off, I found it easy to wear this style to death while I was on holidays in Thailand, and think I may have been converted!

 The Inspiration

The DIY:

You'll need a cotton/linen collared shirt (long or short sleeves, it doesn't matter), scissors, a sewing machine.

1. Cut the arms off the shirt - You can either cut from under the arms all the way to under the collar, or make the shoulders a touch wider like I did so you can wear a bra with straps. Make sure the shoulders are symmetrical.

2. Put the shirt on and mark with chalk where you want the bottom of the midriff crop to be - make sure to add an inch or so for the hemming. Cut the shirt straight across along your chosen length.

3. Now all you need to do is hem the crop and the shoulders. I used a sewing machine but you could easily hand sew. To make the shirt more fitted, I also put a number of darts in the back and front of the shirt, so that it was more fitted under the breast. Done!

Wearing in top photo - DIY Midriff Top, A Pair & A Spare shorts, River Island gladiator sandals.

Wearing in bottom photo - DIY Midriff Top, A Pair & A Spare lace shorts, rope bag from thailand, suede ballet flats.

So what do you think - to crop or not to crop?

The Essential - Nautical Striped Tops

If you only buy one thing, make it a nautical striped top. Or 5. Interestingly enough I bought my first nautical tee only a few years ago, and since then I can't help but collect them. They are so incredibly wearable and go with just about anything. Whenever I go thrifting I always seem to find one to bring home - thrifted ones are the best as they are always a little worn in and soft. By the way - I have started using my old Tumblr account again, as a location for all the DIYs I get sent and the odd inspiration pic, so check it out.

Gap. Thrifted. Esprit. Thrifted. Thrifted.

DIY White Lace Cami Top Tutorial

White lace has absolutely entranced me this season - the RAFW catwalks were overflowing with the stuff and this editorial got me all warm inside. When I was at Sham Shui Po fabric market recently (check out my post here) I bought 3 metres of gorgeous white lace. The other metre I decided to use to make a little white cami. It was so easy!

DIY

You need - 1 metre of white lace, scissors, a sewing machine (can be handstitched though too!), tracing paper.

1. Fold the lace in half - this will be the length of the top. Pin the folded sides together.

2. Using a cotton top, trace out the shape for the cami onto the tracing paper (finally the bfs architectural paper makes itself useful!) Cut out the traced shape.

3. Lay and pin the trace over the lace. I only needed to do the shoulder area and then I just extrapolated out the body of the cami.

4. Cut around the pattern.

5. Cut out the neckline too.

6. Sew the top - along the two side seams and the top of the straps. You don't have to sew any hem along the edges or elsewhere because once you tidy the lace up it will have an nice raw edge. Turn the top inside out so the seams are on the inside and there you go - the hard part is over.

7. Finally - you need to tidy up the lace edges and neckline. Because the lace I used was round circles in a grid pattern I was able to create a symmetrical neckline but carefully cutting out the circles.

Voila! This is the final neckline. You could also make this top a crop style by simply cutting it shorter but I wanted to be able to wear it tucked in too. Might cut 3 inches at the bottom off and add buttons on the edge so you can either have it as a crop or a cami top... Versatility is key!

Wearing - DIY lace cami top, DIY pink mini skirt, gap khaki jacket, suede flats.

DIY White Lace Cami Top

Inspired by this post I got crafty on the weekend. It was typhoon weather and perfect for Sex and the City Season 3 (carrie cheating on aiden..the wtf feelings never get old) and a bit of sewing. Can't wait to show you the tutorial! You'll be amazed how easy it was.

DIY Cut Out Back Top

Fell in love with this look when I saw it in a magazine. Very do-able - simply cut out the back of a long sleeve top and sew the edges.

Elle UK

DIY Inspiration - Dion Lee

Every so often a designer comes out of the woodwork and delivers a collection so full of DIY that I need to take a moment to collect myself. Dion Lee's AW11 collection has my mind swirling with DIY ideas - mens shirts, cut outs, sheerness and more. Oh no you dint! Although I must say Dion has been producing collections with covetable DIYable details for a while now (remember the blazer with cut out sleeves?). 

Images: Style Bubble, Pedestrian.TV