• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Me
    • WORK WITH US
  • Shop
  • Nav Widget Area

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Viva Veltoro logo

  • LIFESTYLE
    • Beauty and Fashion
    • Reviews
  • Tieks
  • Recipes
    • Soup
    • Appetizer
    • Breakfast
    • Brunch
    • Dessert
    • Dinner
    • Drink
    • Snack
  • Travel
  • Wellness
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Shop
  • Beauty and Fashion
  • Reviews
  • Tieks
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Wellness
  • Connect With Me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Dress Shirt Remake into a Little Girl's Dress!

    February 21, 2023 By Camille 4 Comments

    Dress Shirt Remake into a Little Girl's Dress!

    This post may contain affiliate links. Click here for more information.

    Would you love to turn some of your man's old dress shirts into adorable play dresses?! A dress shirt remake is not as difficult as you might think. Follow along for a pattern-less tutorial that will turn something frumpy into adorable for your little girl!

    dress shirt remake into toddler dress

    My husband keeps ripping his shirts in the bicep (so manly, right?), and we've had to throw out decent shirts to buy new ones. I've been hoarding my favorite prints to make into dresses for my preschooler, and I think this dress shirt remake tutorial is a good one! The dresses turn out so stinkin' cute and I believe you'll be able to follow along easily and create the same look for your girl! Grab some of your man's old shirts and follow along!

    men's dress shirt to toddler dress

    Convert a Men's Shirt to a Girl's Dress

    The first step on this dress shirt remake is to button up the shirt and cut off the collar.  Cut as close to the stitching as possible because we want to keep this new neck hole as small as possible.

    altering men's dress shirt into dress

    The next step is to create a new armhole that is basically the same shape as the original shirt, but much smaller.  To do this, pencil a new curve that starts almost in the middle of the shoulder seam (A.) and goes down ⅔rds of the original sleeve.

    men's dress shirt turned to girl's dress

    Try to imitate the same angle of the original curve while you cut on this line.  When you reach the bottom of the curve (B.), cut along the rest of the seam to the armpit to get rid of the old sleeve.

    men's dress shirt turned to girl's dress

    Now we need to take some fabric out of the shoulder.  I sewed a new seam about 1.5 inches in.  You can try this smock on your little girl to see just how much width should be taken out of the shoulder to help it look more appropriately sized.  This is also the last step in making the neck hole the right size, so take out as much as you need.

    men's dress shirt to toddler dress

    Choosing a Length

    This is also a good time to shorten the dress.  Do you know how the hem of a man's shirt traditionally dips in the front and the back?  It's hard to hem that, so I evened it up by running it through my serger, following along with the blue design on the shirt.  Then, after trying it on my daughter, I cut off another 5", but you might prefer more or less.  Try it on your girl first so see if this length looks good to you.

    Slimming the Dress Shirt Profile

    The last slimming step on this dress shirt remake is to take in the sides a little bit.  I love the A-line look, so I wanted to keep it as wide on the bottom as possible.  Sew a new seam along these red arrows that start in the middle of that arm curve and go down to the hem.

    altering men's dress shirt

    Finishing the Neckline

    Now you're going to make a little bias tape to finish off the neckline. Because the neckline is a curve, you need fabric cut on the bias that will stretch and curve as you sew it. I made two strips from the old sleeves, about 1.5" wide to create a long strip of bias tape.

    make bias tape from men's dress shirt

    Sew it on around the neckline, tucking the raw edge inside as you would traditionally do for a bias tape finish.

    turn men's dress shirt to dress

    Do the same on the bottom hem, but this time you don't need to cut strips on the bias if it is the straight hem.

    Finishing the Sleeves

    The arm holes are enclosed with a much wider strip of fabric -- nearly 3" wide.

    After you measure the circumference of the armhole, cut two strips to that length but with a small seam allowance (⅝") so you can sew it into a loop that will fit the armhole. Once the two loops are sewn, fold the strip over once and sew it shut, then sew the entire ring along the armhole.

    men's dress shirt into dress

    Gathering the Waist of Your Girls' Dress

    For the gathered waist, cut a strip of elastic to the size of your girl's waist. Pin it in increments on the inside of the dress.

    Men's dress shirt into dress
    dress shirt DIY

    Sew on the inside with a zigzag stitch while pulling the elastic so that it gathers as you sew. 

    And you're done!

    dress shirt remake
    men's dress shirt turned to girl's dress

    What else have you made from men's shirts? Tell us below or share some of your favorite recycled sewing tutorials!

    Also, check out our blessing dress created from wedding gown fabric. You'll love this idea!

    Pin2K
    Share3
    Tweet
    Reddit
    Yum
    2K Shares
    « The Best Pistachio Cake Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lissa Crane says

      June 18, 2019 at 6:15 am

      I LOVE this idea! We will definitely be doing a closet cleanout and making a few summer dresses this weekend!

      Reply
    2. Mia E. says

      July 12, 2019 at 1:04 pm

      This is the best idea. I am amazed by how cute this dress is with such a darling neckline and A Line shape.

      Reply
    3. Hannah says

      October 07, 2021 at 11:04 pm

      Cute! Wish I was that crafty!

      Reply
    4. Rosa says

      May 02, 2022 at 9:49 am

      Cute! How about making pockets out of the sleeves for the dress too?

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi! I'm Ruth! I'm so glad you found me. On Viva Veltoro you'll find a little bit of everything, including fashion, beauty, parenting, recipes, DIY, products I love and places I love to go.

    Feel free to contact me at [email protected]

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Brunch Recipes

    • Lemon Ricotta Stuffed French Toast Recipe!
    • Italian Pasta Salad With Pepperoni Recipe
    • Cherry, Dragon Fruit and Berry Smoothie Bowl Recipe
    • Banana, Lime, and Mango Smoothie Bowl Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    ABOUT VIVA VELTORO

    Viva Veltoro is a lifestyle blog, created by Florida blogger Ruth V. We focus on family, parenting, food, travel, DIY, and entertainment. Read more about the team behind the blog on our About Me page.

    Disclosure
    Cookies Info
    Privacy Policy

    COPYRIGHT

    © Ruth V. and Viva Veltoro, 2022

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon. com and affiliated sites. You can find our PR Policy and Disclosures HERE.