DIY Dress Sleeve Transformation

Thank you all for your honest opinions on my last post. I liked both H&M dresses but wasn't in love with either. Your comments confirmed the features that were bugging me, and I didn't want to keep something that wasn't perfect! I ended up parting with the emerald (already have other items in that exact color), and taking matters into my own hands with the mint:

Drawing a pattern based on my bust and shoulder measurements:

Chop chop!

"Click to Read More" to see how this turned out!

Voila! Strange kimono/dolman sleeve turned classic sleeve. I am now completely in love with this dress.

Creating a "pattern" for the armholes and sleeves was unfortunately not easy. It took about 3 attempts to get right (with numerous photos from the side and back to identify fit issues). The ideal way to make good patterns is to cut apart a top that already fits well and to trace the pieces, but who has nice-fitting tops just lying around for dissecting?

For anyone who is interested in making this dress sleeveless, this is how it looked before I attached the sleeves. I thought it looked nice sleeveless, but because the dress is so slim and almost rectangular, I like the balance that sleeves add. With sleeves, I can also wear this dress to work and not worry about an additional layer.

I also wanted to share a great H&M find that Sydney tweeted about. These chiffon-like blouses are nice and drapey, with little gold button accents. They're great for spring/summer, and the best part is - they're just $9.95. The orange looks great on Syd, but a sz 2 was too big for me in the shoulders and sleeves. I still wanted to share with you guys, because these are an awesome dupe for the Ann Taylor Cargo Blouse at over 90% less!

Lastly, the author of PAB expressed interest in writing some guest posts during my blogging slowdown. If you have any questions for him or topics on which you'd be interested in hearing a male perspective, please leave us a comment below!