Cut it out! DIY summer-ready dress

May 13th, 2010 → 10:00 am @


The thought of summer has infected my mind and all I can faydream about is how to let my inner flower child out. I think sifting through images of Coachella recently has really influenced a return to hippie-chic for me (give me all of the wardrobe pieces in Almost Famous please!). In particular, this little number called out to me:

Yes, it’s a bit out there, but for some reason I’m loving this girl’s look! Side cutouts are kind of fantastic; I particularly love the subtleness of these Marc Jacob dresses:

When I was on my recent Ross run, I picked up an orange tank dress (a color I almost NEVER wear, but had decided to give it a chance) and knew immediately I wanted to try and create my own cutouts. I put together this little tutorial for you to follow, enjoy!

What you will need:

  • Preferably a body hugging dress
  • Sharp scissors
  • Ruler or measuring tape

Step One:

No one wants to have cutouts right at their waist unless you are super thin and fit. Instead, find the smallest part of your waist (a few inches below the bust line) and mark how far in you want the cuts to be (I made mine about 4 inches in on either side).

I marked two dots with a charcoal pencil.

Step Two:

Measure about a two inch width on the edges of your dress, with the two points you previously marked in the center. Using a tape measurer or ruler, connect the points to form a triangle on either side.

Step Three:

Cut out the triangles on the fold so that the opened cutout looks like a diamond shape.

And you are finished! If you are using a fabric other than a jersey-like material, then hemming the cuts would be a good option.

Totally fun and summer approved

Don’t feel comfortable showing off your belly? Pair it with a tank top to achieve a color-blocking look:

Lol the white isn't so far off from my skin version! :(

Is this a look you would attempt? What summer clothes are you coveting right now? Let me know!

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