Turning an Old Button-Down into a Stylish Vest

Convert a men's shirt into a vest to wear with tights and a belt.

Instead of letting unused clothes take up space, you can give them new life by turning them into something else. A standard button-down shirt can serve as the starting point for a variety of new garments. With a few straightforward modifications, you can convert it into a sharp-looking vest. Using a shirt made of medium-weight fabric tends to produce the best outcome.

Step 1

Follow the care label to wash and dry the shirt. Iron it to smooth out any wrinkles. Place the shirt on a flat, hard surface and use your hands to flatten it.

Step 2

Using a chalk pencil, make a mark 4 inches from the top right edge of the collar. Do the same on the left side. With a ruler, draw a diagonal line from the lowest point of each shoulder seam (where the armpit is) to the chalk marks. Cut along these diagonal lines to remove the extra shoulder and sleeve portions.

Step 3

Place a mark 1 inch above the third button. Use a ruler to draw a diagonal line from this mark up to the pointed collar edge on the right. Repeat on the left. Starting on the right, cut along the line up to the pointed edge, then continue cutting around the collar area where the collar edge meets the fabric. Keep cutting to the left pointed collar edge and then down the line on the left side. Remove the entire cut section.

Step 4

Trim the bottom of the shirt so that it is straight across.

Step 5

Turn the shirt inside out. Fold over the raw edges of the arm openings, collar, and bottom hem. Fold each edge 1/4 inch toward the wrong side of the fabric. Press with an iron. Fold another 1/4 inch toward the wrong side and iron again. Pin all folded edges in place.

Step 6

Using a straight stitch and a 1/8-inch seam allowance, sew all the folded edges of the arms, collar, and hem. Backstitch at the start and end of each seam. Cut any loose threads. Turn the vest right-side out and iron to remove wrinkles.