Deconstructing / Reconstructing a Hybrid Shirt

I thought I would share a little about the way I design my shirts. Most of the shirts I buy are from charity shops. More recently, I have gone to Kilo Sales, where, there is a wider choice of garments. I really like the aesthetics of checks and tartans. I like the visual harmony between them. I start off by selecting the size first, medium with medium, large with large, and also consider, the scale of check and the colours. The shirts I select are, when possible, 100% cotton, using known brands, but there are equally beautiful fabrics from lesser known brands. I never use a new garment on any of my designs, this defeats the whole sustainable ethos that runs through my current shirt collection.

I start to deconstruct the selected shirts, usually, cutting the shirts in half at waist level. These I stitch and overlock together, and finally edge stitch along the seam line. This ensures the seams are neat and strong.

Now comes the fun part, deciding on what checks to add onto the shirt, the combinations, the size of circle, how many and where? I use double sided bonding fabric to secure the circles onto the shirt. These are further secured with a straight stitch.

Finally I add the size labels and the Hybrid-Styles branding.

The shirt is given a final wash, to make sure everything is secure and then ironed, ready to be photographed and the images uploaded onto the Hybrid-Styles website. The whole process of making one shirt can take up to three hours. This is because of attention to detail, making sure stitches and the construction process is secure. Deciding the placement and the balance of the different applique elements is also carefully considered, contributing to the uniqueness of each Hybrid-Styles shirt.

N.B I also offer a bespoke service, where you and I can design, and, I create, a shirt that is constructed from your own shirts. Please contact me through the contact section, at the top of the home page.

Let's move forward, sustainably, and stylishly together.