I’ve had this simple black boatneck tee for probably over a decade, and I just don’t wear it, ever. But I never get rid of it either… I have a love/hate relationship with the way it fits/looks, and I think it has to do with the boat neck, which sort of enhances my already very wide shoulders, and so I never wear it. I looked at it the other day and thought, if there was some detail happening in the center, it would draw the eye there rather than to my shoulders, and the idea of a V or upside down triangle visually draws the waist in as well, making the shirt more flattering all the way around.
So I grabbed my rotary blade and got to slicing, and figured if it turned out horrible, it wouldn’t be such a loss because I never wore it anyway. But I actually LOVE the way it turned out.
When I started slicing, I really thought the finished look would be much more open, almost like a lace-up detail, but it’s much more subtle and I love it even more. The illusion v-neck is much more interesting than an open lace up, in this case anyway… and did I say I love it? Like four times, but that’s okay, because I totally do.
Here’s What You’ll Need…
* T-shirt {mine is a cotton/poly blend, so it has some weight and drape to it vs 100% cotton, which would be a little stiffer, but would still work}
* Rotary cutter
* Cutting mat
* Ruler
* A steady hand and a bit of patience… this DIY took about 5 minutes from start to finish.
Steps…
Try on your tee and decide where you want your slices to begin.
Slide your cutting mat in between your tee, line up your ruler in a perfectly straight line, and carefully slice.
Even though I cut the top section the same width as the ones below, since it’s the largest part of the shirt, it hangs open more and only “looks” like the slice is larger.
*** NOTE: If you want to measure first, turn your shirt inside out and mark it out so you don’t see marks on the front. I eyeballed it.
Continue slicing equally in width down your tee {about 1/4″ in between}, making the length a hair shorter with each slice to create a V shape.
And… Voila!
I sliced a diamond shape in the back as well… because I accidentally missed the board {not once, but twice!} when I was cutting the front, and sliced through it… but it ended up a happy mistake.
Have Fun!
* Find all my DIYs here
* Find all my t-shirt DIYs here
