There’s just something so right about the sport luxe vibe I’ve been seeing everywhere recently. Adding a little bit of mesh and bomber jacket action to an otherwise girly outfit can take your look from feminine to laid-back-off-duty-chic quicker than you can say ‘isn’t mesh more of a stripclub thing?’. You probably remember my post from a few weeks ago with a whole lot of inspo on the subject of luxe mesh, and so I thought I would show you how you can make a little bit of mesh all of your own. This project is dedicated to my friend Sara, who got me thinking about how to make a mesh skirt when we were in New York last year. Better late than never!
You need:
- A simple black mini skirt (either a stretch one or one with a zipper). Mine was actually a long thrifted skirt I converted into a mini.
- Some black cotton mesh fabric
- Scissors
- Pins
- Black thread
- A needle (if hand sewing) or a sewing machine
How to:
1. Take your skirt and lay it out wrapped in the mesh fabric. Mine was the perfect width to go around twice but if yours isn’t, cut it to size.
2. Cut it to the appropriate length, leaving some at the top to fold over and ensuring it is pencil skirt length at the bottom. You may have to put the skirt on and play around to check the length, that’s all part of the process.
3. Align the seam of the mesh with the zip (be it the back or the side), or if there is no zip align it with the back for symmetry
4. Sew up the seam, leaving an opening for the zip if there is one or going all the way to the top for a skirt with no zip.
5. You should have a mesh layer (a ‘sock’ of sorts). You may want to allow for it to be little longer at the back (to cover the bum) and still be horizontal at the hemline (mine was at least).
6. Fold the top edge of the mesh over the waistband of your skirt and sew it down. Also sew the mesh on up the edges of the zip (making sure to leave the zip open for easy removal!) if your skirt has one.
Ta dah! This skirt looks just as good with wedge sneakers and a monotone bomber jacket as a pair of heels and red lipstick.
Wearing: DIY Mesh Pencil Skirt, J Crew grey t-shirt, Tony Bianco heels, Karen Walker Number One sunglasses, Coach watch