There are two things I can never have too much of – bright colors and tank tops. Living in LA, this has never been more true. It's so blazin' hot here I practically never need a coat or sweater. If you've been keeping up with my Me Made May posts on Instagram you might have noticed that I've rarely even worn pants this month – just shorts, skirts and dresses for me! I see myself wearing this tank top a lot this summer. It's so easy to wear and layer that I'll probably even take it on an upcoming trip.
You might recognize this red ikat knit fabric from this skirt. For this shirt, I paired the knit with a matching coral silk-type. Both are bargain bin fabrics. By the way, the low cost of these fabrics make it really hard for me to justify purchasing ready-to-wear clothes. Unless it's something really complicated, I know that I can probably make it myself for less money and give it a custom fit. Anyway, I used the knit print to bind the neckline and shoulder seams and I love the contrast with the solid fabric back. Using two different fabrics is super easy but I think it really gives this tank a wow factor.
For the pattern, I used the tank top pattern from the book Sew U Home Stretch by Wendy Mullin (review here). The book comes with three basic patterns and then gives instructions for altering them to create different designs. I made the tank top from this book before (see it here) so I knew that the recommended changes make the shoulders a little wide for me. I reduced the space at the inner neck/shoulder and I think it worked out well.
I cut the front a size medium and cut the back sides a size large because the pattern was intended for stretch knits and my solid fabric doesn't stretch. I just guessed at it but I'm very pleased with the fit. I also gave the hem a little bit of a curve at the center front and back.
Here I'm wearing it with Lands End Canvas Super Skinny jeans and Bass Sharon thongs in red. I can't find that exact color online anywhere but there are lots of options. Can you believe how much the sandals match the top? Yay for coral! I really love this top and I'm excited to wear it this summer. What are your go-to pieces for summer weather?
