Burda 2014-02-117 V-Neck Top

Next up, exploration of volume in baby steps… Because the cool kids are doing it? (You know – effortless, confident, got it & don’t need to flaunt it.) Or maybe because it’s getting too hot for a tight-fitting hug. Or just because too many tears were shed when I had to say bye to me-mades that no longer fit.

Anyway, as usual for me, my first attempt didn’t quite go as planned.

The Pattern

It was a case of being seduced by 3/4-view editorial shot. I did have my doubts that full frontal wouldn’t look as good. But nothing ventured nothing gained. This looked like it could be just a tad more interesting than the bog standard loose v-neck top – what with the lantern sleeves (in the photo at least).

Style Shots & Mug Shots

WORN WITH: 1 Ginger Jeans ’17 + Self-drafted cross-body bag; 2 Burda 2012-04-128 dress;

WORN WITH: 3 TopShop skirt; 4 Self-drafted lace skirt;

WORN WITH: 4 Self-drafted lace skirt; 5 Style Arc Antoinette trousers; 6 Ginger Jeans ’18;

Size Used

Going by sizing chart I would be 34/36. But I graded down to size 30/32. Because I didn’t Believe. Too chicken to go full on kabuki-size.

Changes Made

Fitting changes
based on comparison to Tunic Block
  1. Shorten bodice above bust (so front neckline won’t be indecent!)
  2. Narrow sleeves & lengthen sleeve seams

Not sure if these changes qualify entirely as fitting changes given that it’s suppose to be a boxy fit…but I do know I’m short-waisted, plus there’s no way the front neckline would end above the bust like in the pattern photo if I didn’t make these changes.

Design changes

I tried it on just before hemming & the mirror said No. I just couldn’t carry off the boxy style. The clingy fabric probably didn’t help. To salvage this I made the following changes…

  1. Sleeve hems: added inverted pleats.
  2. Shoulders: added pleats to narrow the shoulders & add a little bit more volume to the sleeve heads.
  3. Added lining to bodice below the yokes.

Tried it on again. Still no good. I’m not liking the horizontal emphasis at the waist created by sleeves and bodice that are about the same lengths. Fishing scraps out of the recycling bag I added another change…

  1. Added as much asymmetric extension to the bodice hem as the scraps would afford me.

Still a bit meh but good enough to wear out.

Fabric & Notions Used

Construction Notes

  • …alas too long ago for me to remember…

The Verdict

I was going to write this one-off. But months & many wears later, I’m beginning to think it’s a keeper. It is mostly comfy & a tad more interesting than a bog standard boxy T.

Nonetheless the quest for more hot-flash-friendly loose but hip clothing continues…

8 comments on “Burda 2014-02-117 V-Neck Top

  1. I fancied that top when I first saw it, then realised the model had pulled it so far back so that the V wasn’t at her belly button that the front shoulder yoke seam was now pretending to be a shoulder seam. I put it on the back burner to adjust and forgot about it completely. I like what you’ve done with it to make it wearable!

  2. I know it probably was a lot of work to change the original pattern to a top that works for you, but it looks fantastic on you and really works in all the styling variations you’ve shown here.

  3. I adore what you did with this top! It looks fantastic. Very elegant and yet it looks like a “wearable everyday” kind of top. Great work!

  4. Love what you’ve done with this…i avoid Burda drop shoulders as they just look odd on my straight shoulders. The extra pieces on the hem look great. I definitely prefer your version to the original.

  5. katherine says:

    This top looks really lovely, so I say definitely make it a keeper. The shoulder pleats are a nice detail.

  6. Your changes made this into a flattering top. I especially like the pleats in the shoulders. One of my pet peeves with BurdaStyle patterns is the continued use of dropped shoulders. They can look so ill-fitting and be frustrating to wear, slopping down over the shoulder edge. You’ve made this into an attractive top. And I love what you’ve done with the added pieces at the hemline.

  7. That came out super cute! I liked this pattern when the magazine came out, but I’d forgotten it until seeing your post. I’m going to hunt up that issue and give it a whirl. Much classier than the usual loose summer top. Thanks for the warning about the décolletage

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