I've had one Kastel shirt for a while now. I really love it, so I wanted to have more than one. Because wearing the same shirt every time I ride would be gross and I don't like wearing other shirts when it's hot and sunny out because I'm incredibly inclined to sunburn even if I slather on sun-screen. Unfortunately I'm not really rich enough to afford a lot of $75-$100 shirts. And I wanted a lot of them.
Fortunately, there's a sale on eBay right now for Kastel sun shirts. Check it out. All of the shirts are really cheap. To make it even better, some of them come with "FREE CHARLOTTE DRESS." I didn't know what this was, but figured worst case I'd just donate it. $30 plus $5 shipping for a Kastel shirt is great with or without a free dress.
I might have gone a little overboard:
It turns out the dress is basically a giant Kastel sun shirt. It would actually be a really terrible dress. There's really nothing that makes it a dress aside from length. It lacks any sort of form or design and clings really unattractively. I'm also not really sure who the market would be for this dress. Do people do athletics in dresses and therefor need sun protection and ventilated arms? I can see why it was free.
So what to do with this weird dress thing? I cut the bottom off and made it into another shirt. If you want to do the same, here's how:
- While wearing the dress, pin a half inch lower than where you want the shirt to end (you need room for the hem).
- Measure how far up this pin is from the original hem and then use that measurement to mark around the dress. Do at least 10 marks around.
- Cut the dress in a straight line along the marks.
- If you have a serger, use that. If not, your sewing machine should have an overcasting foot. Use either to overcast the cut edge.
- Then pin a half inch hem and sew the hem using thread that's the same color as the shirt.
My hem is not actually that uneven, I was tugging at the shirt after putting it on. I also forgot to take pictures of the hemming step. Well, I took pictures, but I can't find them. Sorry. With the free dress modified into a shirt I ended up with two Kastel shirts for $35. You can't beat that.
I would highly recommend checking out the Kastel eBay sale. I might have already ordered some more. I might have a problem. I even ordered one for my husband. Has anyone else tired the Kastel shirts? Or do you have another brand of sun shirt you like? I tried a few different brands and have found Kastel to be my favorite, but I'm open to trying others if anyone has any recommendations.
Labels: Do It Yourself
