Jane by Design Style Challenge #2: Fashion Icon

For the Jane by Design Style Challenge #2, I had to design a plain, white t-shirt* inspired by my favorite fashion icon, using items around the house or office.

I chose Sarah Jessica Parker as my fashion icon. She brings my favorite character, Carrie Bradshaw to life with amazing fashion sense and style. At 5'3", she's petite like me, and loves to change up her style from classic to glamorous to funky. Must I even mention shoes? If it's anyone's shoe wardrobe I wish I had, it's hers. Sarah has been one of my favorite actresses since I was about 10 years old, when I first watched the movie, Girls Just Want To Have Fun. Her fragrance, Lovely, has also been one of my favorites for years.

In creating my t-shirt design, I included her tagline from her Bitten collection, "Fashion is not a luxury" and included her initials, SJP. I incorporated details that she wears, from feathers and sequins to rhinestones for that feminine and glamorous look. I'm not so great at drawing, so coming from the underwear industry I decided to construct a bandeau top to layer over the t-shirt. I have this favorite Jean Paul Gaultier outfit - a bandeau top under a printed mesh dress, so I had taken inspiration from that as well.

At first I was thinking of simplifying the t-shirt without the lettering on the bandeau or the tagline, as it would also look more wearable, but for the purpose of this challenge I wanted it to be apparent who my icon was.

Here are the household items I used for this challenge:

- leftover mesh lining taken from a Tracy Reese dress - used for bandeau

- black bra straps

- black bra band for under the bust

- rhinestones from a bracelet used at scoopneck

- sequins and hearts from an old jersey top (the jersey originally said 'Love' in sequins and I transformed the letters to SJP')

- seam binding ribbon to make bra strap tabs

- glue gun

- double sided tape

- black fabric marker* to write the tag line "Fashion is not a luxury"

- medium size binder clip to clip onto the back of the t-shirt, for a more fitted appearance

Help me get a step closer to winning the Jane by Design Style Challenge! Go to http://www.facebook.com/JaneByDesign, tell us who your fashion icon is and mention Fashionably Petite!

*Plain t-shirt, fabric markers and Game Trunk provided by ABC Family

- Kim Weling