A singlet changes its spots

June 5, 2013

Have you ever worn a garment made from modal before? This cloth keeps its cool even on a hot summer’s day and has a great reputation as an eco-friendly fabric, as well as being comfortable. My white Sosume T-shirt made from modal was one of the few things I could bear to wear during a heatwave last summer (thanks to Jesse Maricic at Raww for this picture).

Why am I extolling the virtues of a warm-weather material when it’s winter in Melbourne? Simple – I’m GOING ON HOLIDAY TO A HOT COUNTRY IN A WEEK (I’m a bit excited about it!) and I’m putting my holiday wardrobe together. It includes this singlet.

It’s also by Sosume, a Melbourne brand which is doing great things for sustainable fashion. I received it as a present but have never worn it because, to be honest, it’s so thin that it’s a little too see-through to wear in public! But knowing how light and airy the T-shirt is, I knew the singlet should definitely accompany me on my tropical getaway. The question was, how to make it wearable? This was my answer.

Yep, my Pentel dye sticks which I bought back in the ’80s. I never throw anything out! As my drawing skills are limited I didn’t try anything tricky, but went for a freehand animal print kind of design.

Easy, if a little monotonous, but the perfect project for a night in front of the TV. All you do is draw your design on, place paper over the top and iron the material to set the colour. Ta da!

I am yet to do a test-wear, but my other theory when thinking up this DIY was that a print would disguise the inevitable spots of sweat that look so obvious on a plain material. Not exactly a glamorous thing to admit, but it’s something to consider when putting together humidity-friendly outfits! Try using these sneaky scribbles if you have a too-sheer top that you want to make more modest, draw eyes away from embarrassing sweat marks – or simply want to add a touch of animal (or any other design!) to your wardrobe.

先、日本にいる友達とスカイプで話したら「梅雨はいやだよね」と話していたけど、このSosumeのモーダル地トップスならどんなに蒸し暑くても涼しくいられます。去年プレゼントでもらった物ですが、あまりにも透けているからまだ着たことがなかったのです。でも、来週暑いバリ島に行くから、涼しい服がほしい！と思って、プリントでその透け透け感じを隠しました。まだ小学生だった時に買った生地用パステルでアニマル柄を描いてみましたが、どうですか？古いトップスとか透け透け過ぎる服があるならこういう風に変えてみませんか？