A Raised‑Collar Autumn Shirt Rework

A Simple Shirt, Reimagined

The original oversized Atlantic Bay shirt — a £3.99 charity‑shop find.

There are some garments that reveal their potential only when you slow down enough to look. This blouse began life as a simple polyester shirt from a local charity shop — £3.99, lightweight, unassuming, and chosen deliberately as a practice piece. The tag read Atlantic Bay, XXL, a former BHS label; with BHS ceasing trading in 2016, it’s likely this was a vintage men’s shirt, making it an even more interesting starting point for a slow‑fashion transformation.

Around the same time, I’d been exploring the new autumn silhouettes at Plümo, particularly their Bruges Shirt, a green‑and‑white grid cotton shirt with a raised collar and sculptural hemline. It’s an oversized piece with a relaxed, boxy presence — priced at £198 — the kind of silhouette that feels modern, easy, and expressive.

Rather than recreating the shirt stitch‑for‑stitch, I wanted to understand the essence of that oversized look: the standing collar, the softened box shape, the relaxed sleeve. Something architectural, wearable, and grounded in slow‑made values.

The Transformation

The reworked silhouette — raised collar, boxed hem, shortened sleeves.

The transformation itself was straightforward — the kind of rework that feels intuitive once you begin.

• The original collar was reshaped into a clean, standing form.

• The hemline was boxed off to create a crisp, oversized outline that still feels controlled.

• The sleeves were shortened for comfort and proportion, and the cuffs reattached.

• A single chest patch pocket was kept and elevated with white embroidery.

• Additional embroidery was added to the placket and collar to bring a sense of maker’s hand.

The oversized nature of the original shirt became an advantage. Once reshaped, the volume created a relaxed silhouette that sits beautifully under layers and moves with a soft, sculptural ease.

Inspiration vs. Interpretation

Plümo’s Bruges Shirt — the oversized autumn silhouette that inspired the rework.   Image credit: Plümo

Plümo’s Bruges shirt is a beautiful reference point — oversized, relaxed, and designed with a raised collar that frames the face. Their version uses cotton and a simple turned sleeve hem with no cuffs or fastening.

Mine retains the original cuffs and placket, giving the blouse a more tailored finish and a slightly more structured presence within that oversized shape.

The contrasting embroidery adds a softness that Plümo’s version doesn’t attempt. It’s a detail that feels personal, almost like a signature, and it brings a sense of intention to the rework.

Styling the Raised‑Collar Blouse

Layered autumn textures — the raised‑collar striped shirt under a grey fleece waistcoat, paired with cropped wide‑leg trousers and black ankle boots for a structured, easy silhouette.

This silhouette comes alive when layered. The oversized cut gives it room to sit comfortably under knitwear and fleece, while the raised collar adds height and a clean architectural line. The shortened sleeves prevent bulk, and the boxed hem lies flat beneath outer layers.

Styled under a grey fleece waistcoat, the blouse becomes part of a textured autumn palette — navy stripes, soft grey, black cropped trousers, and simple boots. The oversized shape keeps the look relaxed, while the raised collar and crisp hem bring structure. It’s modern, wearable, and confident.

Looking Ahead

The raised‑collar striped shirt tucked into a textured black skirt, showing the contrast between crisp structure and soft volume from the back view.

This rework has opened up a new direction in the studio. Oversized cotton shirts — especially checked or striped ones — lend themselves beautifully to this particular style transformation. They don’t need embroidery; the pattern does the work. The silhouette is simple to achieve, repeatable, and versatile enough to become a small seasonal capsule.

This first rework began as a simple XXL charity‑shop find, but it has opened the door to a collection of raised‑collar autumn shirts — each reclaimed, each oversized, and each thoughtfully reimagined for the season ahead. A wider range of reworked shirts in this silhouette will be added over the coming weeks, continuing the exploration of proportion, structure and slow‑made detail.

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