By In a striking display of fashion ingenuity, Ashley Graham has been spotted in New York City wearing an unconventional outfit that redefines the boundaries between menswear and womenswear. The model and body activist donned an asymmetrical pinstriped ensemble that transformed an Oxford-style shirt into a skirt, showcasing a trend that blurs traditional gendered clothing lines.
Graham’s look, styled by Emily Evans, features a shirt-turned-skirt from British luxury streetwear brand Charles Jeffrey Loverboy. The brand’s latest menswear collection embraces a post-punk aesthetic, blending office wear with casual pieces like scalloped boxer shorts and striped shirts fashioned into pencil skirts. This runway collection, showcased in London, emphasized a rebellious twist on classic garments, with models sporting dramatic hairstyles and smudged makeup.
The DIY fashion trend, seen in Graham’s outfit, is gaining traction on social media. Creative TikTok users have shared tutorials on transforming oversized button-down shirts into puffball skirts and even quirky maxi skirts. These tutorials, some with over a million views, offer accessible fashion hacks, reflecting a broader movement towards repurposing and recycling clothing.
Thom Browne, a well-known menswear designer, has also explored this innovative approach. His Fall-Winter 2023 collection featured deconstructed office wear, including shirts and blazers repurposed into voluminous skirts, blending traditional tailoring with a playful twist. Browne’s couture show in 2022 further pushed the envelope by transforming structured wool coats into skirts.
Julia Fox has similarly embraced this DIY ethos, known for her upcycled fashion statements. Recently, she wore a maxi skirt made from 11 pairs of men’s boxer shorts, highlighting the creative potential of repurposed garments. During Glastonbury, Dua Lipa also showcased a DIY-inspired look with a repurposed T-shirt skirt and an embellished tank top transformed into a crop top.
This revival of the DIY aesthetic comes as a refreshing contrast to high-cost luxury fashion, offering a more inclusive and innovative approach to style. For those inspired by Graham’s inventive skirt, the trend offers an opportunity to engage in fashion experimentation and sustainability, making unique fashion accessible to all.
