Fashion Flashback: Recreating a Lace-Trimmed Camisole

All photos are provided by the designer.

Take a trip back to the early 2000s with this sewing recreation project by Beth Byrge. Taking a beloved lace-trimmed cami from her college years, Beth asks readers to join her as she recreates this camisole to highlight the cyclic nature of fashion trends. We love this idea as a fun and thoughtful gift from mothers to daughters, as Beth notes how much her own daughter enjoys wearing her classic cami. Learn how to copy over your own wardrobe for future generations with this unique tutorial.

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Recreating a Lace-Trimmed Camisole

Everything old is new again. As a Millennial mom to Gen Alpha kids, it has been quite an experience to see my old clothes being given new life. Clothing trends from the early aughts (2000-2005) are back, and any sewist who wants to join the trends has a lot of options. I decided to copy a beloved lace-trimmed cami using a pattern I already had, some cotton ribbing fabric, and lace trim.

I wore the original cami constantly in college, usually in the summer time with a white tiered skirt. My 14 year old daughter is a fan of wearing it under a cardigan in the colder months.

I studied the cami and realized that the straps were actually two pieces of picot elastic, coverstitched together with scalloped edges on the outside. The wide lace trimming the bodice was also coverstitched to the edge. The rest of the cami was straightforward and included a built-in shelf bra.

To recreate the cami, I used the True Bias Zoey Tank pattern. The Paradise Patterns Sommar Camisole is similar and includes a shelf bra if you do not want to draft your own.

The bodice fabric is a 100% cotton heavy rib from Surge Fabric Shop. It is a soft off-white/cream color and when I received it, I realized it perfectly matched a cream lace trim I already had. The trim is cotton and non-stretch. It worked okay for this design, but if possible, I recommend that you use a stretch lace, especially if you have a larger bust and need a lot of stretch in that area.

To assemble the cami, I sewed the bodice and basted in the shelf bra along the neckline. Because the neckline is a soft V, I played around with the lace trim to also create a V. You essentially need to sew a dart to create the V, but the exact angle will depend on the neckline shape.

After creating the V in the trim, I laid it on top of the neckline and coverstitched it down. It is personal preference how much overlap you want. Roughly half the trim is on top of the bodice fabric and half is off the edge on the body. You may want to consider the softness of your trim and whether or not it will be itchy on the skin.

Next, I used my pattern to measure how long the straps should be. In my case, I chose to use the strap elastic to also finish the back neckline. Fold the end over before sewing it down. I attached the picot elastic using my coverstitch, leaving some free to become half of the strap.

The final step was to use another piece of picot elastic, turned out the other direction, to finish the armholes and also become part of the strap. This elastic was sewn on top of the outer edge of the neckline lace to finish that portion.

I used my coverstitch for this step as well. I carefully overlapped the picot elastic and sewed the two pieces together. Before attempting this step, please test your stitches and elastics to see what will work best. You may want to use a stabilizer as you sew, or you may want to widen your stitches. If you do not have a coverstitch, you can use a wide zig-zag stitch instead.

I absolutely love that I was able to recreate a beloved (dare I say vintage!?) top. I have already picked out more fabric and lace trim for another cami. This project is a quick sew and a fun way to embellish a simple pattern.

We hoped you enjoyed this article on recreating a wardrobe favorite. What types of articles would you like to read from our designers? Let us know below in the comments!