Look of the Week: Ashley Graham Revives DIY Fashion with Chic Shirt Skirt

Ashley Graham turned heads in New York City with a daring outfit that blended a men’s shirt with a women’s skirt. The model and body activist was seen in a pinstriped, asymmetrical ensemble that looked like an Oxford shirt wrapped around her waist backward, with sleeves flowing as she moved.

This striking look is from British streetwear brand Charles Jeffrey Loverboy’s summer runway collection. The line features a provocative mix of office wear and loungewear, including shirt-skirts and scalloped boxer shorts. The collection, showcased in London, played with classic textiles in a post-punk style, featuring models with deliberately disheveled hair and dramatic makeup.

Ashley Graham’s straightforward styling of the shirt-dress highlights the current DIY fashion trend sweeping social media, where repurposed menswear is making a comeback. TikTok users have shared creative tutorials on transforming oversized button-downs into puffball skirts—a trend that mirrors Sienna Miller’s Schiaparelli look from last fall’s Vogue World event, which garnered over a million views. Another popular idea involves buttoning two shirts together and cinching them with a belt to create a quirky maxi skirt.

Even top menswear designer Thom Browne has embraced this innovative approach. For his 2022 couture show, Browne turned structured wool coats into calf-length skirts, creating a dramatic hourglass silhouette. In his Fall-Winter 2023 collection, Browne continued to experiment by deconstructing businesswear, combining office shirts and blazers into voluminous skirts, mixing stripe patterns, and finishing the look with a real tie.

Ashley Graham isn’t alone in championing the DIY fashion trend. Dua Lipa made waves at Glastonbury with a custom Acne Studios ensemble that blurred the lines between luxury and homemade. Her embellished tank top was creatively folded into a bra for an extreme crop, while her skirt was crafted from a repurposed oversized T-shirt, complete with a visible crew neckline.

Julia Fox also embraces upcycling in her bold fashion choices, from tops made of neckties to a striking low-rise maxi skirt fashioned from 11 pairs of men’s boxer shorts last weekend. This form of scrappy recycling has long been a playground for emerging designers and fashion enthusiasts. In today’s costly economic climate, the return of DIY fashion offers a more accessible and inclusive alternative to high-end luxury trends.

For those inspired by Graham’s innovative shirt-skirt, the DIY aesthetic is not only trendy but also achievable, making it a unique opportunity for fashion lovers to recreate the look at home.