Middle school fashion is tough enough: it seems like you have to satisfy everyone else’s criteria (school, parents, the other kids); your body is changing every day, so you’re never sure how things will feel or look; and you just want something comfortable & stylish that reflects YOU. Then you discover that your scoliosis has gotten worse, and now you need to wear a Boston brace 20 hours a day to straighten your back. Overnight everything is all wrong: your clothes are all too tight or reveal too much – there’s no overlooking that brace.Nevertheless, you are brave; you will face this thing head on: you will… GO SHOPPING! Where… you find the jeans are mostly low-cut – without a hipbone to hug, they slide right off the slippery brace. The pants that fit your brace’s large waist sag around its small hips – and at the very bottom, where your own extra-small bottom sits, it looks like you have no bottom at all! Up top is not much better; the brace doesn’t add much girth, but it does stick out, especially when you lean over. Let’s face it, you have weird proportions, new angles, and ready-made is definitely NOT ready for YOU!This is the dilemma my daughter has been facing this year. Lucky for her, right now is actually a good time, fashion-wise, to wear a brace — tops are longer & billowy; scarves, cardigans & vests are in style. If we could just resolve that problem of her pants sliding off, she could rock a look like nobody’s business. Her luck continues: her mom can sew!

This was going to be a fast & simple project – I did not foresee any major alterations to this cute top, just a minor adjustment to fit the waist. The chosen fabric was a well-behaved rose-printed polyester. No problem. My daughter asked if I could move the front pleat to the back instead as added camouflage for her back brace. No problem. Subsequent experimentation led us to decide that the pleat should not be inverted as shown on the pattern. No problem. Then, when I was ready to fit the side seams, we discovered that the neckline was much too low. Problem! I wish I had realized before I cut the fabric that many women’s patterns have necklines that are too low-cut for the younger, developing figure. Fortunately, I was able to lower the shoulder seams a couple of inches(!), which raised the neckline. Although this made the top shorter, there was plenty of leeway there. Finally ready to fit the side seams again, my daughter decided she preferred it to be a poncho without side seams after all. No problem! While there were some speed bumps along the way, the project was still very quick to make up, and I learned to check the neckline placement before I start cutting out! The resulting garment is a fun throw-on layer that conceals the back brace with its drape and movement.

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