Put natural-fibre clothing on a natural beauty in a Queensland beach setting and it is hard to go wrong!

This upcycle involved an op-shop linen shirt and wool jumper-skirt found separately but now a perfectly matched sky blue. The short-sleeved wool jumper was diced up – the turtle-neck saved for another project, the sleeves turned into flared cuffs for the linen shirt, and the body of the jumper trimmed to be a skirt with narrow elastic waistband. The ribbed hem of the jumper is effective as the skirt hem.

The linen shirt remains largely intact (although shoulder pads and velcro removed) with its sailor collar, front zip and pockets. The change was with the sleeves, which were cropped to below the elbow then the wool sleeve off-cut added for a flared effect. The scarf is another op shop find and the hat belongs to Lilly B, the gorgeous model photographed on the beach at Alexandra Headland.