My New Wardrobe Staple: The Greenstyle Studio to Street Top

I really enjoy sewing and wearing dolman tops. A dolman top is so flattering and forgiving as it skims the body. Dolmans are definitely a staple silhouette for any wardrobe regardless of your style. As a stay at home mom, I really prefer clothes that are downright comfortable but always appreciate when they make me look put together too. I just adore the sexy, slouchy style of a properly fitting dolman. I also own a lot of dolman top patterns. When I first started sewing more garments, I would buy a pattern just because it was a dolman. Haha!

SO, now you are thinking, wow, this girl really loves dolman tops! I do, yes, I do! I had one problem, though, my favorite pattern company – Greenstyle –  did not have a dolman top in their pattern line up! So, what did I do? I asked Angelyn (the designer behind Greenstyle) to design a dolman top. I excitedly and nervously put in my request because I kind of wanted her to make my favorite AND read my mind as to the design. Surprisingly, she already had one drafted! The only request that I had for her was to add the option of a split hem, and I patiently waited to see what her design was.

The aptly named Studio to Street Top, which released today, is the dolman top pattern that she created, and it is beyond what I could have asked for! As with all Greenstyle patterns, the fit is spot on. It has the perfect ease, tons of options, and works for being dressed up or for the gym! I am also excited to report that it is my new wardrobe staple. It is the perfect slouchy sweater to cuddle with my husband and kids and the chic top that makes me feel stylish when I am out running errands. My late 30s self is totally going to rock the crop top on date night and put it on over a tank when I run to the gym. You guys, I am so excited about this pattern that I could totally kiss Angelyn 🙂

Now, let’s get into the pattern details and the tops that I made!

Sizing. I made a straight XS based on my measurements. All of my measurements fell into XS so I did not need to do any grading or adjustments to the pattern. This pattern chart has an upper bust measurement, which is really helpful in selecting your size if you have a full bust that is more than three inches larger than your overbust. Otherwise, if you only use your full bust measurement, you may end up making too large of a size.

Hemline Options. The pink plaid top above is made out of a jersey fabric and is made using the straight hem cutline. This one is more of a modest crop on me and only reveals my stomach if I lift my hands over my head. The pattern also includes a cropped high/low hem (my lilac/lavender top shown next), a longer length high/low hem (my green top below), and a tunic length split hem option (my striped one shown below)

Neckline options. For the back of the Studio to Street Top, you can have a crew, regular v, or deep v neckline. On the front of the top, you can have a crew or v neck. You may mix and match these in whatever way you like. For this lilac top, I used double brushed poly and did the v front with the deep v back.

The high/low crop is definitely the most revealing of the hemline options. I plan to wear this one layered over a tank.

I absolutely love how the deep v back shows off the power bra. This is one of the power bras that I made last month. You can read that blogpost here. I wear this one to run in a lot, and it has the perfect support!

My leggings are the Greenstyle Inspire tights made with athletic brushed polyester from the Styled Magnolia. This was my first time to make the Inspires, and I have since made another pair! They are quick and fun and will be in my rotation a lot now!

Fabric choice. You want to use fabric with a soft hand to it. Cotton lycra lacks the drape this top needs and will be more tent-like. On the other hand, rayon spandex will cling and hang a little too much on this top. I liked using a soft weight jersey (like the plaid top), a double brushed poly (like my lilac crop), a poly/rayon/spandex French terry (the striped mauve one), and ribbed knit (my cozy green one. I also think sweater knit is a great choice for this top and have some sweater knit picked out for my next one.

The fabric you choose needs to have at least 50% stretch or your sleeves will feel too tight. The body is much looser so does not need as much stretch as the sleeves.

This is the split hem that I love on this pattern! The poly/rayon/spandex French terry works so good on the split hem version. I think fabric with anymore drape looks too wavy on the bottom band, but fabric with not enough drape will look boxy there.

Sleeve length. For my last top, I wanted cozy. I used a rib knit with lots of stretch on this one. You can tell that my sleeves are much longer due to just how stretchy this fabric is. I like to push them up throughout the day to keep them from getting wet when I wash my hands. I made my lilac top in the 3/4 sleeve length. The only option I have not tried on this pattern is the short sleeve view. Keep in mind that if you are using fabric with a lot of vertical stretch, you may have longer sleeves than expected, while if you are using fabric with very little vertical stretch, your sleeves may be a bit shorter.

For comparison, here are the two Studio to Street Tops that I made with a crew neck in the front:

Here are the two tops that I made with the V neck in the front:

Which neckline and hemline do you like the most? I think my favorite for everyday wear is probably the crew back with the v neck front, but for the gym, I am loving the deep v back with the v front!

Resources

1. The Studio to Street Dolman Top pattern can be purchased HERE.
2. The Inspire Tights pattern can be found HERE.
3. The Power Sports Bra pattern can be found HERE.
4. I bought the pink plaid jersey fabric in the DFW fabric district at Wherehouse Fabrics. I found it on the remnant tables in the back.
5. The lilac/lavender double brushed polyester fabric was a scrap from my friend Aimee Wilson. She is so sweet to share her scraps with me, and I usually can find something fun to do with them. I always learn so much from her too so don’t forget to follow her if you don’t already!
6. The lavender poly/rayon spandex French terry stripes can be found at So Sew English HERE.
7. The green rib knit came from Knitpop.
8. The fabric for my tights is athletic brushed poly from the Styled Magnolia. I am really excited about the supplex she is planning on stocking soon (It includes florals and stripes!!)
9. My running shoes are Brooks Ricochet. I am a big fan of Brooks for running shoes. I had IT band issues or shin splints or other issues until I found Brooks and now I have zero problems and haven’t for years. I normally only wear their Launch series, but I am going to add the Ricochet to my favorites. If you are new to running or haven’t changed your running shoes in awhile, get fitted and find a shoe that makes you happy too!

Thanks for reading! I hope I have inspired you. You may follow me on Instagram or receive updates by liking my page on Facebook. If you want to take a look into the things that inspire me, you can follow me on Pinterest. You may also follow my blog with Bloglovin.

Disclosures: I received this pattern for free as part of the testing process to give the designer feedback about the instructions and fit of the pattern. This post also may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation when you purchase via my link. There is no cost to you.  Any and all opinions expressed are my own.