Ruffle City USA!! This tiered cotton dress with an overly ruffled bottom and pouffy sleeves that almost punched me in the chin when I moved my head (they were sans shoulder pads, but had some thicker gauzy material/accordion folded/sleeve flair that boosted them up as I walked) was not jiving with my cool, easy, breezy Saturday dress code, that's for sure!

I love ruffles but not when it looks like this!

I couldn't wait to get rid of a bit of this ruffle detail, so I grabbed my scissors and trimmed right below the first layer. It's soon to be a sheet cake as the layer cake is going out the door.

I mean honestly, I felt like I belonged at a 12 year old's birthday party (probably mine circa 1992) with the pouffy sleeves, so I just had to get rid of them completely as well. I grabbed my seam rippers and began to take the sleeves down.

So much better and we're not even fully complete yet!

With both gone, I'm not even thinking early 90s anymore.

The newly sleeveless number was really going to bring out the V neck that was already there and I'm liking the solo ruffle at the bottom as well!

I pinned my sleeves...

...sewed/tweaked/got rid of the jagged edge, and then took the dress in as a whole about two and a half inches on both sides. I didn't want it to be a wet suit, but I did want it to be a bit more fitted all around.

I'm loving this totally comfortable, shifty little dress that completely went against the ruffle-y/pouffy ancestry!!

Hardly any remnants left from the original piece - I was thrilled not to look like I belong on Murphy Brown anymore.

I loved this dress from Forever 21 that was pretty bargainlicious at $18.90 - similar cut, primary colors mixed in with a little navy and white, flowers...