Once upon a time, I loved to hate the Ogden Cami…

I’ve since come to my senses and I'm a proud member of the Ogden fan club now. I've enjoyed hacking the pattern a few times too. There’s several very well-detailed Ogden hacks on Kelli’s blog, naturally, and no less than 40 billion #OgdenCamiHacks on Insta, but I’m not sure if anyone has shared a halter hack.

My hack was largely inspired by the Mini Ogden Cami I recently made to use up a very small scrap of rayon.

I used the same size (4) I usually make.

Cutting changes-

Omit back facing.
Lengthen straps to 12” or more.
Create a casing for the back elastic by turning a straight edge of fabric under ¼” and again ½”. Stitch.
Fold and align the casing with the level of the armscye and cut the back with the side seam straight up from the hem so that the back is effectively widened. (See image below.) Check that the side seams lengths are still even.

Construction changes-

(my facing is short due to fabric constraints)

Sew the straps with one short end finished and turn out.
Sandwich the straps between the front and front facing and stitch the entire front neckline. Clip, grade, understitch, yada yada.
Insert a length of ⅜” elastic in the back casing that feels comfortable when gently stretched across your back. Secure the ends inside the seam allowance.
Lay the front right side up and the back right sizes together. Lay the front facing so its right side faces the wrong side of the back. (The side seams should all be aligned with the back sandwiched between the front and the facing.) Stitch and finish the side seam.

Hem that baby and c’est fin!

Throw on a matching skirt and it’s practically a cute little dress.

I did note some gaping of the front neckline near the strap attachment, so I may adjust the angle of the straps on my next version. I’ve also considered having the straps cross in the back for another fun adaptation. Worn without a bra, I’ll say this seems very comfortable, especially for a halter, and I’m not worried about any wardrobe malfunction.