The response of semi-concentrated model blends (10% disperse phase), consisting of slightly viscoelastic polymers, on a stepwise increase in shear rate is investigated. During the initial stage of the response droplets deform into fibrils. The shear and normal stress transients during the deformation process are modeled by combining the approach of Doi and Ohta with the affine deformation theory for single droplet behaviour. In the proposed equations the scaling relations of Doi and Ohta for transient stresses are preserved. They do not contain any fitting parameter. First, the model predictions are compared with experimental results on model blends. Good agreement is found under conditions for which affine deformation is expected. Second the applicability of the scaling relations of the Doi–Ohta theory is verified experimentally. Although the scaling laws should only apply for 50:50 mixtures of Newtonian liquids with equal viscosity, the experiments show that they hold as well for semiconcentrated systems containing slightly viscoelastic components with viscosity ratios deviating from unity.