"Wrinkle Free" does not equal "Hassle Free"

Give me wonderfully fine Swiss Cotton Shirting any day....over shirting fabrics marked "Easy Care".

Ladies and gentlemen, it took me HOURS to sew this shirt...a design that should have taken 2 hours max.  Why?  It's made from "easy-care" aka "no wrinkle" fabric that I was foolish enough to buy during a sale when my regular shirting fabric suppliers were a little low on selection.

Can you even see that the contrast fabric is white with blue pinstripes?  Probably not, since the fabric has a strange sheen that made photography a challenge no matter what camera settings I used.

I hope my client likes it....because the only thing I didn't have to do twice on this shirt was match the checks and fuse the interfacing..those two things were easy.  The rest, like creasing folds and getting perfectly even topstitching, was a challenge.  And of course, I chose to add bias details, because gee whiz when the fabric is strange to sew with, you might as well frustrate yourself  further by placing crucial parts like the collar band and cuffs on bias, right?

Ah well..I will soothe myself today by working with some delicious Italian Shirting cotton..that's woven so finely it resists raveling. And so I will stay with "Ravel-resistant" and skip "Wrinkle Resistant" from now on.

Contour Shirt with a "Set-Back" Collar...Design and Drafting Notes

This shirt of my original design, is the latest made for a client who prefers a slim-cut shirt, or what is known to Tailors and Shirt-makers as a "Contour" shirt.  This contour shirt is made from cotton poplin sateen shirting fabric that has a slight ombre effect. It features a banded angle-edge pocket, a cross-cut front button placket, and sleeves with wide cross-cut plackets and an inverted box pleat at the cuffs. Additionally, the cross-cut collar has been designed so that it "sets back" on the stand about 3/4" more than usual.

So...what is a "slim-cut" (contour) shirt?   What it isn't is a precise set of steps and measurements that are set in stone.  The specs of "slim-cut" (contour) will vary depending on the designer and who is doing the drafting.  I start with with my regular shirt block with straight side seams, then I take out some of the fullness by curving the side seams.  I raise the armscye point, then finish by correcting and smoothing the new curve.  When the armscye point is raised, it makes the arm "hole" smaller, so a new sleeve with a smaller-circumference (slimmer cut!) needs to be drafted.  I draft the sleeve with almost no ease. Yes you read that right...I draft the sleeve with no more than 1/2" of ease. It just isn't necessary. Too much ease makes for a messy flat-felled sewn finish.  One other thing...I draft my Contour Shirt Back without a CB pleat.

I have not yet mentioned making slimmer/contoured changes to the shirt Front and Back at the shoulders (the yoke). That is because I already draft my regular shirt block with a natural shoulder slope and length.  My standard shirt block is not loose on the upper chest/shoulder and the sleeve does not drop of the shoulder, so it needs no adjustments when I draft a contour shirt.

You may be wondering why I have not given you precise measurements, like "raise the armscye by 1/2", or "curve the side seams in by 3/4".  I am not being secretive :)  It is because I have no idea what the specs of your existing shirt pattern may be.  You either need to copy a slim-cut shirt that you like, or make a muslin of the shirt pattern that you regularly use, and pinch out the fullness and experiment with raising the armscye point a little bit at a time. 

A good menswear drafting book helps...I highly recommend this one, it  has been my go-to reference since the early 80's-- 
 
Fundamentals of  Men's Fashion Design A Guide To Casual Clothes Edmund B Roberts and Gary Onishenko.  Fairchild Publications.  
 The only book reference number on my copy is: Standard Book Number-- 87005-5143
So if you are interested in this book, a search at your favorite book-seller by Title and Author may be better than using the number.


For more on sleeve cap ease, don't miss this fantastic post by renown clothing industry expert, Kathleen Fasanella.

SEWING NOTES:  Collar and Cuffs interfaced with PRO-WOVEN Shirt-CRISP Interfacing from  Fashion Sewing Supply  Buttons are the 40-count Designer Shirt Button Set in color "Choco-Toffee" from Fashion Sewing Supply.

A Classic Summer Shirt...of Light Textured Silk

I recently designed this Classic Summer Sport Shirt
for one of my favorite clients.

Made from the lightweight textured silk shirting pictured to the left, it features a pocket and sleeves accented with piping.

To give this 1950's inspired shirt a modern look, it also features a straight-edge collar stand and an angled "Spade Hem".

SEWING NOTES: Original design hand-drafted pattern, Fabric from my collection of shirting fabrics, Collar unit interfaced with PRO-SHEER ELEGANCE Fusible Interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply.

A Shirt...of Soft "Distressed" Linen

I have had this lovely striped linen in my "shirt fabric" stash for quite a while...it's a client favorite. This linen is of beautiful quality, quite thick, but very stiff right off the roll. So in order to make this soft drapey men's shirt...I first had to beat the living daylights out of the fabric!

The linen went into a washing machine full of hot water and about 3 cups of plain vinegar. After running it through 3 complete wash cycles (resetting the machine before the water emptied), I rinsed it thoroughly in cold water. Then the fabric was tossed into the dryer set on high heat. The result was gloriously soft linen, with nicely raised slubs...waiting to be cut and sewn into this loose slouchy shirt.

The style is of my own design and features a collar-on-stand, a French Fold front placket, an angled edge pocket, and a slightly curved hemline. Its slightly rumpled look is entirely intentional.

SEWING NOTES: Distressed Linen Fabric from my stash, Hand-Drafted original design, Collar and stand Interfaced with PRO-WEFT Fusible Interfacing from
~Fashion Sewing Supply~

A Favorite...Textured Silk/Hemp Prince Seam Shirt

This shirt style is a perennial favorite among many of my clients.

Made from a richly textured blend of silk and hemp, this original design features a "Prince Seam", a narrow band collar, pewter buttons, and angle edge cuffs and pocket.

SEWING NOTES: Fabric from Hemp Traders, Interfaced with PRO-WEFT Fusible Interfacing from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~

Popular Pockets...Free Patterns for you!

Some of my most popular shirts have featured my "Cigar Pocket"
and the "Angle Edge Pocket".

I get many questions about them, so while I had these pocket patterns out on the cutting table, I snapped this pic to share them with you. As you can see below, the dimensions are shown on a grid. The pocket hems are meant to have a double turn of 1", and are drafted with a 3/8" seam allowance. On the "Cigar Pocket", a one-inch slot is made by topstitching the pocket on the straight side, after the pocket is sewn to the shirt.

(CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE)

"Folded Band Collar" Shirt with Bias Detail

This may be the last short sleeve shirt that leaves my studio this summer!

An original design by Pamela Erny,
made from lusciously smooth Swiss Cotton.
The design features of this shirt include a "Folded Band Collar",
Front Bias Inset, and an Angle-Edge Pocket.

Sewing Notes: Imported Fabric, Interfaced with Pro-Tricot from Fashion Sewing Supply, Buttons from Fashion Sewing Supply.

"Cross Stripe" Shirt

(CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE, CLICK BROWSER "BACK BUTTON" TO RETURN TO BLOG)

This men's shirt is made from a beautiful shade of blue Swiss cotton. Design features include a front side panel cut on the cross-grain, band collar, an angle edge pocket, and pewter buttons.