Retail Binge

Last year I had the idea of sewing my first men’s style, long sleeve, button down shirt instead of buying one from J.Crew and surprise my husband for Christmas. J.Crew makes very nicely constructed, soft cotton button down shirts for men, that fit my husband very well and fill his closet as a go-to work shirt. I was up for the challenge.

I used the Simplicity pattern S8753, Size U.S. (34-42) to make the (A) Classic style shirt with shirt pocket in a size 40. Though he usually wears a Slim cut in J.Crew, I went for the Classic style to make sure it wouldn’t end up being too tight.

I purchased my fabric online from Mood Designer Fabrics; I think I was on a Project Runway kick at the time. Purchased thread and buttons from a local Joann Fabrics store.

Fabric: Premium Purple, Blue and Gold Plaid Cotton Shirting, $15/yard. Purchased 2.5 yards.

Thread: Gutermann Sew-All Thread – #823 Sundew

Buttons: Eleven, creamy white, 1/2″ shirt buttons.

Collar completed.

Using my Grandma Kenderes’s fabric cutting board from when she used it during college in the early 1950s at Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA, pursuing a degree in Home Economics. She was interested in fashion design and even sewed my mother’s wedding dress in 1985.

The cuff. It would be easy to sew this cuff facing the wrong way, had to keep checking my rights and lefts.

It looks like a shirt! Need the buttons.

Fits hubby so well!

That was a lot of work. I’m sure sewing this pattern will get easier with practice.

This Christmas…I went to J.Crew in-store at Copley Place, Boston, MA, and felt, admired and appreciated the ready-sewn, thoroughly constructed J.Crew men’s button down shirts and gladly purchased two shirts for hubby for Christmas. Maybe this can be a recurring, alternating year of sewing his Christmas “J.Crew” shirt.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!