Saturday, December 09, 2006

Thinking about Shirts ...

Like my friend MB over at The Stitchery, I am also on the quest for the perfect men's shirt for the man in my life. The pilot husband is built like a line backer and loved to work out so that he can "keep up with the kids". This means his back is very well developed as is his upper chest and neck. Without knowing better, he always thought that having a shoulder seam half way to his elbow and a yoke seam below the shoulder blades made a shirt fit "right". After finding a Geoffrey Beene shirt in a thrift shop a couple of years ago, he now knows better. The shoulder seam is only slightly dropped and the sides are not so loose fitted anymore. I would still like to see him in a trimmer fit, though. Having a looser fit in the body puts about 20 pounds on him that he doesn't really have! So, I have been working off and on (more off than on with him away this year) on this for him. I told him I wanted to get him something other than the usual tool, CD, book combination for Christmas this year. He then told me "How about a nice, soft cotton shirt in a heavier weight?" Not one for a tie, but a casual wear shirt that he can wear open.

So, looks like I will get him to try on the last muslin again and see where the new starting point is. The muslin is the old standby, KS 2777. I also have Vogue 8096, recommended by my friend Darrell Thomas, owner and instructor at Darrell Thomas Textiles, here in Ottawa. He makes his shirts and they are an amazing fit! I think that all the play with KS to get the shoulder seam and neckline will be fine for a relaxed fit, casual shirt. But I really like the look of the Vogue one. Newman's Needle received a Christmas present from The Stitchery a couple of weeks ago and I think that might just become the KS shirt.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for the link to Mr Thomas's store, Darrell Thomas Textiles. Look at those buttons! that fabric! and those fabulous notions! Oh myyyyyy

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