Hello sew-friends! Today I have a finished make to share with you—an oversized button down shirt that I have been wearing a ton since I finished it a few months ago. This is a 90s style Big Shirt with slightly dropped shoulders, long sleeves and a loose fit. I love this style because the classic button down details make it look polished but the oversized fit is super comfy and breezy. I love wearing a big shirt in the summer because the lightweight fabric isn't too warm but it provides coverage from the sun. And I love how it looks paired with shorts.
I made this shirt to replace a shirt that I bought decades ago. My old big shirt is fraying away and despite multiple repairs, I think it's time for it to go in the rag pile. The fabric has thinned so much that it keeps tearing. So, with this in mind, I've been on the lookout for a "Big Shirt" pattern for a while and have even thought about designing my own. But, I am so slow at pattern making that that has obviously not happened. lol
And then a sewing miracle occurred! A few months ago, I was shopping at my local craft supplies thrift store, Seattle ReCreative, and as I was flipping through the used sewing patterns, I found my holy grail. Stretch & Sew 1504 Big Shirt and Dress, circa 1985. It was exactly what I had been looking for. It had the fit and all the features I was looking for. I really love the big square patch pockets too.
My measurements are upper bust 34.5", full bust 38.5", waist 28.5" and hips 39.5". I wanted an oversized fit so I sized up a little and made a size 40, which corresponds to a 40" bust. I'm almost 6 feet tall so I also added 2" in body length and 1" in sleeve length.
I made View A of the shirt but with the cuffs from View B. View A does not have cuffs and I really wanted the classic cuff. One really surprising thing about the pattern is that the collar and collar stand are one pattern piece. It’s not a camp collar, which doesn’t have collar stand. It’s more of a faux collar stand or “grown on” collar stand.
My biggest problem with the construction was pinning the sleeves to the shirt. The pattern (I think) had one notch at the shoulder and there's a pleat in the sleeve at the shoulder. I ended up going back to the pattern, measuring the sleeve and the armscye and adding in notches. Once I had notches marked, I was able to set in the sleeve without a problem.
I also had an issue with the cuff size but I just I cut the fabric wrong. I initially cut it too small and sewed it in anyway. (I really should have double checked before proceeding but I was optimistic.) After finishing, I put the shirt on, and realized the cuffs were too tight and it wasn't very comfortable. So, I removed the cuffs, cut a new pair and re-sewed them onto the shirt. Unfortunately the quality of my top stitching was much better on the first go-round. So sad. But now the cuffs won't be uncomfortably small.
Overall, I'm really happy with the pattern and would make it again. I've made a few Stretch & Sew patterns and I'm generally pretty happy with them. The company was based in my hometown so I hold a soft spot for them. The only thing I would caution is that the really old S&S patterns were designed for knit fabrics of the 60s-70s. From my understanding, those fabrics were thicker and had less stretch than a lot of the fabrics we use today. So, be careful when selecting your fabric and really look at finished garment measurements. Just, something to be aware of.
If you are looking for a particular style from the 70s to 90s, I would look through vintage Stretch & Sew. They are pretty easy to find on Etsy and in the PNW, in thrift stores.
FABRIC
I used is a cotton chambray from LA Finch Fabrics. I'm a sucker for chambray and buy it in bulk. It's such a beautiful basic. It’s easy to sew and comfortable to wear. It hits all the buttons for me.
RESOURCES
If you are new to sewing button down shirts, here are a few blog posts with related advice.
How to sew buttons by machine and a one-step buttonhole
Tips for sewing your first button down shirt (This is a post that I wrote that is hosted on the Bernina We All Sew blog)
FINAL THOUGHTS
I really love the design of this shirt and would definitely recommend that pattern and I'd make it again. It’s a great variation on the basic t-shirt both for styling and sewing. If you’ve sewn a t-shirt before and want to try something a little more challenging, I’d definitely give this pattern a try. Happy sewing!
