Take a close look at the photo below. Do you notice anything? There are three places on this shirt where I used a contrast fabric for a subtle and surprising bit of fun. See if you can find them. (Don’t worry; I didn’t make it too hard.)
I told you I sewed the Classic Shirt about six times in chambray when I was developing the pattern, and I wasn’t exaggerating. This is one of those samples. I’ll take you through the details. First, the neckline:
See that gingham? It’s only visible on the inside of the placket. To add it, I used the same technique as the set-in placket on View A, but I trimmed and sewed it to the outside of the wearer’s left shirt front instead, so it ended up on the inside of the shirt when it was finished. It’s a detail that’s really easy to sew, and you could add a floral or a stripe here, or simply a bright pop of color if you want. (You can also use it to save a shirt if you accidentally trim both front edges. Ask me how I know….)
Next, here’s the sleeve tower placket:
And one final detail at the hem:
When you put all these little details together you get a shirt with some personality to it. And when people notice the details you can proudly tell them you made it! Or you can keep that a secret, as you prefer. Here they are again, all together.
Obviously you can get a lot more bold than this. Maybe use a bright floral or even a fluorescent solid? Can you think of other places it might be fun to add a contrast detail to your shirt? Maybe on the underside of the collar? The facing of the sleeve cuff? Bartacks on the pockets?
Have at it. Get creative and see what you can come up with.