Screen printed shirt

To accompany my hubby’s 3 piece punk-inspired suit he asked me to make him a punk-inspired white shirt. He had very, very clear ideas about what he wanted! The shirt had to be longer at the back, so it can hang out of the trousers, but be able to be tucked in at the front. Business at the front, party at the back. He also wanted the shirt to have a pop-over placket (not that he used that term).

We had several discussions about what sort of neckline he wanted and we toyed with the idea of a pussy-bow style, and a more high-necked regency style. Both of which we dismissed as he does not have a long neck and his beard would just get in the way of the shirt collar anyway. Finally, we opted for a grandad-style collar. This works really well with the suit, and my hubby’s styling, not to mention the nod to a clerical collar (He is a Baptist minister and was preaching at the wedding).

The shirt was drafted, using one he had, that was a good fit as a starting point and the design alterations added in. I used the pop-over placket pattern piece from the Kalle shirt and just lengthened it. I did forget to reverse it, so it buttons up as a woman’s shirt would. He’s not bothered by that, I think he just felt it was a bit strange buttoning it up the other way.

The shirt was constructed using the burrito method to enclose the raw edges of the yoke. The hem was finished with a bias facing, which in hindsight I’d have been better doing a baby hem, due to the curvature at the sides.

To add to the punk vibe of the shirt we added some appliqued design elements. A few months ago we bought a screen printing kit from Hunt the Moon and used it to create a design. The Text is a section of a letter written by Thomas Helwys, a baptist minister who was imprisoned by James I, who did not approve of his desire to separate church and state. He died in 1616 aged 40 in Newgate prison. The second screen print was made by using different letters from the piece by Helwys to spell the word ‘Dissent’. Both designs were printed on pieces of white cotton in blue ink, fixed by ironing and stitched into place - the edges were lightly frayed. The shirt was finished with blue buttons that matched the suit.

My hubby has already commissioned me to make more shirts, now he has a pattern that fits really well. I’ll just have to adjust the length and remember to swap the button packet to the other side!