Thread Theory Men's Fairfield Shirt

It is not easy, as a man, to sew your own clothes. I do not mean the strange looks you get in the local sewing shop, but more practical things. Good patterns for everyday wear are hard to find, patterns for anything else than plain and slightly boring garments are not even worth looking for. For women, there are patterns for dozens of really different tops. As a man, you should be glad to find a pattern for a tee shirt, a polo (exciting choice!) or a button-up shirt. And what makes it worse, many patterns are not even well-made.

Luckily, for button-up shirts, there is Thread Theory. Their Fairfield shirt fits very well, is versatile (a slim fit with darts or a wider fit with a pleated back; sleeve tabs for informal shirts, different collars) and is very well drafted. It has a double yoke fitted with the ‘burrito’ method, felled seams all over (no serger needed), a fixed button band and tower plackets on the sleeves that are easy to mount and allow very precise finishing. It is my favourite shirt pattern. I have slightly adapted the pattern around the neck and at the cuffs, and meanwhile made four shirts with it. It comes with crystal-clear instructions and very nice diagrams. There are also online video resources, but I can´t imagine why you would need them with these written instructions. I have not tried them.

African websites show many different ways of using Ankara fabric in stylish garments. One style is called ‘half plain, half Ankara’. I was intrigued by it, because it is strange and stylish at the same time. It combines a plain white shirt with the strong coloured design of the Ankara prints. I wanted to try this for myself. As one half is ‘plain´, I thought I could make it with my usual shirt pattern. So Fairfield ended up in this half Ankara shirt. I found the fabric, handmade in Ghana, at www.vannamori.com. It is a fairtrade shop with a limited but fabulous choice of Ankara fabrics. Visit them and try not to buy too much. The fabric I bought is of very high quality. It is a densely woven, light and pure cotton base fabric, coloured with wax-based batik. Both sides have similar intensity of colour. One side is shiny with wax, the other dull. Here I used the dull side as the right side.

Now that the shirt is finished, I do have something out of the ordinary, even with a very regular pattern. I am still wondering when and where I will wear it. Waiting for a post-covid party…

This is the perfect men's shirt pattern. I have made this twice now - both the long and short sleeved versions and both turned out great. There are lots of great details packed into this pattern - flat-felled seams throughout, tower plackets on the sleeves, pocket options, grown-on button plackets and beautifully drafted collar and collar stand. It is a slow and steady sew but the finish is so satisfying. I will definitely be making more!

I have made a few of these shirts now and I don't think I will ever need another men's shirt pattern. It works so well on different body types. The instructions are clear and an experienced sewist should be able to follow them.

The mint linen one is a size L with larger darts.

The grey one is a fuller figures size 4XL at the shoulders down to a L at the waist and hips. I also did a broad shoulder adjustment, lengthened the sleeves and increased the darts. I also added a contrasting collar stand facing and cuff facing which adds a really nice touch.

For more details: @the_frenglish_sewist on Instagram

I first made this pattern as a 10th Anniversary present for my boyfriend out of fabric he chose himself in Hawaii the year before. This pattern was easy to follow, with the added bonus of a sew-along on the Thread Theory website with pictures. I like the variations that comes with the pattern, for example I made a short sleeved shirt with the Hawaiin fabric and have since made 3 long-sleeved versions. There is also different collar options and different style back options i.e. darts or a simple pleat at the top of the back. Given there a lot of fiddly bits, like the collar, cuffs and buttons, this is a full day project.
It is a great pattern to make for a gift and is very well received!