I’ve been chasing the Perfect Fitted Shirt since I started drafting for myself. It’s the reason I started drafting in the first place! My previous versions have come close but missed the mark in their own way.

The last one I made fit well but it was just a bit too fitted. I wanted to create more ease across the back and in the arms. The pattern is similar to my Garnet blouse pattern, which was drafted from the same torso block but has more ease throughout. I decided to borrow the armscye and back yoke from the Garnet to add my desired ease.

▲ Drafting & Construction ▲

First I had to lower the armscye to match the blouse. It has great range of motion, which I wanted to adopt. I marked the new armscye but didn’t cut it. Since it was a new adjustment, I didn’t want to permanently alter my pattern. I carefully folded the paper along the new line when it was time to cut the fabric, instead.

The yoke I ‘borrowed’ runs straight across the back and hits the armscye midway down the back. It’s accompanied by a 1/2″ tuck at the center back of the bodice, which adds some ease in the back. The shoulder seam remains the same.

I made the copy of the fitted shirt back, then traced the cutting line by laying the yoke piece over top. To keep my patterns organized, I traced a new yoke piece too. Then I could tuck the Garnet’s yoke safely back in it’s envelope. There’s nothing worse than having to dig through multiple envelopes for a pattern piece!

For the back pleat, I added the 1/2″ while cutting the fabric. I made a notation on my pattern so I remember what to do in the future. If I like this adjustment, I’ll draw a new pattern piece next time.

I sewed the pleat to the outside 1″ deep and pressed carefully. It’s nice but I would turn inside next time to bring the shape of the shirt inward. There are back darts on the fitted shirt pattern, but I opted to leave them off. I’m curious how they would effect the fit and I might sew them next time.

▲ Fabric ▲

This fabric is Moon Phase Night Metallic by Cotton+Steel. It’s a crisp apparel weight black cotton with metallic accents. I got a 404 error when I tried to pull it up on their website, but it should still be available at fabric shops. I bought mine locally not too long ago.

▲ Verdict ▲

This shirt is very comfy! It’s still within the “fitted” family but I have a better range of motion. It’s perfect with a skirt or pants. I think my quest for the perfect fitted shirt is almost complete!

All of my patterns end up with names, even if I don’t share that info. They usually stem from the inspiration behind the pattern- like the Garnet which is named after a Final Fantasy character.

But this shirt has no inspo character and no name. It’s inspiration comes from a place in my heart (cheesy, I know). After making this iteration, I’ve decided it’s time to name it…

So, everyone, meet Sam – the fitted shirt! Is it short for Samantha or Samuel? I’ll never tell 😉

Thanks for reading <3