Today is my youngest’s birthday! And as his shirt collection is sparse and he has about as much enthusiasm for clothes shopping as many of us reserve for root canal treatment I decided to surprise him with a new addition to his wardrobe. He does like clothes, just hates the whole choosing and purchasing process; a common condition amongst teenage boys… I was a bit worried about making something that he would be sure to like; so checked out a few surf shops first and immediately noticed that Aussie teenage surf clothing is made out of the most unlikely and bizarre fabrics!! the kinds of fabrics most of us home fashion designers would leave behind in amazement and disgust! So when I went fabric hunting I looked for something “unexpected”. I think I found it in this very bright turquoise stripe, no? Definitely not a print that traditionally whispers “teenage boy”, but in keeping with my research… still I worried that it would be too bright and even trialled staining an off-cut with coffee. I then asked his opinion (sneakily pretending I was making a blouse for myself) but he definitely preferred the bright version! Luckily he loves his shirt and has been wearing it all day.
I made it using Burda 7767 again, tailored to fit his size based on other shirts in his wardrobe… The modifications I made were: substituting press studs for buttons throughout, adding two shaped breast pockets with pocket flaps, shoulder tabs and sleeve tabs on the inside of the sleeves so he can roll his sleeves up. I also shaped the hemline as he likes his shirt to be hanging out…
Very nice shirt!
Great work! I love the sleeve detail, the fact that it can be worn long or rolled up and still look great is awesome!
Hello Carolyn. The shirt turned out wonderful. Your son looks very pleased with it! You are so right about the fabrics/colours used in teens clothing these days. Most of it I would leave hanging on the rack, but they seem to love it. I've just visited your daughter's blog. You must be so proud of her! Finishing uni, and she has obviously inherited her mum's sewing skills! Her dress is lovely!
Sharp shirt! Good for you for going undercover to see what was popular in boy fashion. LOVE the breast pockets!
Love this shirt and you did a wonderful job!
Very nice! I like the snaps in lieu of buttons. A nice touch!
Can you make a shirt for my hubby? This thing is amazing! I really love how the stripes on the pockets go in opposite directions and how the pockets are mirror images. Such attention to detail.
Nice work. I need to make my husband some new clothes too. He will not shop and his clothes are as ragged as his 89 Honda.
Happy birthday to your son. His shirt turned out great. It looks very nice on him.
Happy Birthday to your son 🙂
His shirt is perfect. It looks great on him and I like the stripe fabric and the details. Well done 🙂
Very nice shitrs, love how pockets and other small details makes them look informal.
what a fantastic present. Sam looks great in the shirt. So beautifully made. The cake looks delicious!