From the Victoria & Albert Museum:
Create your own stylish shirt inspired by flamboyant designs in our fashion collection, with our free, downloadable sewing pattern. Combine historical flounces, frills and ruffles to create your own perfect shirt with this fully customisable, gender-neutral sewing pattern. Designed exclusively for the V&A by Alice & Co Patterns, the pattern features multiple collar and sleeve options – inspired by historic and contemporary shirts in our fashion collections.
Design: The main front and back bodies, the yoke, the centre front half-placket opening and the collar stand make up the core pattern, with multiple collar and sleeve options to customise as you wish - including many opportunities for ruffles!
Variations: Choose between a classic sleeve with a sleeve placket and a two-button cuff, or a historically inspired full sleeve with billowy gathers. There are two collar stand/collar heights - a classic shirt style or a high collar for extra drama. There are opportunities to add a flourish of frills just about anywhere. For full flamboyance, add the jabot. For extra customisation, why not extend the length into a dress or a nightshirt?
Recommended Fabrics: There are many options to choose from - especially the entire cotton and linen families from fine cotton lawn and handkerchief linen to thick flannel and needlecord via chambray, twill, lightweight denim, heavier linens, and pretty much anything else you can think of! If you are wanting to make ruffles, a lightweight fabric is advisable, or mix and match to combine fabrics.
Level: This project is designed for an adventurous beginner/intermediate level sewer – you will learn how to sew a neat placket, turn a fine collar, and burrito a yoke.
Fit Notes: This is a gender-neutral design which has been carefully drafted to fit a wide range of shoulders, necks, chests, busts, waists, hips, arms and heights. It has a generous amount of ease without being baggy, and slightly dropped shoulder. Shorten and lengthen lines are provided on the pattern so you can tweak the fit just how you like it.
Sizes: A - I (approx. UK 10 - 22)
Chest/bust 85cm - 125 cm / 33" - 49"
Collar 38 cm - 48 cm / 15" - 19"