Simplicity 4160, a camp collar shirt and vest pattern, dates from sometime in the early 1960's.
Why I had this pattern in a Size 42 chest I couldn't even tell you -- it must have been part of vintage pattern lot I won on eBay. As it turned out, this week I happened to need a Size 42 shirt for a client and I decided to muslin this pattern, but I ended up just making a real shirt with a vintage floral cotton fabric I found last year at a local street fair.
There's nothing unusual about Simplicity 4160. Even today, it's not a difficult pattern to find on Etsy or eBay. If you've ever made a camp collar shirt before, you'll be familiar with the construction. The final shirt is a few sizes too big for Michael, but he was happy to model it for me and even wore it to lunch with a friend. In retrospect I wish I'd made it in his size because he loves the fabric.
The background is salmon pink with crimson flowers and gray curlicues. It's pretty!
There's a wide facing under the two shirt fronts whose edges are folded under and stitched -- very standard. I always interface my facings (as well as my collar and cuffs) with a lightweight woven or knit fusible.
The shirt has long sleeves and single-button cuffs and, rather than a standard men's shirt placket, it has a continuous lap placket finished with bias.
I think the nicest feature is the collar.
I rarely add pockets to shirts but I decided on the single left chest pocket that's part of the pattern.
I'm not sure what I'll do with this shirt; maybe sell it, maybe give it to someone I know. I wear camp collar shirts, but mainly in the summer. I find a standard collar with collar stand more flattering.
Have you ever made a camp collar shirt for yourself or someone else?
Are you a fan of the style?
Have a great day, everybody!
(Watch me attach the back yokes with my Elna Grasshopper here.)
Nice work as always Peter. You are an inspiration. I am like you, though--like the standard collar w/stand. My fav thing to make is a classic shirt. <3
ReplyDeleteI do like a camp collar, and tend to default to it in most shirts for myself. The collar/stand is a more handsome construction (and you can have more fun with details on it) but when it's just me....
ReplyDeletePeter, you pattern brought back memories. My dear mother had this pattern in her small collection and at one time had made a vest for my father. He kept it for years. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
DeleteTheresa in Tucson
You do such a beautiful sewing job. I have made many of these collars in my time and yours is especially neat and perfect.
ReplyDeletemichael looks very handsome in that shirt.
ReplyDeleteYes he does, and in that shirt he is handsome enough to be squiring one Cathy Lane about Gotham.
DeletePerhaps Peter's ladies tailoring class will inspire him to make Cathy a statement blouse, or a take-no-prisoners coat dress with matching belt?
In any event, color me missing Miss Lane, something fierce.
Of course I made a camp collar shirt, as did all of us who followed your Negroni sew along. It was the first shirt I made. It was terrible and things have improved vastly.
ReplyDeleteI've not seen a camp collar shirt with long sleeves forever. Short sleeves, definitely. For crazy summer shirts, in fact my friend Ross was wearing one the other night that I made for his partner in a very vivid parrot fabric, must be 10 years ago. My beloved won't wear them - he also suits a proper collar.
ReplyDeleteDid you find the body proportions to be different? I'm still trying to figure out what made a men's 60s shirt look 60s and the body in the illustrations on patterns always strikes me as a bit blocky looking.
ReplyDeleteThe cut is definitely on the boxy side (the side torso seam goes straight down from the armhole -- no curve) and the sleeves are relatively full. That was the look/fit of the period.
DeleteThe fabric is fabulous, and I love the way he wears it. I normally shy away from 'shapeless' cuts but I like this one. Well done.
ReplyDeleteCould you run it in under the arms for him, Peter? The shoulder seam seems to be sitting in an acceptable place. It does look nice on him.
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased to see in your video that you use lots of pins! I sometimes feel like a wimp for pinning every few inches, rather than just at the ends of the seam, but I'm sure it both makes for a straighter seam and helps prevent fabric creep. The shirt looks lovely, and the light weight of the fabric means the boxy cut isn't too obvious.
ReplyDeleteNice job! Sometimes the "old" patterns look fresh and just right. A question for you, Peter: Is there a reason that men's shirts almost always have white buttons? I am making some jewel colored shirts for my husband and the white buttons look odd but I can't figure out whether there is a rule. Any insights? We looked at ready to wear catalogs but they use a lot of white buttons even on rather high end shirts. Kristina
ReplyDeleteGreat question, Kristina! In my experience, while white or light-colored shirts generally have white (or whitish) buttons, darker shirts generally do not. I think with dress shirts (which are usually light-colored) the understanding is that a tie will cover the buttons, so the color of them doesn't really matter. I would go with the button color you like best.
DeleteManufacturers buy buttons by the hundred-weight, not by the card. They mostly use white plastic buttons because whit plastic buttons are the most economical for them to buy.
DeleteThanks, Peter, and LinB--the darker buttons look so much better on darker shirts, which are also sportier. My husband thanks you two too!
DeleteKristina
Camp collars great because they are so easy to sew. Also, if you are a middle-aged woman with a short, fat neck whose dreadful posture throws her head forward, this type of collar affords breathing room. You might not even have to do a forward-neck alteration at the shoulder (but you probably should, anyway).
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shirt. Always look forward to the shirt makes.
ReplyDeleteWao! from 1960's... it is interesting that button down shirts have not change much, you can add more details and be creative in the fabric selection and maybe embellishments but the shirt is still the same.
ReplyDeletePeter, what kind of bobbin are you using in that video?
ReplyDeleteIn the Grasshopper I use a standard metal Class 15 bobbin.
DeleteI thought you might be using a 15. I have a Grasshopper too, and I had that "ting!" noise when I first used it with a 15. I was told by someone on one of the Yahoo sewing groups-- this was a while ago now-- that that 15 bobbin was deflecting my needle and causing that noise. I called by local sewing machine repair shop, which has a few OSMGs still there (that's Old Sewing Machine Guys for people not on the vintage sewing machine forums) and they gave me some Elna #1 bobbins to use. No noise now! I don't know if using a 15 could add up to mechanical trouble over time, but this is such a sweet piece of sewing machine, uh, bottom, that I thought I'd share the advice with you too, just in case.
ReplyDeleteI have some Elna bobbins from a Supermatic. I'll have to try them. Thanks for the info!
DeleteI always make camp collar shirts for the man in my life. He has a very short neck and when I used to make shirts with standard collars for him, he would fold down the stands... Not a good look. So, after trying half-height collar stands a couple of times (which are very fussy to sew because they are just so narrow), I settled on camp collars and I haven't had a reason to change that yet.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a camp collar shirt in a long sleeve before. I actually think I like it better than in short sleeves. Nice job Peter. I just may have to pick this pattern up on ebay.
ReplyDeleteLovely work as usual. I have tried, tried, tried to get fusible interfacing to work, but it always bubbles up in the wash. I just use white muslin now.
ReplyDelete