🧵 Top 10 shirt sewing patterns
The shirt is an essential and timeless piece of clothing. Once confined to underwear, it has gradually become a must-have for both women and men.
Classic or modern, casual or dressy, the shirt can adapt to any style. However, it can sometimes be impressive when it comes to tailoring: tear-resistant slit, button placket, collar and collar stand... so many technical details that can put off novice seamstresses.
Fortunately, pattern makers have made this piece accessible thanks to detailed booklets, step-by-step videos, and thoughtful tips. Here's our favorite selection of the best shirt patterns to sew. Tried and tested... and loved!
🌿 1. The Liseron shirt – Atelier Scämmit
What we love: the exquisite finishing touches (French seams, capuchin cuffs) and the full assembly video. Atelier Scämmit fans know why they keep coming back!
The designer says:
"A shirt without bust darts, with a very fitted cut at the shoulders and sleeves, but rather loose on the rest of the body. Its subtly androgynous side is offset by pretty feminine details: frills at the bottom of the sleeves, and why not on the collar."
- Level: Intermediate
- Sizes: 34 to 48
- Languages: French & English
- Recommended fabrics: light to medium warp and weft (130 to 270 g/m²)
-
We imagine it: in beige and aqua cotton satin or in liberty cotton for a very soft project.
💙 2. The Sanaé shirt – Cha'Coud
What we love: a masculine cut with a shirttail hem, twisted by a very feminine ruffled collar.
The designer says:
"Sanaé is a loose-fitting shirt designed to be both comfortable and dressy. Its ruffled collar adds a touch of whimsy, but you can also make it without it to create a mandarin collar shirt."
- Level: Intermediate
- Sizes: 34 to 52
- Language: French
- Recommended fabrics: cotton satin, batiste, chambray, poplin, tencel, viscose, linen, broderie anglaise... In short, a fabric that will hold up to maintain that oversized effect.
- We sewed it: in poplin embroidered with gold hearts (the boutique's gem, embroidered in the north of France) – a timeless piece to wear all year round.
🕊️ 3. Irma Shirt & Dress – I AM PATTERNS
What we love: The pretty butterfly sleeves delicately gathered into a bracelet, the perfect detail on this simple and elegant shirt.
The designer says:
"I am Irma, a dress, and I also come in a shirt. My button placket is hidden, my front is shorter than my back, and I have a yoke in the back with a large round pleat. I have a shirt collar and a choice of a classic sleeve or a butterfly sleeve gathered at the bottom and held in place by a bracelet."
- Level: Intermediate
- Sizes: 34 to 52 (PDF), 36 to 46 (pouch)
- Languages: French & English
- Recommended fabrics: poplin, viscose, crepe, fine denim, cotton, light flannel, washed linen, etc.
- We sewed it: in a dress version in viscose crepe
☁️ 4. The Billie shirt – Slow Sunday Paris
What we love: its round pleat in the back and the possibility of sewing a shirt or an overshirt.
The designer says:
"This women's sewing pattern incorporates all the codes of the shirt, a timeless wardrobe staple: collar with collar stand, yoke and round pleat in the back, cuffs with button placket."
- Level: Intermediate
- Sizes: 36 to 46 (PDF only)
- Languages: French & English
-
Recommended fabrics:
- For the shirt : poplin, cotton satin, double gauze, crepe, light viscose, tencel, light linen…
- For the overshirt : denim, cotton canvas, twill, fine suede...
- We sewed it: in Tiana powder cotton satin (victim of its success) & poplin embroidered with gold hearts (it again ;) )
💫 5. The Constance shirt – My Little Factory
What we love: The multiple versions that make us want to sew it and sew it again, with always a little detail that changes.
The designer says:
"Constance is the name of the new pattern designed with Emilie and which bears the pretty first name of her daughter. Constance can be a shirt or a shirt dress with its traditional shirt collar OR its polo tab OR its Victorian collar. What makes it charming and different? Its oversized cut is incredibly trendy while remaining feminine."
- Level: Intermediate
- Sizes: 32 to 52
- Language: French
- Recommended fabrics: cotton, linen, tencel, viscose, broderie anglaise, chambray, denim, etc.
- We imagine it: in light lyocell-linen denim for a modern denim shirt.
🌸 6. The Camille shirt – Joli Lab
What we love: The folded seam finish, because we like finished projects and with Joli Lab we are rarely disappointed.
The creators say:
“Discover Camille, THE oversized shirt to have in your wardrobe, as beautiful on the outside as on the inside, thanks to its folded seams.”
- Level: Intermediate
- Sizes: XS to XXL
- Languages: French & English
- Recommended fabrics: Fine to medium-weight fabrics with good hold (cotton batiste or poplin, chambray, etc.)
- We imagine it: in Pearl Flower embroidery for a masculine-feminine mix.
🦚 7. The My Monster shirt – Dress Your Body
What we love: the all-around ruffle, which can be extended a little to maximize its effect & the sleeve bar which allows for a tailored look.
The designer says:
"With the smocked sleeves, perhaps a shirt collar would be more sober than a ruffled collar?! No, I like frills and I want the whole thing!! I know, we don't all have the same tastes, and that's why you can create the My Monster shirt according to your desire. In fact, the My Monster shirt pattern offers you 3 different types of collars: - the mandarin collar, - the shirt collar, - the frilly collar."
- Level: Intermediate
- Sizes: 34 to 46 (chest size 81 to 108 cm)
- Languages: French & English
- Recommended fabrics: viscose, poplin, linen, baptiste… lightweight fabrics to enhance gathers
- We sewed it: in charcoal broderie anglaise and synthetic Colette crepe (a victim of its success). We can easily imagine a new version in Moroccan viscose crepe!
👔 8. The Elegant Shirt – The BGs (for men)
What we love: a contemporary cut, ideal for all occasions.
The creators say:
"This is a shirt that will appeal to today's men. Worn with or without a tie, it will find a place of choice in his wardrobe. It's a rather fitted shirt, but we offer two options to make it either more fitted (thanks to the darts on the back) or looser (thanks to the flat pleat in the middle of the back)."
- Level: Intermediate
- Sizes: XS to XXL
- Languages: French & English
- Recommended fabrics: cotton poplin, linen, light wool, flannel, silk
- We sewed it: in Larissa cotton satin.
✨ 9. The Boyish shirt – Atelier Brunette
What we love: the oversized cut that we imagine wearing as an overshirt, an essential that would follow us all summer long.
The designer says:
"Boyish twists the codes of the men's wardrobe to add feminine glamour. A must-have piece to embody our bold femininity. Redesigned details for a relaxed and sophisticated style serving uninhibited femininity."
- Level: Intermediate to advanced
- Sizes: 34 to 50
- Languages: French & English
- Recommended fabrics: cotton, linen, poplin, viscose, light gabardine or light weight velvets can be suitable for wearing as an overshirt
- We imagine it: in plain or printed cotton-linen canvas (woven and printed in France)
🍃 10. The Maritza shirt – Cha'Coud
What we love: the modern and flowing wardrobe shirt, the codes of the shirt are preserved (cuffs, hidden button placket) but without the collar to give it a blouse effect, perfect in all seasons.
The designer says:
"Maritza is a flowing shirt with wide sleeves gathered at the cuffs. Its shoulder cutouts at the front and back structure the shirt before a series of gathers that will give the shirt volume. The center front ends with a hidden button placket. You can give Maritza the look you want depending on the material you choose."
- Level: Intermediate
- Sizes: 34 to 52
- Language: French
- Recommended fabrics: seersucker, viscose, silk, satin, crepe, light poplin, the important thing is to keep fluidity to enhance the gathers.
- We sewed it: in striped seersucker (of course!) and viscose plumetis to vary the styles.
✨ And you, which one tempts you the most? Have you already sewn one of these models? Share your creations with us on Instagram using #chemiseA27!