I’ve been finding that I reach for button ups more and more often in my closet. I work from home, so to be honest I’m not actually sure why. I’ve definitely been feeling like I need to make more and I wanted to try a different pattern than my usual go-to, the Grainline Archer. I really liked the look of The Assembly Line Oversized Shirt and could picture myself wearing it almost more like an overshirt or “shacket”. Overall, the pattern was straightforward and well drafted, but I think may have overestimated my interested in wearing something this oversized.
Choosing fabric + sizing
The fabric that I made this shirt out of is a linen/cotton blend. It’s heavier than a standard cotton shirting. It’s weight/body made it really easy to sew with, especially on the more fiddly pieces like the plackets and collars. As far as actually wearing it though, it’s just a little bit too heavy. It feels like I’m swimming in the shirt and the lack of drape in the fabric doesn’t really help that. I am finding that I wear it more as almost an “LA jacket”, which is great but wasn’t really my intention. I’m going to sew this pattern up again in a sheer floral fabric which will hopefully be more what I was originally looking for.
For sizing, I went with an XS. My measurements were between XS and S, but I didn’t want the shirt to be too oversized since the pattern is already drafted to be oversized. This was definitely the right choice, and if given the option I would have sized down another size.
Sewing The Assembly Line Oversized Shirt
I’ve sewn a few Assembly Line patterns before and I find their patterns to be well drafted and their instructions to be easy to understand and clear. Sewing plackets, collars, and buttons can get tricky but their instructions and illustrations help add a lot of clarity to the process. I think that the combination of this pattern, the Gilbert top, and the Grainline Archer are a great way to hone in button-up shirt skills with 3 different outcomes.
The pattern has the option of a pocket but I did omit this feature. I’m not an “it has pockets” person (blasphemy, I know) and I just didn’t feel a need for the feature.
Final thoughts
While the Assembly Line Oversized Shirt pattern is well drafted with great instructions, I can’t say that I love the way this shirt turned out. It’s just more oversized than I generally wear and the fabric I chose isn’t vibing well with the style. I’m excited for my next version in a more sheer, lightweight fabric to see if I can give the pattern a different look. Stay tuned!
