By this point, if you’ve followed my work you probably know that I love super simple silhouettes that are easy for every day wear. Given that, the Wiksten Shift pattern is an obvious choice for my wardrobe. It’s a super simple pattern with a really basic boxy shape.
Fabric and sizing
The nice thing about the Wiksten Shift pattern is that it can work with a large variety of woven fabrics. The version shown here is made out of a rayon blend so it’s a light, summery top. As much as I love the stripe pattern of this fabric, it’s SO wrinkly that I fear I won’t gravitate towards wearing the top. If you can believe it, I ironed it right before I took these photos.
For sizing, I was sort of between a 0 and a 2, and I went with the size 0 because I knew that the fit was going to be boxy. The size 0 ended up being perfect!
Sewing the Wiksten Shift
The Wiksten Shift pattern is such an easy and quick sew. I made the short sleeve version so it didn’t even require sleeves. The long sleeved version is still pretty easy though because the sleeves are drop sleeves.
I’ve made the dress version as well and the main difference (aside from the length) is that the dress has a yoke in the back. This does add a tad bit of complexity, but if you’re comfortable with yokes it’s pretty straightforward. If you haven’t sewn a yoke, I really like Grainline Studios tutorial that goes with the Archer pattern.
Final thoughts on the Wiksten Shift
While I’m happy with the pattern and structure of this top, the fabric is just too wrinkly for my liking. I can usually tell instantly if something I make is going to be a go-to and unfortunately I just don’t think this will be. It’s easy for layering and day-to-day wear so I’m hoping that I’ll still get some wear out of it. I can definitely see myself making this pattern again and again but for future versions I’ll definitely do a better fabric.
