I can’t believe I’m writing this: I officially love shirtmaking. I love choosing the perfect buttons. I love the careful pressing it takes to make an even button band. I love sewing a symmetrical pocket. I even love the topstitching.

This is the third shirt I’ve made for Marc. For the first two, I used Negroni from Colette Patterns. It’s a solid button-down pattern, but it lacks a couple of elements that are common in RTW shirts: a collar stand and a button band. The Negroni has a camp collar and uses a facing instead of a button band.

This time around, I used McCall’s 6044. It’s a pretty slim-fitting button-down without a yoke or a back pleat. This is a straight medium with no size-related alterations–yippee! For the record, Marc is 6’2″ with a 37″ chest and roughly 33″ waist. As you can see, it’s plenty long.

Marc asked for a Mandarin-style collar, which actually requires fewer steps than a standard collar. (I learned this trick from the Grainline Studio blog.) I’m not a stranger to ditching a full collar, as evidenced by my Cardamome Dress. Personally, I’m a fan of the streamlined look.

Before I wrap up, let’s not forget the fabric. The glorious fox nap fabric.

When I looked at your shirt, I thought it was covered in apples. Then I looked closer and I saw they were foxes! – Marc’s co-worker

It’s loud. It’s borderline cutesy. But in this particular colorway, and with an otherwise minimalist shirt pattern, it somehow works. I’m probably biased, but I think Marc pulls it off pretty well. 😍