The London Lounge

Has anyone tried any of the following? If so, how did it turn out?

using a different color thread for both stitching and buttonholes - e.g. red thread with an otherwise vanilla blue dress shirt.

get horizontal buttonholes down the front of the shirt

buy a bit of extra cloth to have save to have the collar and cuffs replaced later or have several sets of soft detachable collars and cuffs made in the same fabric as the shirt itself, rather than in a contrasting white

All of this is assuming that I could find someone who would do it - probably for a fee - go through the hassle.

I have done none of these.

The first seems to be a matter of taste, although in the case where the buttonholes on my shirts are stitched with a color to match the shirt ground, the attachment thread is still white - I don’t think this is what you meant, though.

I have no idea whether the second idea is a good or bad one

Your third idea has some different ideas embedded in it. Pre-Dege, I have had shirts made with multiple detachable collars and found it not worth the trouble (formal shirts are a different story).

About a year ago I sent back a dozen shirts to have the collars and cuffs replaced. Matching cloth was found for nine of them and the other three got white. Some of the shirts were nearly ten years old, but I didn’t try to correlate age with whether a match was available. To me, that made the prospect of reserving extra cloth pointless, but that is just a judgment. Incidentally, I did not find color fade to be an issue either but perhaps I am just not picky enough.

An extra yard of shirting will start at $25.

It can be worthwhile for a couple of reasons.

First, the shirtmaker may run-out of the cloth as little as a few weeks after you place the order. If it's an exclusive pattern in the Turnbull manner or a limited run, once the inventory is gone, it's gone. Turnbull would frequently use up its stocks of "classic" fabrics which would not re-appear again in its books.

Second, when you have an extra piece cut at the same time as the shirt, it will be a perfect color match since it is coming from the same bolt. You may not get this if you order extra fabric a year or two even if it's a standard white or blue from Thomas Mason or Acorn.

The MTM shirtmakers are reluctant to sell extra cloth since they do not offer re-collaring service. Also, a MTM shirt costing $150 might not be worth re-collaring and re-cuffing if it costs $50 for each service.

Good luck!

To me, differernt color thread would make the shirt more casual. I guess you could have fun with the button colors too. I've seen this mocked up on at least one MTM site, patro.it

Extra color/cuffs: I've done this on the last four shirts I had made, for the reasons Mark
cites.

using a different color thread for both stitching and buttonholes - e.g. red thread with an otherwise vanilla blue dress shirt.

Not exactly, but close. Judge for yourself:

get horizontal buttonholes down the front of the shirt

Weakens the center. Tends to "gap". Ineffective in that it is very difficult to see buttonholes when buttoned. Even harder if they're behind a tie.

buy a bit of extra cloth to have save to have the collar and cuffs replaced later or have several sets of soft detachable collars and cuffs made in the same fabric as the shirt itself, rather than in a contrasting white

It is better to have the original shirtmaker make two sets of normal collar and cuffs and not attach one to the shirt. That way you'll insure that your correct pattern is used. Just store the other set away, not in the Sun. When you're ready, virtually any decent sewer can remove and replace. No so for actually making a new collar.

All of this is assuming that I could find someone who would do it - probably for a fee - go through the hassle.

Nothing you have said is a hassle. All are easily accomplished by talented seamstresses/ers. Of course, you meant additional fee?

AlexanderKabbaz wrote:

Not exactly, but close. Judge for yourself:

Well that pretty much settles that question, now doesn't it?

If it's good enough for Danny L (and presumably was signed off on by the lovely Cynthia)...