FDS Masterclass-Male Doll Dress Shirt

Happy Belated New Year to you all. Sometimes real life gets in the way of doll play.....

 I have been working on the dress shirt tutorial for the male doll for a very VERY long time. Too long!!! In fact, I had hoped to finish this before Christmas. Alas, it did not happen. Aside from the CoVid fatigue most of us are feeling, I experienced some problems with the details. And it is details that "make" this shirt!

At first glance, the shirt is pretty simple. A man's dress shirt, however, is distinguished by the collar and stand, the back yoke, the sleeves and cuff. And because you cannot include buttons for the 1/6 version, I had to figure out a suitable method to close the shirt. 

In real life, a Dior shirt for men costs about 900 USD. They are made from a fine grade of cotton and are precision cut to glide over the body effortlessly. They are remarkable only by their discreet yet impeccable detailing of the collars and cuffs. For the most part, the basic shirt I created years ago for my Ken dolls is sufficient for the vast majority of my menswear projects. However, as in the case of my masterclass men's trouser tutorial, I set out to create a "perfect" shirt for my guys. This proved to be way more difficult that I anticipated. But after a good number of shirts and umpteen collars...I finally arrived at a fairly decent (though not entirely perfect) dress shirt.

Disclaimer--In tailoring, the body is meticulously measured and the garments, mathematically calculated and drafted on paper. But in creating 1/6 versions of the shirt and mathematics not being my strength, I approached this garment in the same manner as I do with the female doll patterns. The basic block was draped not drafted. 

Warning---this is a L-O-N-G tutorial. And parts of it are challenging! For that reason, I decided to leave my original post on the Ken doll shirt in place. 

The Basic Block

1. As with all other of my slopers, this project begins with two pieces of cotton fabric--long and wide enough to cover the front and then the back of the doll. Mark each piece with a vertical line (to tape to the center front and center back of the doll.

2. Cut out a curved notch at one corner for the neck. Line up the vertical line with the center front of the doll.

3. Repeat for the back.

4. Pin together the two pieces of cloth along the doll's shoulder and down along his side. You want the side to glide along his side, not overly fitted. Be sure to mark around the arm. The top of your armhole should be at the tip of the shoulder point and the bottom of the armhole should be at the bottom of the chest plate or underneath the armpit parallel to the the bottom of the chest. 

5. With a pencil, mark the placement of the pins on front and back side of the pinned fabric.

6. Remove pins and connect the dashes to smooth out the lines.

7. Trace your lines to paper.

8. Cut each side out and place the front over the back along the shoulder and armhole.

9. Especially over the hips note the difference between the two. We are going to balance our pattern so that the back and front meet. 

10. To do this you want to measure the difference between the front and back.

11. Half of that difference you will add to the smaller side (in my case the front).

12. The other half of that difference will be subtracted from the larger side (in my case the back). When you finish, the front and back will line up 

13. My front and back block (sans the seam allowance).

Shirt Body

Used as is, this is a pattern for a semi-fitted shirt. If you want something boxier, you can always change the lines along the side seams into something straighter after you have made your basic block.

1. This step is very simple. Line up the blocks along the shoulder line. Mark about 1/4" (6mm) down from the shoulder of the front block.

2. That will be added to the back and subtracted from the front. It really isn't enough to be considered a "front yoke." But it is an area that you can take liberties.

3. On the front block, mark a line 1/4" (6mm) over from the center front.

4. Add another line 1/4" from the first line and another 1/4" from that line. These are center front fold lines. 

5. Let's look at the back. Draw a horizontal line perpendicular from the center back, approximately 1/2" (1 cm) from the tip of the neck. 

6. Cut along that line to form a back yoke. Make a mark about midpoint or a little beyond on both the yoke and the back body of the shirt. 

7. Not all shirts have these little tucks, so this step is optional. However, upon observing my dad's dress shirts, it seems that the tucks are there to allow additional ease. Draw a vertical line down to the bottom. Cut and spread about 1/4" (1cm). 

8. Note how when you join this back to the notch, it will line up with the mark on the back yoke.

Sleeve

Here again, I have devised my own formula for creating the sleeves based on draping methods borrowed from womenswear. Take the cloth block you created above, pin together and place on the doll. (Tape in place, front and back.)

1. Take a piece of cotton fabric, roughly 3-1/2"x 4-3/4" (12x9 cm) 

2. Fold into thirds

3. Scoop out a bit of fabric over the folded part of one side.

4. Fold under slightly the edge and pin the middle of the smooth side onto the tip of the mid shoulder point

5. Pin along the armhole until you get to about 1/4 length away from the armhole arc at the bottom. Mark the center of the sleeve

6. Take your time and fold one side of the sleeve then pin to the other side. You want the seam of this "tube" to line up with the side seam of the basic top. Be sure to mark the hem of the sleeve. 

7. When you have everything well lined up, mark with a pencil on both sides of the pins.

8. Once finished, unpin. Trace off to paper. 

9-10. The sleeve (like the rest of our shirt drafts) will have seam allowance to create the finished pattern. To plan for the cuff, it will be as wide as the bottom of the sleeve.  I determine its length and how long I want the sleeves and what type of cuff I want. Take a piece of cotton and wrap at the wrist to determine this. For a button down cuff, you may have to shorten the sleeve pattern by 1/4". But if you want to do cuffs that fold back over the bottom of the sleeve and closed with cuff links, simply start at the bottom of the sleeve and figure the length down from that (as you see above). This measurement for the cuff must be doubled because it will folded in half before being attached to the hem of the sleeve. My sleeve is 1/2" (1cm) over the wrist of the doll. Thus, the cuff pattern is 1" (2cm) long plus seam allowance. 

The Collar

Now comes the hard part! All quality dress shirts have a collar with a stand. There is a way to combine the two into a single element, but those are usually found in cheaper shirts. If you chose to make this shirt, you are spending a LOT of time and effort. You've come this far...you may as well spend the additional time and give your shirt a "quality collar." But this may not come easy. 

When measuring the neck to construct the collar, I found it easier to take a small length of paper and wrap around the doll's neck. The mistake a made for quite awhile, was measuring too tightly and not allowing for ease. If measured too close to the doll's neck, by the time you have finished the collar stand and attach it to the shirt....nothing will fit! So when measuring, I allowed about 1/8" or slightly more on either side. For an average weight cotton fabric, this is about right. If your fabric is a super lightweight sheer, it will be big. But better a little too big than too small. 

Wrap the paper around the doll's neck, allowing for ease on both sides and mark. Then fold in half and proceed with the draft below. 

1. A to C=  1/2 of the doll's neck, center front to center back. A to B= 1/2 of A-C 

2. A to 1= the length of the stand. For FR Homme and Ken dolls, this should be about 1/4" (6mm). For a little larger doll, this might be 3/8"

3. 1-2= A-B. From B-C, draw a curved line upwards by 1/4". 

4. 2-3=Draw a curved line upwards by 1/4". This will be parallel to B-C. Draw a vertical line from C-3

5. From C3, extend line out and upwards by 1/4." Curve a line from the tip of 3 down to the extended line. 

Collar Blade

6. Extend A-1 line vertically. Decide how deep the back of the collar blade width and mark with D. From D, draw a horizontal line the same width as the collar stand. (The end of that line will be marked E.) Make a point down from D (on the center back), the length of the blade. For my shirt, this is 3/8".

7. From A-B the line is the same as the one of the stand. From B-C curve downwards to C. 

8. E-C, connect the points. This produces the blade that meets at the center front.

9. Trace to new paper and add seam allowance.

For the stand, add seam allowance all over.

For the Blade, I have simplified this pattern piece. The top edge will be cut on the fold of the fabric to cut down on bulk. Add seam allowance on the sides and neckline seam.

Complete dress shirt pattern

Assembly-Front

1. Men's shirts, jackets and coats close right over left when facing us. Mark the fold lines 

2. Fold over and press.

3. Fold over again and press. 

4. For the left side, repeat, but fold under to the wrong side twice. Press and topstitch.

5. At this point, feel free to top stitch.

Back

1. On the back, join the marks together to create tucks. Tack down. Attach the yoke to the back, matching up the tuck marks with those on the yoke.

2. Stitch together. Top stitch if desired.

Sleeve

1. Take your sleeve patter and draw a 3/4" (2cm) vertical line perpendicular to the hem.

2. Transfer this to your sleeve. Cut along that line.

Placket

3. Cut a 1" rectangular strip of fabric (the same as your shirt). Pin the short side to the hem of the sleeve where you have made that slit.

4. Spread the slit as far as you can. It will make a shallow V shape. Pin the strip along the slit, allowing for the apex to fall as close to the edge as possible without creating any pleat. 

5. Note where the apex falls. You will create a stitching line that lines up with that point but remains equal distance from the edge.

6. As you can see the stitches align with the edge of the strip, but slit will slope  to the apex. Try to ignore the V-shape and follow the line of the strip (shown here in pink)

7. When you get to the apex point, place a tiny stitch and carefully pivot. 

8.Continue sewing to the opposite edge.

9. If you are doing this right, your stitches should be parallel to the edge of the strip like this.

10. On the right side, this looks like this.

11. Press inward.

12. Fold over and tack to the seam.

13. When folded over properly, the placket is hidden on the exterior but visible when the sleeve opening is visible. 

14. The sleeve is closed by laying the top of the lined slit over the exposed placket of the other slit. 

15. On the backside, it looks like that with the placket folding over itself.

16. In the front, both ends of the lined slit meet together. You can topstitch the topside of the placket.

17. When left open, you an see how this is constructed. But for the moment, do not attach the cuff just yet.

18-19. Assemble the shirt in the normal fashion. Attach at the shoulders and set in the sleeve while flat. Fold over and sew down the side seams of the sleeves and the sides of the shirt. Press all seams and turn right side out.

Cuff

20. Fold the cuff and stitch both sides.

21. Turn right side out and carefully push out the corners with a dowel or, use a pin to pull out the corners and press well.

22. Right side to right side, pin one side of cuff to the right side of the sleeve from one opening to the other. Sew.

23. Hand sew the cuff in place.

24. Fold the top of the remaining side over the seam and slip stitch it in place. This provides a clean finish to the inside of the cuff. Press well.

Collar

1. Lay out and cut the collar stand and collar blade. Note: the top of the blade should be cut on the fold.

2. Fold the collar blade horizontally and sew the side seams. Turn right side out.

3. Use a sharpened dowel to push out the points or use a pin to carefully pick out the points. Press well.

4. Lay the bottom (raw edge) of the blade along the top edge of the collar stand and place the second layer of the collar stand in place. Please line up these three layers by their center back points. Sew

5. Turn right side out and press well.

6. Right side against right side, pin one side of the collar+stand to the neckline of the shirt. Sew.

7. On the inside of the shirt, turn the raw edge of the inside of the collar down and sew over the neck seam. This presents a clean finish on the interior.

Pocket

Frankly, I did this by sight. You can simply draw a square, but I liked this special little detail I saw on my dad's shirt. This is a simple square with a diamond shaped head. All of the outer seam allowance has been turned down and press. Then, fold so that the pointed top is inside of the pocket. Attach to the shirt and top stitch or hand stitch in place.

Closures-Hooks

After I finished my beautiful shirt, the next challenge was to figure out how to close it. You cannot make buttonholes small enough to be usable. Integrity Toys uses hook and eyes.

Space your hook and eyes evenly. I found it useful to figure out the spacing on a small piece of paper placed next to the edge of the shirt. The hook part of the closure is placed facing the outer edge. Begin by stitching down the back of the hook using a blanket stitch along both loops then add a few stitches to the front end to make it stay in place.

On the other side, I created self "eyes." (See below.) If you make a number of these shirts for your guys, you will quickly realize how many of these closures you will need. They are number 0. But you can also  make them yourself.

DIY Hooks..

1. For a size 0 hook, cut a 1-1/2" length of wire

2. Bend in half

3a.Using round nose jewelry pliers, form a loop on each end.

3. The result should look like this.

3b.Place the pliers at midpoint on the tail.

3c. Bend the tail.

4. The end result.

..& Eyes

You could use or make metal eyes. However, if you take a little time, the crochet eyes using thread that matches the color of the shirt is better.

1. Begin by tying the end of a threaded needle. Push the needle through the back to front.

2. Create 2 or three stitches. They should be about 1/4"

3. With the needle in the front, slide the needle under the stitches.

4. Wrap the the thread from left to right behind the needle to form the first knot. 

5. Repeat. Wrap the thread from left to right behind the needle and gently pull to form the knot. 

6. Don't pull too hard. The know should be moderately loose.

7. Continue. It takes about 5 or 6 knots. 

8. Push the needle from front to the back and make a small knot in the back. Cut the thread.

Here's a side view of Leon's shirt. You see how this sort of closure keeps the shirt shut close to his body. 

Closures-velcro

Most collectors don't like velcro however..... If you can find a thin velcro, this is another (easier) option. Just remember that even if the velcro has an adhesive backing, you will still need to sew it in place.

Buttons

Placement of the outside buttons is the same as when planning for the closures. I do the planning with a small sheet of paper held close to the edge of the shirt. On the left, I've used "brads" (found in the scrapbooking section of your crafts store). On the right, I used buttons I made myself. The holes don't go through so they must be glued to the shirt. This is not an idea solution. I would recommend, instead, ordering 3mm doll size buttons. Of course you will need a superfine embroidery needle to sew them onto the shirt.

Or....Let's just call this "hidden buttons." A fashion statement!

Here's my first shirt, front and back. Though I opted for a "fitted shirt" which can be worn tucked into his trousers, you can always straightened the lines along the side seams straight for a looser silhouette.

I wanted to test out this tutorial by adopting my techniques to create a shirt for a more muscular doll with different proportions. The construction remains the same. I only changed the proportions of the collar by adding an additional 1/8" to the collar. His sleeves are longer, ending in cuffs that turn up and, in theory, are suitable for cuff links. 

 

All photos and text property of Fashion Doll Stylist 2022.

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Kens Eye View: Spring/Summer 2022 Menswear Trends Part 2

 

Following along with the women's trends, menswear trends for next spring summer season focuses on classic, easy-to-wear, COMFORTABLE styles. For part 2 of my Ken's Eye View Report, I used only three main patterns: classic shirt, trousers and blazer. But, as I learned.....simple is anything but easy to pull off a super stylish look! When I thought I had finished the clothes for this report, I discovered everything looked almost the same. And unless you are only interested in making basics for your guys (not a bad idea), the way to make each garment a little bit different lies in your choice of fabric, adjustment of proportions and even one or two tiny details. So I went back to the drawing board and remade or restyled a few of the looks below.

Quiet Storm

Nothing extravagant, just simple elements combined for an easy way to get through the day. Neutrals reign while the look is as simple as a shirt tucked into a pair of bermudas or a chocolate or navy blazer teamed up with white trousers. But notice the palette... lots of summer darks and in some cases worn over white.

This is simply a shirt-jacket, a top and a pair of shorts. But....I struggled to keep the look from falling into the doldrums of mediocrity. After much reflection I figured out that to successfully pull off this look, each black item should be a different texture. His shirt-jack was cut from crinkled taffeta, the top made from a semi-sheer striped nylon (from a sock), and the shorts are a simple broadcloth. It's not so apparent in the photo, but in person, you can best appreciate the subtle differences which make the look so compelling.

This is simply a black silk shirt and a pair of cream white linen shorts. At first I did the black over brown palette and tried it on several of my guys to no avail. It was so....ho-hum! Since we already have a dark toned shorts-set, I thought the contrast of dark shirt-white shorts was lots more interesting and looked more "summer." It's a quick and easy way to get your guys in tune with next summer!

Chalk It Up!

A key color for next summer: Chalk White! Whether it's shorts, full trousers, short jackets or coats...if you are limited in what you can make for your dude doll....make it in white. Again, notice how simple and easy each and every one of these looks are!

A big, new trend for next spring....loose trousers! This takes a bit getting used to because they tend to resemble your grandfather's pants! But.....trends are favoring looks that are COMFORTABLE. For Loic's look, I cut the jacket out of linen to give it more structure and keep the look from dissolving into sloppiness. On the contrary, for his trousers, I used a very soft cotton (my old bed sheets) and used a pleated pant pattern instead of the ones with drawstrings. 

Sahara

We're off to the dessert where the habitat influences the the color palette. Think safran, sand dunes, or even a golden sunset. Keep the trousers loose and opt for a classic safari look or a sleek variation.

I admit, I do have a penchant for safari jackets. Rob gave me a good excuse to cut a new one just for him. It's a basic square shirt-jacket with four pockets and flaps and a drawstring waistband. We wanted something a little different for the pants, so we paired this jacket with a pair that also features a drawstring waist and is gathered at the ankles.

Short Story

With the weather patterns a-changing and summers hotter than ever, it's no wonder that monsieur is opting for shorts. Here is a good variety of looks at lengths we think works best. But again, notice how the palette favors neutral tones of chalk, putty, light blue and pale grey. The key word here is COOL.

This is a look that takes a little while to get used to. And I admit...the first time I saw a guy wearing shorts with a suit jacket, it looked a little weird. But... My guy Kim, has just the kind of edgy look and attitude to pull it off. The "tailored" jacket is elongated and worn over bermuda length shorts. There's a pocket for his pen on the collar and another pocket on one sleeve. But there is also something you can't see here. For Kim's suit, I used a dress fabric. Men's summer suits are usually made of very light wool and I figured that the lightness of the dress material was about right for a 1/6 scale summer suit for Mr. Doll. When constructing the jacket, I used an interfacing to structure the front. The fabric was very easy to work with and when I was finished, I was very delighted with the results! 

Take a look at the model in the middle. When I first saw this photo, I assumed the shirt/shorts set was made from a crisp cotton. Carlos, my guy on the right is wearing the set I made from a soft cotton with a shadow stripe. It's nice and looks good on Carlos, but when I finished, it looked too much like everything else I made for this post. When I took another look at the original outfit, I realized that it wasn't made from cotton but rather....silk! That inspired me to make the set again....this time using a fancy silk jacquard. I thought it would be a very interesting outfit for a formal summer evening event. The jewelry detail....an earring that extends to the button on the jacket--is an idea borrowed from the next image.

Royal Flush

My dear friend Richard brought this photo to my attention. We both agreed it was fashion forward worthy. I loved elegance of the satin jacket with the brooch immediately caught my eye, but the trousers were a little to wide and long for my taste.

For Atsushi, I created this version. I used a satin, though not quite as "soft" as in the original photo. Soft fabrics are usually the quality for womenswear and not menswear, though I know those "norms" have changed. Still, I used a heavier satin for Atsushi's jacket so that it would have structure. The length could have been a tad bit longer, but because the doll has slightly different proportions than the human, often calculating length and volume is a hit or miss thing. (Ideally, making the design in cotton muslin would allow you to see this and make changes to the patterns in advance.) For the trousers, I used a softer satin which I feel is ideal. The original jacket has a classic collar/lapel which is closed around the neck of the model. I chose to simplify my jacket by incorporating a funnel collar. Underneath it all, I wrapped Atsushi's neck with a cream chiffon scarf. 

As I've said before...it's not easy to do simplicity well...which is exactly what menswear (or shall I say "Kenswear,") requires.  I have made much progress since my initial tutorials on basic Ken fashions several years ago. However, this post allowed me the opportunity to perfect those basic garments. I have a few more tweaks to make and then I'll share the results (and my patterns) with you soon.

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Ken's Eye View: Spring/Summer Trends 2022 Part I

Now that I have your attention!!! (LOL!!!)

I don't often post menswear trends for a reason. Over the past several years, things have gone wild and crazy in a way I have difficulty comprehending. While I embrace creativity and I do believe each generation has a right to their own mode of expression, originality for the sake of doing something different has little meaning when it comes to products destined for public consumption. Clothes, especially menswear is first and foremost, a product. If catwalk trends never descend down to the sidewalk, it is a waste of time, money and effort on the part of the designer. After numerous seasons of, what I'd like to call "circus performances" the spring/summer 2022 season of menswear collections finally offered some real clothes my guys wanted to wear. Due to virtual presentations imposed by Covid restrictions, there are no longer any time frames set for individual markets. So designers from all areas of the globe showed in no particular order. My dude dolls actually liked seeing everything at once. And as a result, they put in orders for quite few items, so much so, I decided to spread this trend report over two parts. This, part one, has younger menswear vibe while, part 2 is more classic.

Blues Brothers

We start out with the jeans story because no matter the style, things always look cool when cut from denim. All of these looks are timely as we search for something easy to wear now that everyone is back at work, school and social gatherings. I should point out, my guys were immediately drawn to the GmbH suit. It is a classic look that goes "red carpet" with the simple addition of a double sash. 

For Lamar's suit, I used a silk twill fabric that resembles denim but is much lighter in weight. It is easy to sew, works well with the scale of the doll and falls over the body beautifully. I decided however, not to sew the sashes into the side seams. I wanted the flexibility of turning it back into a classic suit. So the sashes are a separate entity for those special occasions..

The original Zegna trousers and coat were probably cut from a super lightweight merino wool. But it looks so much like washed denim, I decided to do just that...recreate the look using a bit of my dad's worn out jeans. There's nothing extraordinary here, but I liked the idea of an overcoat in washed denim with matching trousers. 

Art Smart

Tie-dye, shibori, hand dyed print, this is the easiest way to walk to the beat of this creative movement. (Don't forget to check our "dolly textiles" posts!) These craft techniques provide a great way to instantly transform an "ordinary" garment into something colorful and really special that can be worn over jeans or shorts!

In the photo, this look created by Deveaux, doesn't appear to be exceptional. But when we really studied it, there were a number of very interesting things happening here. Renauld really liked the idea of a waiter's apron worn over trousers. I was careful not to put too much volume into the apron so that it wouldn't resemble a skirt which is why you see so much of one pant leg. The straight legged trousers and matching apron were cut from a satin finished fine silk. The short sleeved shirt was cut from a shibori print we made awhile back. I will admit that at first, I made a purple tie dyed shirt out of cotton, but the top looked too casual for the dressy trousers. A change of color (and not the fabric) made all the difference. By using a blue tone for the printing, it works perfectly for a summer dressy event.

Color Me Cool

If there is only one trend your guys should be following, it is the idea of wearing lots of bright, refreshing colors! Everything from suits to casual shorts and tops are all color drenched in tart, bright tones. We really did love the Louis Vuitton dip dyed suit, but there simply wasn't enough time to attempt this. Still, we had a little fun.

A silky top and shorts is what Richard is wearing under this cotton broadcloth caban in cheery cherry red. 

And for Jamal, we pulled out his peach toned raw silk suit and added bright blue accessories. 

Havana

Relax, you're in style. The message here is to adapt a "don't worry-be happy" philosophy while styling your guys. Notice the eclectic choice of fabrics either as an accent or a head-to-toe look. Silhouettes are pretty loose from the parkas to the snakeskin printed top and pants.

 

Suiting Up for Summer

And while on the subject of summer suits....again, keep things loose and easy and have lots of fun. We all LOVED Yohji Yamamoto's contrasting suits!

Again, we referred back to one of the textile techniques (transfer of newspaper print onto cotton using a transfer medium) we showed you a while back (First Impressions) to get the newspaper printed fabric. I used a lightweight cotton so that then end result wouldn't get too bulky. 

Local Rock Star

Well....you know this guy. He's the one who totally ignores the seasons, the time of day and whatever else is going on.....and always shows up in leather and sunglasses! LOL. He's a star and he knows it! 

The jacket is a simple boxy jacket cut from faux leather worn over classic trousers in faux leather as well. For the fancy T-shirt, I used a dark silver lurez fabric. It's not sheer like the one in the original outfit, but it still lends itself to that pop star vibe.

The Hunks

Normally I do not do swimwear for the guys. But the girls insisted and I had to create something to show off the body of my new love.....

But before I show him to you, here is Atsushi wearing Dolce et Gabbana briefs and silk shirt. He's wearing the briefest of Speedos and a tiny belt (for fashion purposes only!)  That said, men do wear fashion accessories, so after the chain complete with dog tag, the silver tone watch, why not a belt with lots of little silvery bits as well..

And here he is....star of our show....Rob, the guy I created this theme for. It's not everyday you come across a doll with a 6-pack! His shorts aren't anything special, except for the little metal accent off to one side. I just thought you'd like to take another look at Rob's body. LOL!!!!

We're not finished here. Stay tuned for Part 2. (And yes, Rob will be back as well!)

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