Fairfield Button Up x Thread Theory

There's a new face around these parts today! Meet Joey, my hunky husband who is stepping out from behind the camera to show off my first menswear sew (beyond a necktie), the Fairfield Button Up.

This shirt was actually a gift I made for Joey for Christmas 2017. He had a great chambray button up from Gap that he loved, but unfortunately it was on the short side and the poor guy couldn't really raise his arms in the thing. So I thought I'd surprise him with a new shirt replicating his old favorite. 

One of the reasons I had been hesitant to make anything for Joey is that quality, modern mens patterns are few and far between. That's why I was so excited when I was introduced to Thread Theory, a company that has designed several modern menswear patterns. The Fairfield Button Up looked like a great shirt with a slimmer fit perfect for Joey and a basic pattern for creating both dress shirts and casual button ups. 

After spending hours comparing the old shirt with swatches on multiple websites, I decided on one of my favorite fabrics, Essex Linen by Robert Kaufman in Steel sourced from Jones & Vandermeer (also here). It was a perfect option for the original grey chambray shirt.

Now, I've sewn about six button ups between both of my kids and was experienced with the concept, which was a bit of a double edged sword. On the one hand, I was very familiar with how a button up shirt comes together so there was a smaller learning curve as I worked through the pattern. But, because I was so used to the construction of the Birch Button Up I had made for them half a dozen times, the slightly different methods used in the Fairfield did trip me up just a tad. Overall though, Joey's shirt was a fairly straight forward sew and Thread Theory patterns are as well drafted as I had been told. 

Slimmer fits work better on Joey so he's overall very happy with the fit of his shirt, however there is some pulling because he could use a little more room in the shoulders. The neck is also a little snug which is fine on this one because he wears it casually and doesn't button it for a tie, but that's also a change I'll make for his next one. I made him a straight XS so we're thinking blending that with the S neck and shoulders will be perfect for him. Since this shirt was a surprise I wanted him to be able to open on Christmas I wasn't able to fit it to him and relied on the measurements of the old shirt compared to the finished garment measurement chart provided in the pattern, so it'll be nice to make his next one and give him a custom fitting. 

Making this shirt for my dreamboat Joey was so much fun, and I'll always remember his reaction when he opened a gift he hadn't expected in the slightest. Gift giving is definitely one of my love languages! I'm looking forward to sewing more for him--we've already got a floral short sleeve Fairfield on the docket!

Any menswear patterns you just love? Let's hear 'em!