Raaaarrrr! Check out my leopard print! At least, it’s sort of a leopard print, I think. This is the shirt review from the outfit I posted the other day, where I wrote a fairly detailed review of the Deer + Doe Acajou trousers. However, since I’ve already used the I AM Patterns Irma pattern once before, this post will be much shorter.

As you may or may not remember, I made the full-length shirtdress view of this pattern at the end of last year. I really liked the result and it was a fairly easy decision to use it again, but this time with the shirt view and the bishop sleeves instead of the straight cuffed sleeve I used for the shirtdress. As per the shirtdress, it has a collar with stand, a concealed button placket (great instructions for this part too if you haven’t put one together) and a box pleat in the back just to max out that billowy fullness.

I made the size 46 again, but actually remembered to read my previous post for once and noted my comment about the shoulder being a little long. Since I liked the fit of the 46 otherwise, I decided just to make a narrow shoulder adjustment of 1/2 an inch. The shirt looks much better and if I wanted it to sit right at the shoulder, I could do with another 1/4 inch . I don’t mind it sitting just off the shoulder though and the model pictures show the same fit, so perhaps that was intended in any case.

However, one further related alteration I would definitely attempt to make, if I were to make a third iteration, would be to raise the armscye. I did notice it straining slightly on the shirtdress, but wasn’t sure if I really needed to alter it. It’s more obvious on the shirt and it does restrict my movement somewhat – you can see it straining on the pics where I’m raising my arms. I know that I have quite “shallow” armpits, so perhaps it’s fine for others. It may in fact be easier for me just to start off again with a smaller size and grade out at the waist next time, rather than adjust down at the shoulder and then armscye, but I’ll cross that particular bridge when I come to it.

As for the shirt itself – I like it! It has a ton of ease of course, which makes it very comfortable to wear. The sleeves are three quarter length on the model, but more like bracelet length on me, which is probably a little longer than I’d like. This is not unexpected, as I often have to shorten sleeves an inch or two for my T-rex arms, but I don’t hate it. The circumference of the sleeve band is quite generous and I like that I can push it up over my elbow for another style of sleeve – one I really like, actually – but if you’re not planning to do that, I’d check where it falls on your arm in case it ends up too loose for you.

Anyway, I like that you can wear the sleeves in different ways and the shirt also looks very different tucked in and left loose, of course. Unbuttoning it also gives it a whole different vibe and I think it might look cute layered with a belt and skirt, as well. I might try that one soon. I’ve been thinking about Me-Made May already this year and I feel like I’m going to try and work on whole outfit looks this year, since it’s something I haven’t really done before. I’m feeling Me-Made layers, haha.

Oh – I mustn’t miss out the fabric details. This fabulous print is a rayon challis that I picked up from La Mercerie when Jess was still selling garment fabric. It was a collaboration with Nerida Hansen over in Australia and I made my New Year’s Wiksten Shift from another of the fabrics I bought and used the third for the lining of my Harry Cape. They’re lovely and striking and I believe Jennifer Bouron was the artist for all of them, although I could be incorrect (apologies if so). Anyway, although Jess has moved to exclusively selling yarn, you can still find some of the prints (and many, many more luscious fabrics) directly from Nerida Hansen – and she does great sales too.

And that’s about all I have to say on the Irma shirt. Another successful I AM Patterns garment and a really comfy, easy-to-wear garment in my wardrobe. I’m sticking with the French right now as I’m working on a new DP Studio pattern and hope that goes better than my last attempt. Lol. Talk to you soon!