2020 fashion trends have been all over the place - we’ve all embraced sweatpants and slippers - but there have been some stylish trends, too. I’ve seen so many of these giant Pilgrim style collars, notably from brands like La Veste and Ganni. I wasn’t on board right away. I don’t usually wear shirts with collars of any kind. But over time, I was convinced. I knew I had vintage patterns in my stash with this collar, and I knew it would be a quick, fun sew. It was indeed quick & fun to sew!

I rummaged around a bit and found vintage Simplicity 8148, dated 1977. View 1 has the collar, but View 3 has the sleeves and bodice I wanted. I appreciate that this pattern has 3 totally different collar/neckline treatments, 2 sleeve variations, and different ways to approach the waist/hemline situation. I was also happy to see that there is no pouf at the shoulder in the sleeve. These days I prefer a shoulder without it.

The fabric selection came to me when I was laying in bed, staring at my stash. These fabrics were on the same shelf, and suddenly I knew they had to be used together. The blues are not an exact match! but it’s pretty close and I think it works. I didn’t want to overthink it - my goal here was to enjoy myself.

This Liberty Tana lawn is my favorite Liberty print, “Betsy”, which I used recently to make a vintage maxi dress. But this is a rare colorway! I purchased this version from Duckadilly Fabrics - they stock exclusive colorways. The pink is truly fluorescent, it is amazing.

The striped fabric is from Mood in Manhattan. It’s a Rag & Bone shirting that I used to make my mom a pair of Carolyn Pajamas for her birthday in August. I always save my scraps, they come in handy.

The construction of this top is straightforward, so it sewed up very quickly. I sew a lot of vintage Simplicity patterns, so before doing anything, I made my standard flat pattern adjustments to my typical size 12 pattern: 3/4” narrow shoulder adjustment, and I lengthened the bodice 1”. From there, I made a few little tweaks to suit my personal preferences. I added a very lightweight interfacing to the facing, and I also sewed down the facing along the neckline, where that stitching is hidden under the collar.

One thing I’d callout to anyone considering sewing this top, is that if you have wider shoulders or a fuller bust, it might be tricky to pull this top on and off (this would likely be alleviated by a Full Bust Adjustment in the case of bustiness). I don’t have any trouble, but it did cross my mind when I was taking off the top.

I hate flappy facings. I usually avoid them, but it does make sense to have a facing as this pattern is drafted - you absolutely need one for the center front slit and it keeps the interior neckline tidy. Here you can see where the facings have been stitched down, but it isn’t visible because the collar covers it.

I love that this pattern has a drawstring at the hem. It gives the look of your top being tucked in, but without all the bulk inside your waistband. The pattern calls for buttonholes where the cord you sew exits the casing, and my initial plan was to use neon thread for those buttonholes. But, I’ve used these eyelets on a bunch of garments I’ve sewn this year. In addition to being more sturdy than buttonholes, I like how it makes all my clothes more cohesive.

I chose to echo the eyelet design detail at the cuffs. The casing holds elastic and the eyelets and bow are decorative, not functional. Here is my tutorial for making skinny straps like these.

So that’s it! Just the palette cleanser I needed. I’ve tried it layered under a sweater and it is definitely cute, however I think for comfort, I’d prefer a detachable collar for that purpose (it gets bunchy in the arm), so one of those might happen soon.

Have you sewn a giant collar yet? Are you planning to? lmk! XO, Martha