SHAOXING OCEAN CO., LTD , https://www.sxgarments.com
As a teacher, I truly enjoy learning from my students. During my fit workshops, I find it incredibly beneficial to observe the challenges they encounter while sewing and to listen to their aspirations for their sewing projects. Working with each individual allows us both to gain valuable insights.
About a year and a half ago, during one of these workshops, I noticed something interesting: our Liesl + Co. pattern collection lacked many princess seam designs. I’ve always been fond of princess seams because they simplify the fitting process for sewists, particularly for those who are fuller-busted, since the seams run directly over the bust, allowing for personalized adjustments.
Around the same time, I was wearing a beloved Shirt I've had for quite some time. It features deep tuxedo-style pleats, and one workshop participant mentioned she wished there was a sewing pattern for it. Well, here it is!
However, this pattern has been refined beyond the shirt I wore that day. Those two requests came at just the right moment. After returning home from the workshop, I began developing a princess-seam pattern while simultaneously pondering the idea of creating a pattern for a tuxedo-pleated shirt. Once the basic princess-seam pattern was ready, it struck me that the two concepts complemented each other perfectly. By hiding the princess seams behind the tuxedo pleats, the final design became an elegantly seamless shirt—no visible darts or seams! My original tuxedo shirt had a shoulder dart, but after examining the pleats closely, I drafted a new tuxedo pleated front panel, and it worked beautifully.
Introducing the Recital Shirt—a classic button-front shirt featuring princess seams. View A offers a timeless princess seam shirt with a ruffled collar (which you can swap out for a classic band collar) and a continuous (cut-on) placket. View B includes the tuxedo-pleated front pattern, which completely conceals the princess seams, along with a charming tuxedo collar and a separate (set-in) front placket.
Both versions include those delightful details that make a shirt truly special: tower sleeve plackets and proper sleeve cuffs with a separate facing piece. The Recital Shirt also features a slightly more fitted shirt back with darts for shaping. Like our Liesl + Co. Classic Shirt (which also includes these special details), this pattern comes in pieces for A/B, C, and D cup sizes, so much of the fitting work is already done for you.
One of the coolest things about the Recital Shirt is that its pattern pieces coordinate seamlessly with our Classic Shirt pattern pieces. That means you can mix and match elements between the two patterns. If you prefer the collar from one pattern, it will work perfectly with the other. If you like the more fitted back of the Recital Shirt, you can incorporate it into the Classic Shirt pattern as well. (The sleeves, yokes, and cuffs on both patterns are identical.) I believe in offering options.
Here are some styling ideas for this pattern. You can find all these photos, plus many more, on my Liesl + Co. Recital Shirt Pinterest board.
The customization possibilities for this shirt are virtually limitless, especially when combined with the Classic Shirt sewing pattern and a few of our tutorials! Imagine princess seams paired with a pussy bow or a ruffle inserted into the princess seams for a modern twist. Stay tuned—I’ll be sharing more ideas and perhaps a few tutorials in the coming weeks.
This pattern works beautifully with almost any shirting fabric (tartan would look fantastic!), as well as lawn, gingham, oxford, and others. For more fabric suggestions, check out this post. One fabric I wouldn't recommend for View B is double gauze, as it would be too thick for the tuxedo pleats. Other suitable fabrics include light- to medium-weight woven fabrics like voile, lawn, shirtings, poplin, broadcloth, chambray, and linen. Quilting cottons work well too, and for View A, flannel is a great option. For the turquoise View A shirt shown here, I used a stunning handwoven cotton from India, gifted by our friend Giulia. The light-blue View B shirt features Limerick Linen from Robert Kaufman in Marine color, which pleats beautifully.
You can get your own Recital Shirt sewing pattern later this week. It will be available in both paper and digital formats. Check the countdown clocks on each page to see how much time remains until you can purchase. If it's not available yet, you can leave your email to receive updates when it becomes available. And if you haven't already, consider getting a copy of the Classic Shirt pattern, which is also available in both paper and digital formats.
I can't wait to see what you create with this pattern! Be sure to tag it #lieslandco and #recitalshirt on your Instagram posts, and we'd love to see it added to the Liesl + Co. Flickr group as well. Don't forget our Liesl + Co. Friends Facebook group, where you can share your creations, ask questions, and see what others are making with the pattern.
Stay tuned for more updates and inspiration!
June 04, 2025