Button up shirts are one of my favourite items to sew (and to wear!) and I especially have a soft spot for white linen shirts. Over the years I found them to be the most versatile piece in my wardrobe: They can easily transition from being a beach coverup to a winter layering piece, and when you find the right shade of white for you it genuinely works with everything else in your collection. This Zina shirt made out of the IL019 All-purpose Antique White Signature Finish linen has become just that for me.

As a lover of shirts, I’ve been meaning to try the Zina shirt for ages, and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint! It’s a semi-fitted cut with nicely fitted shoulders, a delicate and classic shirt collar, and really simple, clean lines. In the wide spectrum of button ups, I’d say it’s one of the more simple designs: there’s no back yoke, no shaping elements like darts or tucks, it features a folded button placket, and sleeve plackets that are finished with continuous binding. All these features would make this pattern an excellent first foray into shirt making for confident beginners, while providing the more experienced hands with a fun blank slate that lets the finishing, fabric choice, embellishments, and even pattern hacks and modifications talk.

I made the size 0/2 without any modifications, and I love how it fits on me. For reference, my full bust is 30” (76 cm) and my high bust is 31” (78 cm), so I pick my shirts’ sizes based on the high bust measurement to ensure a good fit across the shoulders – which is, for me, the most crucial part of shirts. I also didn’t adjust the length of the body or the sleeves – the sleeves are maybe a touch too long on me (I’m 5’4” / 163 cm tall) but I prefer my sleeves on the slightly longer side of things, so I left them as they are.

Perhaps my favourite part of making shirts is focusing on a beautiful finish inside and out. I don’t currently have an overlocker in my new sewing setup at home, and while it can be limiting for certain projects it’s absolutely unnecessary for this one – which I love, because I know many beginners don’t want to invest in another piece of machinery from the get go. The instructions use French seams to finish almost all the seams. I decided to supplement them with a few flat felled seams, namely on the shoulders and the armscyes. I did a machine stitch flat felled seams on the shoulders, and hand finished the armscyes. I prefer this over a French seam at the armscyes as it keeps the seam a bit more flat – as the name suggests!

Overall, I highly recommend this pattern if you want to try your hand at making your own shirts, or if you’re looking for a well fitted, beautiful classic to add to your wardrobe. I’ve been wearing mine non-stop as a layering piece to deal with the beautiful but rather cold Montréal winter we’re having, and I’m so excited to see how it’ll transition into the warmer months!