The one thing I wear more than anything else is a white t-shirt and jeans. I absolutely adore this classic look, and find myself reaching for the staple wardrobe more often than not. You know how Mark Zuckerberg supposedly has a closet filled with the same gray T shirt and jeans? Well, if for odd reason we were forced into a world where this was a necessity, the white T Shirt and jeans would be my choice.
My problem comes when the t-shirt I grab is covered in wrinkles. The obvious reason for me grabbing this outfit is for the sense of ease, not because I feel like ironing and making a big to-do of what I am wearing. So when I realized there was a possibility of making a white t-shirt that doesn’t WRINKLE, I was all over it.
Now is it literally impossible to wrinkle? Probably not. I am sure if you tried really hard, and left it under a stack of books for a month, there might be a wrinkle that would be tough to get out. But for us normal folks…I am calling it unwrinkleable (not a word, except in my imaginary vocabulary world. If they can come up with ‘on fleek’…)
How to make a T-shirt that doesn’t wrinkle.
Sleek lines and classic design, scuba knit T Shirt.
The tip for sewing an unwrinkleable t-shirt is the fabric used. While there are some knits and polyester that are more wrinkle proof, scuba knit seams to surpass them all. The heavier weight of the fabric tends to make it hard for the wrinkles to ‘set’. If you don’t want to work with scuba knit, then I would suggest ponte knit. Although I would never call ponte knit ‘unwrinkleable’, it will definitely be a lot better than say, jersey knit.
Scuba knit is a fabric that acts a lot like it is sounds, an apparel version of neoprene (without the stinky smell neoprene tends to have). It is a lot sturdier than regular knits, similar to ponte knit, which makes it easy to work with. Good for projects that you want a lot of VOLUME for – like pleated skirts, boxy tops, cocoon dresses, cropped jackets and more. Scuba knit is offered in various weights, which lends itself to fun shapes and designs. Contrary to what one might think, this fabric is a lot of fun to play around with. Not being as thick as neoprene, it can easily be sewn on your home sewing machine, and you don’t have to worry about wonky hemlines, like you do with jersey knit. It is a great fabric for someone who wants to dip their feet into sewing with knit fabric for the first time!
You can see another scuba knit project I did HERE.
**The key to keeping scuba knit from being ‘bulky’ when wearing it is to SEW DOWN ALL SEAMS.
Free Boxy T-Shirt Pattern
The boxy t-shirt seen in the photos is self drafted, but I found a free pattern that will give you similar results at Purl Soho HERE. The differences are as follows:
- I used a facing, instead of a bias strip to finish the neckline.
- Regular sleeves, instead of the more dolman or boxy style sleeves used in this pattern.
- No back tie.
- Mine is slightly longer in length, so that I can easily tuck in the shirt when desired.
Thanks so much for stopping by, and until next time…
Happy sewing!
I love the clean, smooth look of your white t BUT my concern is about whether it would breathe enough – I am hyper sensitive to over heating 🙂 I don’t know anything about scuba knit – I’ve seen it advertised online and assumed it was for swimwear? Looks so nice with your jeans!
It is definitely not a breathable fabric, and I would not recommend wearing it in the Summer. But in the Spring / Fall – when the weather is not as hot – it is great! Especially if you sew a nice, boxy T shirt with lots of room. If you are sensitive to over-heating, then I would not recommend this.
I like the shape of your T-shirt. I think it would look good on almost any body shape. I don’t think a few wrinkles to iron out of a quality cotton or linen would dissuade me. I am totally opposed to fabric made from recycled plastics. And they are getting harder and harder to find. Sigh…..
That’s why I have a Jify garment steamer . . . best purchase ever! It’s the best thing for removing wrinkles from knits because it’s quick and it doesn’t flatten the knit fabric like an iron does. You also don’t have to worry about the shine that an iron can leave on a garment.