How to Sew On a Shirt Placket

The placket of a men's shirt is a separate piece down the front where the buttonholes are located. It's comprised of two pieces of fabric with an interfacing between for extra body. Careful selection of the interfacing, trimming and placement of the placket create a nicely tailored look for the finished garment.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Choose an interfacing fabric that is suitable for the shirt fabric. Use lightweight interfacings for lightweight fabrics, knit interfacing for knits and heavier interfacing for weightier fabrics.
2. Cut the interfacing for the placket according to the pattern instructions. Pin the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric. Set the pins at right angles to the direction of the stitching.
3. Sew the interfacing to the placket just beyond the 5/8" seam line. Trim the excess interfacing seam away to eliminate bulk.
4. Match the raw edges of the placket against the shirt while matching the right side of the placket to the wrong side of the shirt. Line up the notches and pin the placket in place. Set the pins at right angles to the line of stitching.
5. Sew the placket to the shirt using a 5/8" seam per the pattern instructions. Mark the seam allowance on the machine plate with a piece of tape so that the edge of the fabric runs along the edge of the tape to make a 5/8" seam line.
6. Trim the seam carefully after the placket is sewn in place. Press with a steam iron for a professional finish.