Simplicity 1694: A Collared Shirt with Volume

I was extra anxious to take pictures of my latest project for the blog...so that I could see whether I liked it or not! In the mirror, I couldn't tell: nice or awful? 

The big surprise is that I like the way the shirt looks, but the fit of the back of my made-to-wear-with-it basic black ponte pant is dreadful. If it's not one thing it's another!

What was it that drew me to Simplicity 1694, which is very different from my usual pattern picks?

Who knows? My fabric choice was quite a bit less fluid than what is shown in the pattern photo. I used lime Brussels Washer from Fabric.com (they have it for an excellent price, by the way), which is a linen-rayon blend. I've used this fabric a few times and it is a pleasure to sew, washes well and does have some drape. Not as much drape as a soft silk, rayon or poly, however.

Side maternity view (not really!)--I refuse to worry about looking pregnant, but I will confess that the side seam is swinging to the front.

The back view of the shirt was the one I was worried about, but now that I get a good look at it, I think it's fine.

When it was finished, I didn't care for the length of the short sleeve, but it has a deep hem which is perfect for cuffing. I think it would be cute with a little button tab, but I'll have to go back for more buttons.

The shirt is huge! I made the XS, which has a 40" bust measurement. No fit adjustments. I could have shortened it (I am only 5'2"), but I decided that more coverage might be a beautiful thing. The shoulders are slightly dropped, which absolved me of worrying about an accurate fit in the shoulder area. Something about the top of the sleeve in the back doesn't look so good to me, though; there is a deep fold.

To state the very obvious, this is a comfortable outfit to wear. Now, to figure out how to fix those wrinkles in the back of the pants!