Square shirt placket Question

[PrairieSunrise]

So I have "Thoughts on Men's a Shirts" and noticed that the button placket on their square cut shirt is only a half placket.

Is there evidence supporting a full button placket? I would like to do them full for added strength, but not if that's incorrect.

Thanks

Susanna Kocher

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: Square shirt placket Question

I am not an expert on sewing terms. I am assuming full placket is buttons all the way down the front instead of 1/4 or so down with a few buttons. To my memory I do not recall seeing a shirt attributed to our era in books, museums or private collections that are buttoned all the way down. Look at photos I have taken show the same. All pull over style. A range of some with a single button at the collar and some with several buttons going down around 1/3.

[rmilstead]

Re: Square shirt placket Question

Susanna,

If by "full placket" you are referring to the use of a second separate piece of material doubled over and sewed to the shirt front on the button side of the closure as is done on the button hole side (i.e. inside the buttonhole placket), then based upon the examples shown in Bill's book, you are correct this is a detail he only shows up in its full form at the end of the time period he is discussing in a late "french pattern" example. I do not know when this type of construction became prevalent but at the time of the Civil War shirt design was in a state of change from the earlier style dating back to the 18th Century where the opening in the front was a simple slit with the edges turned back and stitched to the "placket" style where the opening was covered by the familiar doubled piece of material. The button side initially was simply turned over but certainly did evolve to have a second reinforcing piece attached to the front and turned under. The Hollyday shirt is an example of this. While not a full placket the added piece does add provide for a more secure attachment of the buttons. I believe in his pattern based upon the Hollyday example, Charlie Childs calls that pattern element a placket as well but not having access to the pattern at the moment I cannot confirm. It is noted that typically Military style clothing was not "leading edge" in terms of design. The US issue shirt of the War period is certainly an example of that. The Hollyday shirt as a (likely) example of a CS issue shirt is also hardly the pinnacle of civilian high style either but it does probably mirror what was common working class clothing of the era.

Dick Milstead
The Company of Military Historians

[PrairieSunrise]

Re: Square shirt placket Question

Thanks for the replies. Dick Milstead that is what I was referring too.