Adding pleats to LLBean shirt

[schorsch]

Hi all,

I just ordered a couple LLBean field shirts at the sale price. I had to order the tall, since they were out of large tan in the regular length. This might not be a bad thing...

I was thinking I could go to a tailor/seamstress, and ask him/her to take some of the fabric from the bottom, and add pleats down the front. I can take in pictures from this forum to show what I want.

Has anyone ever done this? How did it work out? Any suggestions?

-jp

[Indiana_Tom]

JAN did this on his LLBean shirt. He bought two of them, so he got enough fabric for the pleats. Contact him via PM or visit www.indianajones.dk

Regards,

Tom

[Hemingway Jones]

It has been done with other shirts as well. Mrs. D did it with Walmart shirts. Usually, it takes two shirts to make one. You need pretty long strips of fabric for the pleats and the epaulets, but it certainly is possible.

Update us on your progress and good luck!

[Swindiana]

Or, if the shirt is big enough, you can make them actual pleats like on the Wested and the MBA shirts. A lot harder, but still possible.

Regards,
Swindiana

[JAN]

As Tom said, I´ve done that.

Brought two and took two stripes from the lower back from one of them.
Quite easy actually, and the result got pretty good, I belive.

Best regards

JAN

[schorsch]

Thanks, guys.

Jan, that shirt looks great, I can't wait for mine! Your site has such great detail about your gear, and making ours look like yours. What size strips did you cut? How wide are the pleats on the finished shirt? Any dimensions you can give would be great.

Your book-binding tutorial has inspired me to make my own grail diary, too!

I've heard such great things about the LLBean shirt, I hope it becomes my full-time adventure shirt.

I'll post some pictures when I get it done.

[JAN]

Thank You for Your nice words - glad You can use some of the things
on my webpage

As for the pleats. On the finshed shirt they are around 3,2cm wide -
that is the same as the premade pleats on the frontpockets.

I cut them 4cm wide and made the inbow(?) ironed them and them
added them to the shirt using needels and then had my wife do the
final sewing on mashine.

The seem goes right through the pockets aswell, so they are
not useable anymore.

As for the LL.Bean-shirt... It is very durable, so no doubt You will love it,
and it will take the beating from many adventures, no doubt!

Hope that helps..

Best regards

JAN

[Starman Jones]

I designed a book jacket for a friend in California. I knew she was an accomplished seamstress, so for payment i had a Cabela's safari shirt drop shipped to her and sent her a picture of an Indy shirt. Here are the results:



Except for the button color I think it makes a pretty decent Raiders shirt.

Starman Jones

[schorsch]

That's awesome, Starman!

I've spent some time dye removing, bleaching, and redying my LLBean, and I've gotten it to a worn look that I'm pleased with. I'm trying to find a seamstress to put on the pleats, and I think I'll bring her (or him) your picture, as well as Jan's.

I'll post some pictures when I'm done.

=jp=

[Starman Jones]

I think the best way to find one is in the yellow pages under Alterations.

Starman

[Skippy]

Sorry to take this slightly off topic, but has anyone contacted LL Bean & tried convincing them to offer the shirt with accurate pleats?


I only ask as with the shirt currently withdrawn & it seems replaced with a BUZZ OFF impregnated version which cannot be shipped outside of the US (I guess because of the BUZZ OFF treatment) I'm thinking of highlighting to LL Bean just wear a significant portion of interest in these shirts comes from & while I'm about it, get them to do the Dress Chinos in Taupe again.

[Bufflehead Jones]

Skippy,

I wish you luck in your endeavor. I tried the same thing talking to someone in customer service on the phone.

They were kind enough to check on what they were going to offer in the future as far as their information went. They said that they did not see the taupe color coming back and I would just have to choose another color.

I guess I just didn't go high enough up their food chain.

[Minnesota Jones]

That's not bad looking Starman, do you mind me asking about what it cost for the alteration?

[Starman Jones]

Minnesota,

That's the best part. It was sort of a barter deal. I designed a book jacket for a friend in California. I usually charge $50 an hour for design work (maybe that's why I don't get much). I had Cabela's ship her the shirt; she had to order another one to get matching material for the pleats, so actually there's about $53 involved in the shirt, just about what you would pay for a WPG. Terri sent the leftover material back to me. I think there's enough to do another shirt. If anyone wants it so they can have their own made, just email me your address and I'll send it to you for free. That'll save someone the cost of a donor shirt.

Starman

[Feraud]

That's not bad looking Starman, do you mind me asking about what it cost for the alteration?

I designed a book jacket for a friend in California. I knew she was an accomplished seamstress, so for payment i had a Cabela's safari shirt drop shipped to her and sent her a picture of an Indy shirt.

It was a swap of services between friends.

The shirt looks good. Starman Jones, you should post a pic of yourself wearing the shirt.

[Jack Flanders]

I personally did this recently to my llbean shirt. I have a sewing machine, AND know how to use it. It's not difficult matching fabric either. I'm quite happy with the results.

[shadwell55]

It appears that the field shirt was NOT discontinued at LL Bean. Search for "field shirt" and it comes up. A lot of the sizes and such are backordered "due to heavier than anticipated desire" for the product.