…Love Notions Camp Style Shirt Patterns For Ladies and Men!
***EDITED 9/2025 with additional photos and information on fabrics and drape!
I am sooooo excited about this pattern from Love Notions! I was lucky to be able to test both the Ladies and Men’s versions of the Band Camp Shirt. It’s a great pattern to sew up for the end of summer yet takes you through the transition into cooler weather and beyond! I know I say this quite often but, you really NEED this pattern! It was a very satisfying sew, and much simpler to make than a traditional collared shirt due to its attached facing construction. So if you’ve been afraid to sew up a collared shirt, this is a pattern for YOU! I see a set of matching or coordinating shirts in our future!
Both the Ladies and Men’s Band Camp Shirt patterns are the Feature Friday $6 pattern today, 9/26/2025 . Regular price is $12.50. You can use my code 10MARYMAC for an additional 10% off.
What Exactly Is A Camp Shirt?
A camp collar shirt is a short-sleeve, button-down shirt that is characterized by its open, unstructured, lay-flat collar (called a camp collar) that creates a lower-cut v-neck; this relaxed collar is part of what distinguishes it from a short-sleeve dress shirt which buttons up higher and sports a stand-up collar.
Ladies Band Camp Shirt
The Details
The Ladies Band Camp shirt is a collared button down shirt. It has a simplified collar construction with the facing attached to the front. It is constructed much like the Melody Dolman~ the main difference is that the Band Camp shirt has a set in sleeve. The Band Camp makes a great staple for your wardrobe. Sewn with different options and a variety of fabrics, you can achieve many different looks!
- Three Sleeve Options: Sleeveless, Short Sleeved with cuff, Long sleeves
- Two back Options: Plain or Yoked
- Two Pocket Options: Plain and Cargo Pocket with (or without) flap
- Optional Roll Up Tabs for long and short sleeves
- Split Hem
- Bust Dart Only for Full Bust Sizing
- Endless Combinations To Create by mixing and matching all the options!
- Quick Sew
- Skill Level: Confident Beginner to Intermediate, the buttonholes may be challenging if you haven’t made them before.
Sizing and Fit
The Ladies Band Camp Shirt is available in sizes XS-5X. A Full Bust pattern piece is included (like all new and updated LN patterns). Choose your shirt size based upon your high bust measurement. If in-between sizes choose the smaller size.
If your full bust is more than 4″ larger than your high bust, use the included Full Bust Front pattern piece. Remember that if you use the full bust pattern pieces, 2″ will be added to the Finished Measurements of the waist and hip.
The Band Camp Shirt is designed to have a relaxed boxy fit. It is meant to hit at the high hip on the average 5’5″ woman.
The blue leaf print shirt above is made from a textured rayon blend shirting. This fabric has a crisp hand and a bit “stiffer” drape. Your fabric choice will play a big role in the way your Band Camp shirt looks when wore. This fabric was from my Style Maker Fabrics stash.
My Sizing Alterations and Modifications
For all my versions of the Bank Camp Shirt I made an XL with the Full bust piece graded out to a 2X for my hips. This is exactly where my measurements fall on the sizing chart. My high bust is 40″ while my full bust is 45″.
I am only 5 feet tall, but I typically don’t shorten Love Notions patterns. All of my versions are made in the designed length, so they may appear a tad longer on me.
The Band Camp Shirt below is made from a rayon linen blend. You can see how this version fits differently since the fabric has much more drape than my other versions. I think if I make another version is rayon, I may size down through the shoulders. This fabric is from Kashi at Metro Textiles in the NYC Garment District. You can purchase this fabric here.
Men’s Band Camp Shirt
The Details
What exactly is a CampShirt? A camp shirt, also known as a cabin shirt, Cuban collar shirt, cabana shirt, and lounge shirt, is a loose, straight-cut, woven, short-sleeved button-front shirt with a simple placket. Well the Band Camp Shirt is all that and much more! Look at all the options!
- Two Front Options: Plain or Colorblocked
- Two Back Options: Plain or Yoke with Pleat
- Two Sleeve Options: Short with Cuff or Long
- Optional Tabs for both Long or Short Sleeve
- Two Pocket Options: Plain or Cargo with Flap
- Split Hem
- Endless Combinations to Make by Combining Options Differently!
- Skill Level: Confident Beginner to Intermediate
Note: The Colorblocking option can create so many different looks. You can choose just the side panels like I did, or opt for the front panels and color. The combinations are endless! Be sure to check out all the tester photos on the pattern listing and on the Facebook Group.
Sizing and Fit
The Men’s Band Camp Shirt is available in sizes XS to 5X. Choose your size based on the chest measurement. If between sizes, choose the smaller size. As always, check the finished garment measurements chart to help you. Using the chest measurement to select your size helps to get a good fit at the neck and shoulders. If needed, grade out for a larger waist or hips.
The Men’s Band Camp Shirt, like the Ladies, is designed to have a relaxed boxier fit It is drafted for the average 5’8″ man. It is meant to hit between the high and full hip.
Sizing For Mr. Sew Mary Mac
I made a size Large for my husband. His chest measures 43″ which falls exactly in a size L. His waist is 37″ and his hips are just 38″. His hips are smaller than a size Large, but I did not grade smaller for him. My husband is 5’8″~ so I did not take make any changes to the length of the body of the shirt. If I make him another one (which I most likely will), I may shorten the sleeve just a tad which is just a personal preference of his.
Mr. Sew Mary Mac AKA ~ Bill’s shirt was made from 100% linen. I let him pick his fabric from my linen stash. You can see that this makes a shirt that is crisp and boxy. This linen was from my favorite source for linen, Grayline Linens in the Garment District in NYC.
Fabrics and Notions (Ladies and Mens)
The Band Camp Shirts are designed for woven fabrics. Light to medium weight apparel woven such as linen, chambray, rayon and shirtings. More specifically fabrics such as these would all work perfectly:
- Double gauze
- Seersucker
- Rayon challis (will result in a drapier look)
- Rayon Crepe
- Rayon crinkle(will result in a drapier look)
- Cotton or rayon poplin
- Cotton or rayon voile
- Lightweight linens
- Madras plaid
- Lightweight twill
- Quilter’s Cotton ( will result in a very boxy look)
Notions
- Thread
- Light-weight fusible interfacing
- 6-10 buttons depending upon View you choose to sew.
Fabric and Drape
Depending on what fabric you choose, the Band Camp shirt can have a very different look. Different fabrics have different amounts of drape thus affecting the look of the shirt. Many different fabrics work for the Band Camp shirt~ they will just give you a different look. I’ve yet to make one in Rayon Challis (most drape of all) and I do plan on making one one of this days! (I’ll add photos when I do!)
What is drape? Drape is how a fabric falls, folds and hangs when made into a garment. Different fabrics will have different degrees of drape ranging from fluid and flowing to stiff and structured.
Drape influences the overall look of a garment. The fiber content, weave structure and fabric weight all play a part in how a fabric drapes.The drape of a fabric can affect the overall silhouette of the intended design.
Fabrics with more drape such as rayons, poly and/or rayon crepes and some rayon/linen blends will give the band camp a softer more flowy fit and look a tad dressier. My stretch crepe and rayon linen versions below show this.
Fabrics with less drape, such as cotton voile, and double gauze will give the Band Camp a boxier look. See the pink gauze and cotton voile versions below.
And lastly, fabric with very little drape, or fabrics that drape away from the body such a midweight linens and cottons will look even more structured. See my linen and cotton versions below. I feel these Band Camp shirts looks best worn untucked. Notice how the shirt slightly stands out from the bust down on me. This is because these fabrics don’t have as much drape. (This in fact makes this fabric a great choice for hot and humid weather!)
Want to read more about drape? I did an experiment with drape and the LN Timbre Top for a blog post on the Raspberry Creek Fabrics blog. You can read that blog post HERE.
Sew Mary Mac’s Tips For Sewing the Band Camp Shirt
- Be sure to transfer ALL makings on the neckline and collar pieces accurately. These are important to construct the collar and facing correctly.
- Do NOT skip the staying stitching on the curved neckline edges. I like to do this step immediately after cutting out my fabric. The more cut fabric pieces are handled, the more likely they will stretch and distort. If this happens you collar may not fit properly. This is especially important with this type of collar/facing construction.
- When sewing the shirt fronts to the shirt back, be sure to press the shoulder seams towards the FRONT( not to the back like you typically would do).
- Finish the sides seams of the front and back BEFORE sewing them together.
- When sewing any type of shirt with cuffs, I prefer to construct the sleeve completely before attaching the sleeve to the garment. It is much easier to handle this way.
- *For the Sleeveless version: Try your shirt on before attaching the bias tape. Check the underarm to make sure it will cover your undergarments. I often take in the side seam right at the underarm. Make any adjustments before attaching the bias tape.
- If sewing the Band Camp Shirt is a lighter weight fabric such as rayon challis, interface both collar pieces.
- Remember that the button/buttonhole placement guide is that~ just a guide. I always try on my shirt first, and mark where I want the button at the bustline and then work up and down from that point. This helps to prevent gaping at the bust.
Below are photos of my very first tester version. There were a few changes made to the pattern, but I still love this and wear this one. This is made from a cotton poplin I had printed at Raspberry Creek Fabrics. I think this fabric is PERFECT for this pattern! Changes made during testing were to trim down the armsyce and lower the bust dart (on the full bust version). I know I will make several more sleeveless versions next summer!
Thanks for stopping by! I truly appreciate all of you that visit! If you enjoyed this blog post, consider subscribing to my blog to stay up to date with all my posts!
Mary Anne 🙂
Remember to follow me over on Instagram to see all my latest makes! @sewmarymac
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You can grab the Ladies Band Camp Shirt HERE.
You can grab the Men’s Band Camp Shirt HERE.
These are an affiliate links. It costs you nothing to purchase from this link, it just helps fund my fabric addiction which allows me to test and review more patterns.
To receive an additional 10% off the pattern price, use this coupon code 10MARYMAC This coupon code can be used at anytime on any pattern….even a $6 Feature Friday pattern. My code does change quarterly, so please always check the newest blog post for an update if you find a code isn’t working. My code will be changing October 1, 2025.
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