Fixing the shirt

After my first fitting it was clear that there would need to be some major changes to the shirt. Resetting the sleeve was not too difficult, however the biggest challenge was taking it in the front. Because of the button stand something drastic was going to have to happen. After talking to my tutor there were a few options. We could have left the button stand in and created a pleat that fanned out at the bottom of the button stand, we could take the button stand off and move it over which would also create a pleat at the bottom of the button stand, or we could try and creatively use the fabric left to make a new front. In some ways doing something like that seemed to have a greater opportunity for disaster and the potential to take a lot of time. At this point I didn't want to spend a lot of time trying to fix something that could be more quickly completely re-done. I was getting nervous about time because I knew I would need a couple days to break things down. After talking to my tutor we decided our best bet would be to do a full length button stand. It was such a simple solution but it made sense. I went to do some research to see if it would fit with the period, but I did already know that it would fit in with Rose's design, which was an added bonus.
Research: 

Oliver, J. (e.d.). (1995). Everyday Fashions 1909-1920 As Pictured in Sears Catalog. New York: Dover Publications

Cariou, G. Shep, R.L. (1999). Shirts and Men’s Haberdashery: 1840-1920’s. California: R.L.Shep Productions.

Cariou, G. Shep, R.L. (1999). Shirts and Men’s Haberdashery: 1840-1920’s. California: R.L.Shep Productions.

All of these images just reinforced the idea to put in a full length button stand.

Reflection: I feel that putting in a full length button stand is the best of all possible solutions. It is completing  Rose's design more exactly. And to look at it critically, it probably won't make too much of a difference in it's appearance. The button stand on it now is so long, and the Actor's trousers sit above his waist that there isn't much room between where the button stand ends now and where the tops of his trousers begin. The shirt might even sit better or more flat with the stand tucked in. It will hopefully make things a little quicker for me rather than having to work out how to take out fabric without ruining the button stand; and there is plenty of fabric to make a full length stand. With historical research to back me up, I feel like this is the best possible solution.