Plackets

 

What Is A Placket?

A placket is part of a garment that fasteners such as buttons and buttonholes may be attached to.  Plackets are usually fused for strength.

Plackets may be uncovered or covered.

You could say a placket is used to help you put on or take off garments.

You can have plackets in woven or knit fabrics.

There are three main types of plackets; Bodice plackets, Sleeve plackets and Zip Plackets.

Video Tutorial coming soon...

More About Plackets

Zip Plackets

Zip plackets may be designed to be placed on Jean or Trouser fly's.  The placket covers the zip or button opening.  These are known as fly plackets.

 

Bodice Plackets

A placket is essentially a band and is used at the neckline or centre front of shirts, blouses or dresses.  Plackets can be a whole placket - such as seen on shirt or blouse fronts that button from neck to hem, or semi (half) plackets - often seen on polo shirts.  

Full length plackets on bodices such as blouses can be pattern made grown on, and either folded inwards or outwards, or they may be sewn-on. 

Bodices can have a false fly front placket to hide the button fastenings similar to a zip placket

 

Sleeve Plackets

Another type of plackets is seen on  shirt sleeve cuffs.  For shirt sleeve plackets, the design of the placket can change in length, width, and the fixed end (top) of the placket - for cuffs - can be straight, a triangle or a rectangular shape.  Stitching detail on the placket can be altered for design effect also. Sleeve plackets are either pattern made continuous or tailored. Sleeve plackets can also be used for neckline openings

 

Hint:

To place buttons and buttonholes on a shirt or blouse placket, remember for womenswear right over left as you wear it, for menswear left over right as you wear it. This means for womenswear buttons are sewn on the left hand side as you wear it, buttonholes are made on the right hand side as you wear it

How To Sew A Centre Front Bodice Half Placket

There are two ways of sewing these

Knit Fabric Half Placket

This is a one piece placket

1. Fuse the placket piece

2. Overlock

3. RS together, place the placket in position on the placement line

4. Starting at the neck edge, stitch down the side of the placement line in a 1cm - 3/8" seam

5. Repeat for the other side of the line.  Remember to stitch to 1cm past the end of the line - treat it like a drill hole mark 

6. Cut down the placement line and angle cut into the corners, ensuring you do not cut the stitching.

7. Turn the placket piece through to the WS

8. Fold the placket to create pleats.  They should be 2cm wide - 3/4"

9.  Lap one over the other (R over L for womenswear, L over R for menswear as you wear it)

10. RS up, lift up the front and ensure the triangle is facing down, then stitch across the end of the placket underneath to secure the triangles between the garment and the placket.

11. Stitch the sides of the placket with a topstitch to secure OR fold back the garment and attach the placket to the original line of stitches.

Half Placket (Woven's)

1. Fuse half the placket lengthwise.

2. Press WS together lengthwise

3. RS together, position the plackets on the marked opening sides - (raw edges together).  The plackets are longer than the opening, so should match at the neck edge stitching line.

4. Stitch on the WS from the neckline to 1cm - 3/8" past the opening. Angle clip to the end of the stitching.

5. RS up, lift up the front, square off the ends, and stitch the bottom of the placket to the triangle

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