Different types of Plackets on clothes (& how to sew them)

A placket is an opening in clothes that allows easy putting on and removal. It is usually used as an opening in necklines, sleeve cuffs, and waistbands of pants and skirts. Sometimes plackets are used solely as a decorative element, especially with embroidery or in contrasting colored fabrics.

In sewing plackets, they should be placed so that they could be very comfortably accessed for fastening and unfastening. 

Do not forget an important rule in placket positioning – In girls’ clothing the right side of placket overlaps the left and in boys’ clothing left side of the placket overlaps the right side.

The common types of fasteners used are Buttons, zippers , hooks and eyes. Plackets for buttons are also called Button stands ( Button plackets).

You can also checkout the related posts on sewing buttons, sewing buttonholes, attaching hooks and eye as well as many ways to stitch zippers to your clothes. 

An important aspect of sewing plackets is to remember to interface the area of plackets. Plackets bear a lot of strain when it is being fastened and unfastened. Buttons and zippers can test the fabric fibers there. So interfacing will share the strain and protect the fabric.

Another important thing is to cut the fabric for making plackets on the grain. This means, no bias cut fabrics or cut on the crosswise grain.

Checkout  more on how to see if the fabric is on grain here

6 Main types of Plackets 

1. Partial  Plackets

These are plackets used on clothes without a full front opening. There is no center seam. One piece of the placket will cover the other projected piece of placket. Two pieces of clothes strips are used to sew this placket.

2. Continuous placket / single piece placket

This is a one piece partial placket.

3. Shirt Plackets

These are plackets used on clothes with a full front opening. In shirt plackets, the selvage end is folded and used as the placket. There is no extra fabric stitched additionally.

Checkout this post on making a front tie shirt for details on making this placket

4. Blouse Plackets

These are plackets that have one extended side placket. This is hidden beneath the garment edge which serves as the other side placket. 

Checkout the tutorial to sew these kind of plackets in the post on sewing a princess cut blouse.

The three tutorials given below are for partial plackets. You need a partial placket for a number of reasons – consider that you have sewn a top but find that your neck is not fitting in – this is a worst case of course – but this is a case when you definitely need a partial placket.

The partial placket is also used as a decorative element, with the placket made in a contrasting or complementing color.

5. Concealed placket

Check out the tutorial for the men’s boxer shorts to know how to sew a concealed button placket.With this placket you will not realise that there is a placket with buttons in the seam from the front of the garment.

6. False placket

Checkout this tutorial and free sewing pattern to sew a flare dress – it has a false placket with a v-neckline. 

Or make something like this on your top if you are lazy like me

How to sew an easy placket with a single facing 

This method is an easy way to sew way and will give you a placket with a measurement – of 1.5 inches wide placket with a length of 6 inches.

Step 1

Find the center fold line of the bodice

Mark a parallel line 2 centimeters to the right on the bodice as you look at it on the right side of the center line. the measurement of the line is 6.5 inches. Mark 1/4 inch from the top edge on the same line. This is marked on the right side for the girl’s bodice and on the left side for the men’s bodice.

Step 2

Prepare the placket facing
1. Cut out placket facing measuring 6 5/8 inch width ( 5/8 translates to 1.5 cms. I find it easier to mark 1.5 cm after I have marked the 6 inches) and 8 3/4 inch length
2. Cut out an interfacing strip 3 inches wide and 7 inches long.

Step 3

Fuse the interfacing to the placket fabric 1″ from the left side edge

Step 4

Mark a line on the center of the interfacing strip, 1/2 inch from the top edge. The line should be 6 inches long.

Mark two lines parallel to this center line on either side 1/16 inches from the center line . These lines should stop 1/4 inch from the bottom end of the center line and join the center in a tapered line

Step 5

Keep the placket facing interfacing side up on the bodice, the placket extending 1/2 inches from the top edge, and the long marked lines aligning correctly. Pin in place.

Step 6

Stitch the placket to the bodice along the parallel lines you have drawn on either side of the center line. When you reach the tapered bottom edge, reduce the stitch length. Be careful that you do not waver from the drawn lines.

Step 7

Cut through the center. Use sharp scissors and stitch to the absolute end but make sure that the stitching line is not cut.

Step 8

Turn the facing to the back of the bodice.
Finger-press everything in place.

Step 9

Fold the placket facing  on the left side, turned inside. Pin in place.

Stitch the placket. This is better done from the top.

The placket will extend a little to the top ( just for safety). You can cut it off on level with the bodice neckline when sewing the neckline.
You can bind the neckline as usual but remember that you will need a little extra binding tape for the placket top also. .

You can bind the neckline as usual but remember that you will need a little extra binding tape for placket top also. Checkout the tutorial for binding with bias tape. 

You can also stitch the edge of the front side of the opening if you want. 

Sew the buttons and buttonholes or hooks and eye along the placket opening. This placket will take 3 buttons.

How to sew a 2 Piece placket ( Kurta Placket)

For the  placket you need

The bodice front piece with neckline already cut
2 strips of cloth

• Length = Length of opening + 2 inch
• Width = 2.5 inches 

STEP 1

Take the wrong side of the bodice. Mark the front opening. Add 1/2 inch to either side . Mark that line. From the bottom edge mark up 1/2 inch . From their join to the left and right edges in a triangular shape as in the picture below. Mark 1/4 inch from the center line to either side  also.

STEP 2

Cut out a strip 1/4 inch to either side of the center line. The diagonal triangle should be cut too.

STEP 3

Cut out the facing pieces. Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of the 2 strips of cloth if you like some thickness. 

STEP 4

Pin one of the  strips to the side of the center line on the right  side of the bodice as in the picture

Stitch them together along the edge with a 1/4 inch seam allowance till the end (the beginning of the diagonal cut). Backstitch. 

STEP 5

Take the other edge of the strip over to the back through the opening and pin in place.

Stitch the edge with all layers together.

STEP 6

Do the same thing for the other side and fabric strip.  

STEP 7

Now Overlap the two bands and take the ends to the back through the opening at the bottom for a square bottom edge. Pin the two bands together at the bottom.

You can take the ends inside through the bottom opening and stitch them together with the triangular piece of the bodice. If you want an extended front placket, just take the back one to the inside and stitch.

You can finish the edges with a zig-zag stitch. On the front side, a small square stitching may be given if it is a kurta.

STEP 8

If you want a classic tower shape at the bottom edge, you will have to manipulate the end of the placket into a tower shape. Cut off 1 inch from the end.

Turn in excess fabric diagonally to the inside. Pin in place.

Now turn in from the other corner also. You will get a tower shape. 

Pin in place.Top stitch the shape in place 

How to sew a continuous placket

The continuous placket is an easy-to-sew placket. It best suits kid’s dresses, sleeve cuff openings.

1. Mark the opening straight down a- b
1/4 inch to either side of the line mark c and d . Mark down to the point b
2. Prepare a strip of fabric of
width = 2.5″ and length = twice the length of the opening a-b
3. Cut open the opening a-b
4. Keep the opening in a straight line as in the picture below
c – b – d should now be a straight line
5. Stitch along the opening with the fabric strip below 1/4 inch from the edge. Please note that at point b the seam allowance tapers to almost nil for the opening. But the 1/4 inch should be the seam allowance throughout for the fabric strip.
6.Press the placket to the other side of the main fabric.
7. Fold the edge of the fabric strip inside 1/4 inch . press in place
8.Fold this edge to cover the seam you have made. Making sure that the stitching line is covered by this placket, stitch in place from the right side. Make sure to stitch close to the edge
you can finish this placket to the outside as well as to the inside
9. If you want the placket inside, stitch diagonally, catching together the two plackets on the wrong side. Stop at the stitching line and do a backstitch.
10. if you want the placket outside, follow the steps as below.

Bring the placket to the front of the garment .
Fold the placket so that one side is lying horizontally away from the other side.
Now bring back the placket up so that a tip is formed at the bottom of the placket – you will have to help the forming of this tip
Stitch around the bottom of the placket in the shape acquired. Now you can proceed to attach buttons and sew the buttonholes in place.

After completing the plackets, you should ensure that they adhere to the following standards.

• The placket is lying flat and it is free from excess bulk.
• It is not looking out of place or very conspicuous unless you intend it to be that way ( decorative placket).

 Sew quick and easy placket 

Step 1

Mark the center line of the placket. Draw two lines 1/8 inch to either side of the center line ; Join it to the end of the center line
Mark the center fold line in the placket as well
Pin the placket facing on top of the right side of the bodice, center lines aligned
( If you are adding thread loops , prepare the thread loops and keep them along the rightside line you have made between the facing and the bodice piece ( for girl’s tops) )
Stitch along the two lines you have marked on either side. The stitching length should be decreased for stitching this. Decrease further as you reach the point at the bottom

Step 2

Cut along the center line. Use a very sharp scissors and cut very carefully till the very tip

Step 3

Turn the facing to the wrong side of the bodice.Press the seam allowance to the facing .

Step 4

Take a strip of fabric 4 inch wide and length equal to the placket opening +1″

Turn inside 1/4 inches from top and bottom and press in place

Step 5

Fold this piece in half. Finish the raw edges of these pieces together with a zig-zag stitch.

Step 6

Stitch this piece on the right side of the bodice, keeping it under the right side of the bodice( for girl’s top)

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