If you don’t remember my first Tom James review here, I don’t blame you. It was almost a year ago. When I finally got around to picking it up this past summer, I hung it in a closet and forgot about it until last Friday, when I needed a clean shirt. I put it on . . . and liked it! Below are comparisons between their first and second attempts.

I’m impressed that they managed a flattering fit with just one waist dart and no bust darts! Also, I’ve learned my lesson: stop trying to have a shirt that can be worn both out and in. When I order made-to-measure shirts that way, they always end up too short (see where else I learned this here).

This shirt gets about a 1 on the Gap-O-Meter–there’s not even enough gaping for me to worry about pinning it.  Victoria told me that they have since discovered that women’s shirts should have no more than 2 inches between buttons.  My Tom James shirt has 3 1/2 inches between buttons, so the fact that there’s so little gaping means they gave me enough fabric for my bust.

Unfortunately, they gave me too much fabric for the length of my back again.  Oh well.  At least the back waist darts are deeper so it has a little more shape.

I write about two more neat features and give my final verdict after the jump.
First, check out my very own personalized care label!

Second, the collars contain removable stays!  According to my Seams and Finishes instructor at FIT, this is the feature of a top quality shirt.  He insisted that even women’s shirts should have them, but don’t look for them in my Campbell & Kate shirts.  They’re not important to me.  If you know a woman who cares about this detail, please educate me!

Ultimately, my Tom James shirt feels like a man’s shirt adapted slightly for a woman.  It’s very practical, and I like it, but I don’t love it.  I’m still trying to put my finger on why.  Any thoughts?

I bought this shirt through their annual sale in 2009, so it was an excellent deal.  I’m waiting for Victoria to get back to me on regular pricing and minimums required.