Sketch an image of how you want the shirt to look like, point collar or spread collar, presence and length of a tail, number, and type of buttons and cuffs.
Take the necessary measurements of your upper body, shoulder width, chest breadth, length of sleeves, wrist width, and the length of your torso. Ask someone to take the measurements for you as you stand still to ensure accuracy. A man's long button shirt is longer than usual, almost having a tail.
Acquire a sewing shirt pattern from your local tailor or order from a reliable tailoring company for example KWIK,SEW patterns or McCalls. Sewing patterns come in various shirt sizes and with a set of instructions on how to cut the fabric. Alternatively, spread a shirt that you wear on to the fabric and trace out the shape for a makeshift pattern.
Place the fabric on a surface and using the shirt pattern cut out the parts of a shirt, sleeves, collar, the front, and the back. Cut out the shape of the shirt in two's; the front and the back, in case you are using your shirt as a makeshift pattern.
Mark out a stitching line along the edge of your fabric to create a seam using the fabric pencil. Sewing patterns provide illustrations for these markings. Give an allowance of 1/2 an inch from the edge of the fabric on your makeshift pattern and draw an outline using a dotted line.
Stitch along the dotted lines to join the shirt parts. Sew the sleeves and collar, attach them to the shirt by stitching along those lines. Cut the front piece fabric into two to create buttonholes in the case of the makeshift pattern.
Mark out positions that you will place the buttons. Buttons run from the top part of the shirt to the bottom in a long button shirt. The extra length makes the long button shirt different from other shirts.
Place the buttons on the left side of the shirt, this is specific to male shirts only. Create incisions on corresponding positions on the right side of the shirt as buttonholes.
Cut off any excess material and threads to give the shirt a finish. Place additions such as cuffs and breast pockets according to preference. Make a cut at the end of the sleeve about 4 inches, create flaps on both sides and stitch it up. Create incisions using the pair of scissors on one flap. This allows you to put in cufflinks.