Designing The Classic Coat

I once read that French women invest in more coats than rest of us as they know the importance of making a good first impression. So every autumn I reassess my coat situation and this year I knew I’d want a double breasted overcoat.

A double breasted coat can sometimes swamp the wearer with the excess fabric of the double front. So I decided upon a slimmer body fit than The Unlined Raw-edged Coat with a neater shoulder. The overlap of the fronts is not so extensive that the coat can’t be worn undone for a nonchalant look when required.

As is traditional on a double breasted coat only the outer two buttons and buttonholes are functioning. An additional smaller functioning button is placed behind the top non-functioning button to keep the coat hanging properly when worn. On the cuffs, the buttons on the vent are non-functioning but add a distinctive detail.

I decided welt pockets would suit this style best; the angle of the pockets is placed so that its easy to slip one’s hands in for warmth on a chilly day.

However, I’m aware that these take some skill and for a less experienced maker may be off-putting so patch pockets have been included in the pattern.

At the back a long vent is included for ease of movement. This also means that this coat style can be lengthened to ankle length if required.

During fittings of the double breasted coat it then occurred to me that the pattern could include a single breasted coat option with the same body fit. However due to the amount of paper required for a coat pattern the two fronts have been laid one on top of the other. I advise cutting the double breasted pattern pieces and either tracing off the line of the single breasted front or carefully folding back the pattern paper along the front line.

Once the coats were designed it was a question of what to call the pattern and Classic Coat summed it up!