Betty Draper was my inspiration for this coat. Do you all remember the blue coat she wore in season one, when she was still in love with Don?
A statement coat to be sure! And look at her hair, how it curls under so perfectly! No wonder Don had to have her.
I made my version of her coat from a Butterick pattern from my own extensive (!!) archives. It’s Butterick 5569, a coat pattern designed by The Cut Line that has princess seams and a big collar that gives the style a retro feel.
The fabric is from Mill End, an incredible fabric store here in Portland that has a wool department that beats all. My coat is made from a thick, double-faced wool in black, dotted with flecks of white.
To sharpen the details, I trimmed the coat’s front lapel and collar with piping, then finished it with vintage buttons I found in Stars Antique Mall in Portland.
Because the wool is double-faced, it’s very heavy, so I didn’t want to line the coat because I thought it would be too hot to wear. So, I finished the seams with binding so that they wouldn’t fray, giving the inside of the coat a finished look.
The coat’s comfortable and warm. I even braved the elements and wore it when I visited Anthropologie last week (okay, true confession. I do not make everything I wear, LOL), and I did not feel out of place in my me-made garment, which makes it a win, right?
Soon, it will be so warm here in Portland, I won’t want to wear this coat (says the optimist). But right now, Summer feels years away, so coats are a must.
I love retro fashion, but prefer to sew from modern patterns with their fabulous fit. What about you? Have you used vintage patterns? Good experience or bad?
