Practices: Draping | Commercial Patterning | Pattern Matching

Style/Era: ~Early 1800s

This was my first solo tailoring project to construct a regency double breasted tailcoat for the actor playing Mr. Bennet. Following a commercial pattern and making custom adjustments, I was able to make a mockup that very nicely fit the actor and just needed adjustments in the hem and cuffs, and space for padding in the shoulders. In the making of the garment, I felt proud of the results while being able to recognize areas I could improve such as the pressing of the seams, spread of shoulder gathering, buttonhole accuracy, and positioning of my chainstitches in the collar.

Points in which I was challenged:

• The lightness of the fashion fabric and lining.

  • The fashion fabric and lining were both of a lighter material and as a result needed a little more structure combining iron interfacing and horsehair to give the tailcoat structure.

• Closure in the vent of the tail where the lining and fashion fabric meet.

  • I had to fiddle with a mixture of machine stitching and hand sewing to get the vent to lay flat and not show any lining from the outside because I believe the fashion fabric's seam allowance had been cut a little small.