Short Trench Coat
A women's lined short coat, about mid-thigh length, with an asymmetric front: a lapel on the right that can be buttoned up, the collar rising straight up on the left. Vertical single-welt pockets, two-part sleeves with a pleat and a separate tie belt.
When To Wear
- In spring and autumn over dresses, skirts or trousers.
- With the belt tied at the waist, or left open over knitwear.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight, shaped with darts on the front and back, drawn in at the waist by the tie belt.
Length: About mid-thigh.
Collar: Two-piece collar. On the right front the edge steps into a lapel with two buttonholes, so it can be buttoned across; on the left the front edge and collar are faced in one line and stand up.
Closure: Four buttons, buttonholes on the right front; front edges, lapel and collar topstitched 1 cm from the edge. Lapel roll line stayed with 1 cm fusible tape.
Pockets: Vertical single-welt pockets on the fronts, with a lining-fabric pocket bag on the welt side.
Sleeves: Set-in sleeves cut across into an upper and a lower part; the lower part has a pleat. The hem is finished with a sleeve facing; shoulder pads.
Back: One piece with darts, no centre back seam.
Waist: Separate tie belt, topstitched 0.5 cm from the edge.
Lining: Full lining attached to the front facings, back neck facing and sleeve facings; the lining hem is double-folded and topstitched separately.
Level Of Difficulty
Advanced. Welt pockets, a collar and lapel faced differently on the right and left fronts, a stayed roll line, set-in sleeves with shoulder pads and a full lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Raincoat fabrics from natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, welts, back neck facing, upper collar, armhole edges, pocket area, roll-line tape)
- 4 buttons
- Shoulder pads
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, they include seam allowances. If the contour is single, the patterns do not include seam allowances. Seam allowances: all seams 1 cm. Hem allowance for the bottom of the garment 3.5 cm, for pocket bag and welt edges — 2 cm. Attention! First, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can be from 90 cm to 150 cm) to determine how much material you will need (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces).
- From main fabric:
- Front – 2 pieces
- Back – 1 piece
- Upper Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Sleeve Facing – 2 pieces
- Off-Set Welt – 2 pieces
- Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Waistband (tie belt) – 1 piece
- Big Pocket Bag – 2 pieces
- From lining fabric:
- Front – 2 pieces
- Back – 1 piece
- Sleeve Lining – 2 pieces
- Smaller Pocket Bag – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Center Front Facing, Off-Set Welt, Back Neckline Facing, upper Collar.
Attention: the lining Front and Back are cut from the main Front and Back patterns, minus the width of the Center Front Facing and Back Neckline Facing respectively.
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match! Attention: Side seams of the garment are overlocked from the waist to the bottom.
- Fuse interfacing to the Center Front Facings, Back Neckline Facing, upper Collar and the armhole edges of the Front and Back. Fuse the pocket area on the Front. Along the lapel roll line on the Front, apply a 1 cm wide straight-grain stay tape cut from fusible interfacing.
- Stitch the back darts and press them towards the center. Stitch and press the front darts.
- Mark the pocket placement. Press the Off-Set Welt in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. Stitch the Smaller Pocket Bag to the inner side of the welt. Stitch the welt to the Front along the lower pocket marking line. Stitch the Big Pocket Bag to the Front along the upper pocket marking line. The ends of the stitches should finish at the short marking lines. Cut the pocket opening. At a distance of 1-1.5 cm from the end of the pocket, make diagonal cuts. Turn the welt and the Big Pocket Bag through the opening to the wrong side. Secure the pocket ends from the wrong side with a double backstitch at the base of the corners. Stitch the pocket bags together around the edges.
- Stitch and press open shoulder and side seams.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the Back Neckline Facing and Center Front Facings. Press the seams open.
- Place the Collar pieces right sides together. Stitch the right end of the collar from notch “0” to the upper edge. Trim the seam. Clip the allowance at the mark near the beginning of the seam. Turn the collar right side out and press. Attach the upper collar to the neckline of the back and front.
- Place the right Center Front Facing on the Front, right sides together, and stitch the right front edge and the lapel step. Understitch the seam allowance onto the facing from the hem up to the notch, 0.2 cm from the seam. Stitch the lower edge of the facing to the Front exactly along the marked hemline, stopping 1.5 cm short of the inner edge of the facing. Trim the seam of the lower front corner. Clip the neckline allowance at the lapel step mark. Turn the front edge right side out and straighten the seams. Stitch the under collar to the neckline of the Back Neckline Facing and Center Front Facings. Press the seam open.
- Place the left Center Front Facing on the Front, right sides together, and stitch the left front edge and the collar. Understitch the seam allowance onto the facing from the hem up to the notch, 0.2 cm from the seam. Stitch the lower edge of the facing to the Front exactly along the marked hemline, stopping 1.5 cm short of the inner edge of the facing. Trim the seam of the lower front corner. Press the collar and front edges. Stitch the upper and under collar seam allowances together along the neckline seam. Topstitch 1 cm from the edge along the front edges, lapel and collar.
- Fold the pleat on the Lower Sleeve. Join the Upper Sleeve and Lower Sleeve. Stitch the sleeve seam. Join the Sleeve Facing into a ring. Stitch it to the sleeve hem, turn it to the wrong side and press the hem. Set the sleeves into the armholes, matching the notches. Attach the shoulder pads.
- Overlock and press up the hem allowance for the bottom of the garment.
- Sew the lining pieces together and set in the Sleeve Linings. Double-fold the lining hem by 1 cm and topstitch.
- Stitch the lining to the inner edges of the Center Front Facings and Back Neckline Facing. Stitch the Sleeve Lining to the upper edge of the Sleeve Facing.
- Fold the Waistband (tie belt) in half lengthwise right sides together and stitch, leaving an opening. Turn the belt right side out through the opening and sew it closed. Topstitch along the contour 0.5 cm from the edge.
- Make the buttonholes on the right Front and sew on the buttons to match.
