Jacket with Asymmetric Concealed Closure
A women's hip-length fitted jacket with a horizontal waist seam front and back, an off-centre front edge with a concealed button closure, a notched collar and framed (double-welt) pockets. Two-piece set-in sleeves; fully lined.
When To Wear
- With trousers or a straight skirt for office wear in autumn and spring.
- Over a fine knit or a blouse with jeans for daytime.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted at the waist, flaring slightly over the hips below the waist seam.
Length: Hip length.
Collar: Notched collar with lapels; the under collar is set into the jacket neckline and the upper collar into the facing neckline.
Front: Upper and lower fronts joined at the waist, with vertical darts above and below the seam. The front edge is shifted off centre.
Closure: Concealed buttoned fly: a framed opening is made in the front facing, and the buttons are sewn to the left front.
Sleeves: Two-piece set-in sleeves, eased into the armholes.
Pockets: Framed (double-welt) pockets without flaps on the lower fronts, below the waist seam.
Back: Upper and lower back joined at the waist, centre back seam, vertical darts.
Finishing: Shoulder pads.
Lining: Full lining with darts, sewn to the sleeve hems, front facings and back neckline facing.
Level Of Difficulty
Advanced. Framed welt pockets, a concealed fly closure made as a framed opening in the facing, a notched collar set between jacket and facing, a waist seam crossed by darts, and a full lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Medium-weight woven fabrics with body: wool suiting, gabardine, wool blends.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric (also for the pocket bags and the fly facings)
- Fusible interfacing (fronts, front facings, back neckline facing, 4 cm strips over the pocket markings)
- Buttons for the concealed closure
- Shoulder pads
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Lower Back – 2 pieces
- Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece on the fold
- Upper Front – 2 pieces
- Lower Front – 2 pieces
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Upper Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Lower Pocket Frame – 4 pieces
- From lining:
- Back lining – 2 pieces
- Front lining – 2 pieces
- Upper Sleeve lining – 2 pieces
- Lower Sleeve lining – 2 pieces
- Upper Pocket Bag Of Lower Pocket – 2 pieces
- Lower Pocket Bag Of Lower Pocket – 2 pieces
- Facing Of Hidden Button Placket – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Center Front Facing, Back Neckline Facing, Upper Front and Lower Front pieces; plus strips about 4 cm wide over the pocket markings.
Sewing Instructions
- Stitch the darts on the upper and lower back and front pieces. Join the upper and lower back pieces and the upper and lower front pieces. Stitch the center back seam.
- On the fronts, make the double-welt (framed) pockets: On the wrong side of the front, press a strip of fusible interfacing approximately 4 cm wide over the pocket marking. Place two Lower Pocket Frame pieces right sides together with the front, pin along the pocket opening marking, and stitch, ensuring that the long raw edges of the frames align with the center line of the pocket marking. Cut the front along the line between the stitches, diagonally towards the ends of the stitches. Be careful not to cut the frames! Press the seam allowances open. Turn the frames through the opening to the wrong side to form a neat frame (welts), and baste. From the wrong side of the front, place the Lower Pocket Bag Of Lower Pocket on the lower frame, pointing upwards, and from the right side stitch in the ditch of the lower frame seam, catching the pocket bag. Press the pocket bag downwards. Fold under one long edge of the pocket facing strip and topstitch it onto the Upper Pocket Bag Of Lower Pocket. From the wrong side of the front, place this second pocket bag over the pocket and from the right side stitch in the ditch of the upper frame seam. Turn the small triangles at the ends of the opening to the wrong side and stitch them to the frames precisely from the ends of the upper stitching to the ends of the lower stitching. Trim the pocket bags evenly and stitch them together.
- In the same way, make the framed opening of the concealed (fly) button closure on the Center Front Facing, using the Facing Of Hidden Button Placket pieces.
- Stitch shoulder and side seams.
- Place the Center Front Facings right sides together with the fronts, pin along the front edges and stitch the front edges. Stitch the shoulder seams joining the front facings and the back neckline facing.
- Stitch the two collar pieces together along the outer edge and ends, turn and press. Stitch the under collar into the jacket neckline and the upper collar into the facing neckline. Press the seam allowances open. From the inside, stitch together the pressed-open allowances of the under collar seam and the facing neckline seam.
- Hem the bottom of the jacket.
- Complete the sleeve seams. Set the sleeves into the jacket armholes, easing the sleeve caps.
- Attach shoulder pads.
- Stitch darts on the back and front lining, stitch the lining pieces together. Attach the lining to the lower edges of the sleeves, the inner edges of the front facings and the back neckline facing. Hem the lining.
- Sew buttons to the left front.
