Double-Breasted Notched Collar Coat Dress
A women's coat dress below the knee, double-breasted, with a notched collar and lapels, front princess seams and in-seam pockets set into a horizontal seam on the front. Long sleeves with a buttoned dart at the hem; the dress body is lined.
When To Wear
- As a dress for the office, meetings and daytime events in autumn and winter.
- Buttoned up with tights and closed shoes, without a coat in mild weather.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted, shaped by front princess seams with a small dart and by darts at the back.
Length: Below the knee.
Collar: Notched collar with lapels, turned along the roll line.
Closure: Double-breasted, 4 buttonholes on the right front and an inner fastening with a flat button on the left front.
Pockets: In-seam pockets in the horizontal seam between the centre front and the side front, with lining pocket bags.
Sleeves: One-piece set-in sleeves with a dart at the hem held by buttons.
Back: Centre back seam and darts.
Finishing: Centre front facings; lapels lightly pressed along the roll line.
Lining: Fronts and back lined, the lining caught in the armhole seam; the sleeves are not lined.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Pockets in a horizontal front seam, a notched collar set between dress and facings, a double-breasted fastening with an inner button, lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Medium-weight woven fabrics with body: wool suiting, wool crepe, gabardine, flannel, fine boucle.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric (fronts, back, pocket bags)
- Fusible interfacing (centre front facings, collar)
- Buttons for the front and sleeves
- 1 flat button for the inner fastening
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Center Front – 2 pieces
- Side Front – 2 pieces
- Back – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- From lining:
- Front – 2 pieces
- Back – 2 pieces
- Pocket Bag – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Collar – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
- Front princess seams and pockets: Place the pocket bag on the center front, right sides together, and stitch between the pocket opening notches.
- Clip the seam allowances of the center front to the ends of the stitching. Turn the pocket bag to the wrong side and press the pocket opening.
- Stitch the horizontal seam on the front pieces, clipping the allowance at the dart.
- From the wrong side, stitch the pocket bags together.
- Stitch the front princess seam and, without breaking the stitching, stitch the small dart.
- Stitch the center back seam and the darts, then the side and shoulder seams.
- Lining: Stitch the darts, the center back seam and the side seams.
- Stitch the center front facings to the lining fronts. Stitch the shoulder seams.
- Stitch the under collar into the dress neckline up to the notch. Stitch the upper collar to the facings and lining neckline, clipping the seam allowances to the corner of the notch. Press the seam allowances open.
- Place the upper collar and facings on the dress, right sides together. Stitch the front edges, lapels and outer edges of the collar up to the notch.
- Turn the collar right side out and turn the facings to the wrong side.
- From the wrong side, stitch together the neckline seam allowances of the upper and under collar between the shoulder seams. Baste the lining to the armholes.
- Hem the dress and the lining. Slipstitch the facings to the hem.
- Sleeves: Stitch the dart and the sleeve seam, hem the sleeves and set them in, catching the lining in the armhole seam.
- Make 4 buttonholes on the right front. On the left front, make the top buttonhole for the flat button of the inner fastening.
- Sew the buttons to both fronts and the sleeves as marked. When sewing the top button on the right front, catch the flat button on the wrong side; on the sleeves, catch the dart.
- Turn the lapels to the right side along the roll line and lightly press the roll line.
