Double-Breasted Peacoat
A women's knee-length double-breasted coat shaped by princess seams at the front and back, with a notched collar, welt pockets set into the front princess seams and a buttoned half-belt at the back. Fully lined, with back vents.
When To Wear
- In autumn and winter over dresses, skirts and trousers.
- For work and city wear, made up in velour or a soft napped coating.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted through the waist by princess seams running from the armholes, widening towards the hem.
Length: Around the knee.
Collar: Notched collar with lapels; the under collar is interfaced and set into the coat neckline, the upper collar into the facings.
Closure: Double-breasted, eight buttons in four pairs, with buttonholes on the right front; separate front facings.
Sleeves: Two-piece set-in sleeves with a shaped elbow seam and a vent at the hem; shoulder pads and sleeve head rolls.
Pockets: In-seam pockets in the front princess seams at hip level, finished with rounded off-set welts topstitched at both ends to the side front.
Back: Centre back and side back panels joined by princess seams that open into vents at the hem. A half-belt with two buttons sits at the waist, with a row of decorative buttons along each back princess seam below it.
Finishing: Front edge seam understitched 0.2 cm from the seam; shoulder and side seams pressed open.
Lining: Full lining, cut around the back vents and stitched to the vent edges; pocket bags from lining fabric.
Level Of Difficulty
Advanced. Welt pockets set into princess seams, back vents with lining cut and stitched around them, two-piece sleeves with vents, a notched collar and many buttonholes.
Fabric Recommendations
Velour or coating fabrics with a soft nap.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, centre fronts, upper centre back, side back armholes, sleeve vents, under collar, welts, back vents, hem allowances)
- 16 buttons
- Shoulder pads and sleeve head rolls
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Center Back – 1 piece
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Lower Collar – 1 piece
- Upper Collar – 1 piece
- Side Front – 2 pieces
- Center Front – 2 pieces
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Off-Set Welt – 4 pieces
- Waistband (half-belt) – 2 pieces
- Upper Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
- From lining fabric:
- Center Back – 1 piece
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Side Front – 2 pieces
- Center Front – 2 pieces
- Pocket Bag – 4 pieces
- Upper Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Center Front Facing, Center Front, upper part of the Center Back, armhole area of the Side Back, sleeve vent area, Lower Collar, Off-Set Welt, back vent area; hem allowances of the Side Back, Center Back, Upper Sleeve, Lower Sleeve and Side Front.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Center Front Facing, Center Front, upper part of the Center Back, armhole area of the Side Back, sleeve vent area, Lower Collar, Off-Set Welt and back vent area, and to the hem allowances of the Side Back, Center Back, Upper Sleeve, Lower Sleeve and Side Front.
- Place the upper collar and lower collar right sides together and stitch around the outer edges. Trim and turn out the collar corners.
- Place the Center Front Facing on the right side of the front, right side down, pin and stitch along the front edge, from the hem up to the notch marking the end of the collar seam. Stitch the lower edges of the facings to the front strictly along the marked hemline. Trim the seams of the upper and lower edges. Understitch the front edge seam allowance 0.2 cm from the seam: onto the facing along the closure, and onto the front along the lapel. Turn the edges to the right side, straighten the seams.
- Place the Off-Set Welt pieces together in pairs, right sides together, and stitch along the outer contour. Trim the seam allowance of the rounded corners and turn out. Press the welt, rolling the seam slightly to the underside. Stitch the pocket bag to the welt.
- On the right side of the Side Front, place a pocket bag, and on the Center Front, place the pocket bag with the attached welt according to the notches, right side down. Stitch the pocket bag to the pocket opening seam allowance. Fold the Side Front seam allowance onto the pocket bag and topstitch it.
- Stitch the front princess seams and the pocket bags. Clip the seam allowance at the beginning and end of the pocket opening, press the princess seam allowances open, pressing the pocket towards the front. Topstitch both ends of the welt to the Side Front.
- Stitch the back princess seams down to the vent. Press under the lower vent edge by 1 cm. Press the princess seam and vent towards the center back. At the top of the vent, topstitch diagonally through the princess seam as marked, catching the vent extension.
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams of the coat. Press open the shoulder and side seams of the coat.
- Attach the lower collar to the coat neckline and stitch the upper collar to the facings.
- Stitch the shaped elbow seam of the sleeve. Press the elbow seam of the sleeve.
- Stitch and press open the front seam of the sleeve. Press the sleeve hem.
- Attach the sleeves to the armhole according to the notches.
- Attach the shoulder pads and sleeve head rolls.
- On the lining fabric pieces, stitch the seams, leaving an opening in the front seam of the right sleeve lining. Place the lining and coat right sides together and stitch to the inner edges of the facings and the upper collar. Press open the collar attachment seam allowances and secure close to the seams. Turn under the lining sleeves and stitch to the hem of the coat sleeve, turn the excess lining fabric down and press. Turn the coat right side out. Straighten the lining, pin the side seams to the coat side seams and carefully cut along the vent edges, shifting 1 cm towards the center seam. Before reaching 1 cm from the top of the vent, make diagonal cuts of 1 cm in both directions. Turn the cuts inwards and pin to the vent edges. Insert your hand between the coat and the lining, grasp the pinned edges and pull them out one by one. Stitch the edges, fold the hem down. Straighten the vent edges. At the upper edge of the vent, turn under the lining corner and sew it to the vent seam allowance.
- Stitch the lining to the coat hem. Turn the coat through the opening in the sleeve and stitch the opening in the sleeve.
- Place the two Waistband (half-belt) pieces right sides together and stitch along the outer edge, leaving an opening in the upper belt seam in the middle. Turn out the belt, press, and stitch the opening in the middle.
- On the right front, make buttonholes, and on the left front, sew on buttons.
- Mark and sew on the buttons on the back. Button the half-belt in place.
