Double-Breasted Belted Trench Coat
A women's knee-length double-breasted trench coat with princess seams, wide notched lapels, a loose cape yoke over the shoulders and a belt with buckle and eyelets. Snap fastenings throughout; fully lined.
When To Wear
- Spring and autumn rain, over suits, dresses, or knitwear and trousers.
- Commuting and travel, belted or worn open.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted through princess seams on the fronts and back, drawn in at the waist by the belt.
Length: About knee length; hem allowance 3.5 cm on the coat and sleeves.
Collar: Two-piece collar with wide notched lapels; front edge seam understitched 0.2 cm, onto the facing along the closure and onto the front along the lapel.
Sleeves: Two-piece set-in sleeves with shoulder pads and sleeve heads.
Closure: Double-breasted, six snaps in three pairs; centre fronts interfaced.
Front: A double-layer cape yoke, attached only at the neckline, falls over the shoulders front and back. Two flaps hang from its lower front edge, each snapped to the front with two snaps.
Pockets: In-seam pockets in the front princess seams with rounded off-set welts, the short sides of the welts topstitched to the side fronts.
Back: Centre back panel and side backs; the back yoke is held by two snaps at the shoulders.
Waist: Self-fabric belt topstitched 0.5 cm, with buckle and eyelets, through belt loops at the side seams.
Lining: Full lining with lining sleeves, bagged out through an opening in the right sleeve lining and tacked at the waist seams.
Level Of Difficulty
Advanced. Notched lapels with understitching, a free-hanging cape yoke with flaps, welted in-seam pockets, a bagged-out lining and a dozen snaps to set accurately.
Fabric Recommendations
Raincoat fabric.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, centre fronts, lower collar, welts, flaps)
- 12 snap fasteners
- Shoulder pads
- Sleeve heads
- Buckle
- Eyelets
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
- Yoke – 2 pieces
- Waistband (belt) – 1 piece
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Upper Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Flap – 4 pieces
- Belt loop strip – 1 piece
- Off-Set Welt – 4 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, Lower Collar, Off-Set Welt, Flap.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Center Front Facing, Center Front, Lower Collar, Off-Set Welt and Flap pieces.
- Place the upper collar and lower collar right sides together and stitch around the outer edges. Trim the corners and turn the collar right side out. Press the collar.
- Place the Off-Set Welt pieces right sides together in pairs and stitch along the outer edge. Trim the seam allowances at the rounded corners and turn out. Press the welt, rolling the seam slightly to the underside. Stitch a Pocket Bag to each welt.
- Place a Pocket Bag on the right side of the side front, and the Pocket Bag with the attached welt on the center front, right side down, matching the notches. Stitch the pocket bags to the pocket opening allowances. 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 the short sides of the welt to the side front.
- Stitch the back princess seams. Press the back princess seams towards the center back.
- Place the Center Front Facing on the right side of the front, right side down, pin and stitch along the marked line, from the hem upwards 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 corners of the front edge. 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 front edges to the right side, straighten the seams and press.
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams of the coat. Press open the shoulder and side seams.
- Fold the belt loop in half lengthwise, right side in, align the edges and stitch at a distance of 0.5-0.7 cm from the edges. Then turn out, straighten the seam, placing it on the fold or forming a 0.1-0.2 cm wide edge on the inside, and press. Cut the strip into belt loops as marked. Mark and topstitch the belt loop along the side seams at the waistline.
- Place the flap pieces right sides together and stitch along the outer contour. Trim the seam allowances at the corners, turn the flap to the right side and press. Attach the flap to the notches on the yoke and stitch. Place the yoke pieces right sides together and stitch along the outer contour, leaving the neckline edge free. Turn the yoke to the right side and press. Mark and set snaps on the flaps and on the front. Baste the yoke to the front and back at the neckline.
- Stitch and press open the elbow seam of the sleeve. Stitch and press open the front seam of the sleeve. Press the sleeve hem.
- Attach the lower collar to the coat neckline. Remove temporary basting threads connecting the yoke to the front and back neckline.
- Attach the sleeves to the armhole according to the notches. Attach shoulder pads and sleeve heads. Mark and set the snaps on the back yoke and back of the coat.
- On the cut pieces of lining fabric, stitch the seams and attach the sleeves, leaving an opening in the front seam of the right sleeve lining. Press the lining seam allowances. Stitch the lining to the inner edges of the facings and the upper collar. Press open the collar attachment seam allowances and secure close to the seams.
- Mark and press the coat hem. Finish the sleeve and coat hem with lining. Secure the lining to the garment at the waist seams. Turn the coat to the right side through the opening in the sleeve. Stitch the opening in the sleeve.
- Fold the Waistband (belt) in half lengthwise, right side in. Stitch the belt on three sides, leaving a small opening for turning. Turn the belt out and press. Topstitch along the contour of the belt at a distance of 0.5 cm from the edge. Put the buckle on the belt. Fold the end of the belt to the wrong side, forming a loop, and topstitch. Mark and attach eyelets on the belt. Thread the belt through the belt loops.
- Mark and set the snaps along the front edge.
