Jacket with Deep V-Neck & Pleated Front
A fitted, collarless women's jacket ending at the high hip, with a deep V-neck and an edge-to-edge front fastened with hooks and eyes. Each front has six pleats radiating from a faced half-circle insert; the two halves meet at the closure as a ring just above the waist; two-piece set-in sleeves and a full lining.
When To Wear
- Over a sheath dress or with a pencil skirt or trousers for the office.
- Over a camisole or a fine top for evening events.
- In spring and autumn in fine wool.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Close-fitting, shaped by princess seams at the front and back.
Length: Just below the waist, at the high hip.
Neckline: Deep V-neck without a collar, finished with front facings and a back neck facing, understitched 0.2 cm from the seam.
Front: On each centre front panel, three pleats above and three below the insert; the upper pleats face the side seam, the lower ones face the front edge. The pleats are left unpressed.
Closure: Edge-to-edge, with two hooks and eyes sewn into the front edge.
Sleeves: Long, two-piece (upper and under sleeve), set in.
Back: Centre back seam, princess seams and shoulder darts.
Finishing: Interfaced armholes and hem allowances; 3.5 cm hem allowance on the jacket and sleeves; raglan shoulder pads; seven bar tacks over the seams at the hem.
Lining: Full bagged lining including the sleeves, turned through an opening in the right sleeve lining.
Level Of Difficulty
Advanced. Pleats laid in two directions around a faced curved insert, a collarless faced V-neck, two-piece set-in sleeves with shoulder pads, a bagged lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Fine wool or wool-blend fabrics with added synthetic fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (facings, back neck facing, armholes, hem allowances)
- 2 hooks and 2 eyes
- Raglan shoulder pads
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back (center) – 2 pieces
- Back (side) – 2 pieces
- Front (side) – 2 pieces
- Front (center) – 2 pieces
- Facing (front) – 2 pieces
- Sleeve (upper) – 2 pieces
- Sleeve (lower) – 2 pieces
- Back neck facing – 1 piece
- Insert – 2 pieces
- From lining fabric:
- Front (center) – 2 pieces
- Back (center) – 2 pieces
- Back (side) - 2 pieces
- Front (side) – 2 pieces
- Sleeve (upper) – 2 pieces
- Sleeve (lower) – 2 pieces
- Lining pieces are cut using the main pattern pieces, except for the center front.
- From fusible interfacing: front facing, back neck facing, upper of the center back with armhole section, seam allowance at the bottom edge of the center back, armhole of the side back, seam allowance at the bottom edge of the side back, armhole of the side front, seam allowance at the bottom edge of the side front, armhole of the center front, seam allowance at the bottom edge of the lower sleeve, seam allowance at the bottom edge of the upper sleeve.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the respective pieces.
- Mark and stitch darts on the back. Press darts towards the center back. Stitch and press open the princess seams on the back. Stitch and press open the center back seam.
- On the center front, create and stitch pleats according to markings. The inner folds of the 3 upper pleats should point towards the side seam, and the 3 lower pleats towards the front edge. Secure the pleats at their base. Attach the insert to the center front. Clip the seam allowances at curves, turn the piece right side out, and press. Do not press the pleats. Stitch and press open the princess seams on the front.
- Sew hooks and eyes to the front edge of the front according to markings. Place the front facing onto the right side of the front, right side down, and stitch along the front edge. Stitch from the bottom of the front upwards, stopping 5cm from the shoulder seams. Attach the bottom edges of the front facings to the center front precisely along the marked hemline.
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams of the jacket. Press open the shoulder and side seams.
- Attach the back neck facing to the front facings and press open the shoulder seams of the facing and front facings.
- Stitch the jacket neckline with the facing and front facing. Topstitch the seam allowance onto the facing and front facing 0.2 cm from the seam. Turn out the front edges and back neck facing. Press the neckline and front edges.
- Stitch and press open the elbow seam of the sleeve.
- Stitch and press open the front seam of the sleeve.
- Set the sleeves into the armholes, aligning notches. Attach shoulder pads.
- Stitch the lining pieces, leaving an opening in the front seam of the right sleeve. Press the lining.
- Attach the lining to the front facings and back neck facing, to the bottom of the jacket, aligning lining seams with garment seams, and to the bottom of the sleeve. Place 7 bar tacks at the bottom of the jacket over the seams.
- Turn the jacket right side out through the opening in the sleeve. Stitch the technical opening in the sleeve closed.
