Eisenhower Jacket with Zip Front, Pleated Flap Pockets & Elasticated Waistband
A men's short jacket finished with a waistband that has elastic in the side casings. Separating zip front, shirt collar on a stand, front and back yokes, tucked chest patch pockets with buttoned flaps and angled welt pockets below.
When To Wear
- In spring and autumn as an outer layer over a T-shirt, shirt or knit.
- With jeans, chinos or work trousers for everyday and casual wear.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight, roomy body gathered into the waistband by elastic at the sides.
Length: Short, ending at the waistband.
Collar: Shirt collar on a separate stand; the stand is topstitched along its upper seam.
Sleeves: One-piece set-in sleeves with a slit at the hem, small pleats laid into the hem and a buttoned cuff.
Closure: Separating zip at the centre front, set so the teeth show, with front facings.
Pockets: Two chest patch pockets with tucks topstitched 3 mm from the folds, closed by buttoned flaps caught in the front yoke seam; two angled single-welt pockets on the lower fronts.
Back: One piece cut on the fold under a double back yoke; the back yokes also enclose the shoulder seams.
Waist: Waistband with elastic in casings at the sides, held by vertical stitching, and four belt loops.
Finishing: Topstitching 5 mm from the edges and seams: yokes, armholes, fronts, collar, cuffs, flaps and waistband.
Lining: Body lined (back and fronts); sleeves unlined.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Welt pockets, a separating zip set between the jacket and the lined facings, a collar on a stand, cuffs and an elasticated waistband with casings.
Fabric Recommendations
Dense cotton fabrics such as denim; cotton gabardine.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric in a matching colour
- Fusible interfacing, 55 cm, 140 cm wide
- Elastic tape for the waistband
- 4 buttons, 10 mm (pocket flaps and cuffs)
- Separating zip in a matching colour, length to suit the jacket
Cutter’s Must
From Main Fabric:
- Back – 1 piece on fold
- Back Yoke – 2 pieces
- Front – 2 pieces
- Front Yoke – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Upper Collar – 1 piece
- Lower Collar – 1 piece
- Upper Stand Collar – 1 piece
- Lower Stand Collar – 1 piece
- Patch Pocket – 2 pieces
- Patch Pocket Facing – 2 pieces
- Patch Pocket Flap – 4 pieces
- Pocket Facing 1 – 2 pieces
- Pocket Facing 2 – 2 pieces
- Pocket Underlay Piece – 2 pieces
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Waistband – 1 piece
- Belt-Loop – 1 piece (cut into 4 loops after sewing)
From Lining Fabric:
- Back Lining – 1 piece on fold
- Front Lining – 2 pieces
- Pocket Bag – 4 pieces
From Fusible Interfacing:
- Front Yoke Fusible – 2 pieces
- Upper Stand Collar Fusible – 1 piece
- Stand Collar Fusible – 1 piece
- Patch Pocket Flap Fusible – 2 pieces
- Cuff Fusible – 2 pieces
- Pocket Facing 1 Fusible – 2 pieces
- Pocket Facing 2 Fusible – 2 pieces
- Upper Collar – 1 piece (cut from the Upper Collar pattern piece)
Important Information
Before cutting your fabric:
- Print and lay out pattern pieces to determine yardage.
- Check mirrored pieces, notches, and grainlines.
- For patterned fabrics, align carefully for symmetry.
Topstitching is 5 mm from the edge or seam unless stated otherwise.
Assembly Instructions
1. Preparation – Fuse Interfacing
From the wrong side, apply fusible interfacing to:
- Upper Collar and Upper Stand Collar
- Front Yokes
- Two of the Patch Pocket Flaps (outer flaps)
- Pocket Facing 1 and Pocket Facing 2
- Cuffs
Press with a hot iron and press cloth until fully bonded.
2. Angled Welt Pockets
- Place the Pocket Underlay Piece wrong side down on the right side of a Pocket Bag; turn under its inner edge and edgestitch. Baste the open edges together.
- Fold the pocket facing (welt) in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press.
- Pin the facing to the right side of the Front along the pocket marking, folded edge towards the centre front. Place the second Pocket Bag (without underlay) wrong side up on top.
- Stitch the facing and pocket bag 1 cm on each side of the marking.
- Cut along the marking through the Front and the bag, clipping diagonally into the corners right up to the ends of the stitching.
- Turn the bag to the wrong side, straighten the welt and stitch the triangular ends and the welt ends to the bag from the wrong side.
- Place the bag with the underlay on top, right sides together; stitch the bag edges and overlock.
- From the right side, stitch across the top and ends of the pocket opening to secure the bag.
3. Pleated Patch Pockets
- Form the pleats on each Patch Pocket following the markings; press and topstitch 3 mm from the folds.
- Place the Patch Pocket and Patch Pocket Facing right sides together; stitch around the outer edges, turn right side out, press and topstitch.
- Press the open edges under, position the pocket on the Front by the markings and edgestitch in place.
4. Pocket Flaps and Front Yokes
- Place an interfaced and a plain Patch Pocket Flap right sides together; stitch around the outer edges, trim, turn, press and topstitch.
- Place each flap on the right side of the Front by the markings, pointing down, and baste along the upper edge of the Front.
- Stitch the Front Yoke to the Front, catching the flap in the seam. Overlock, press the allowances towards the yoke and topstitch.
5. Back Yoke, Shoulder and Side Seams
- Place the two Back Yokes right sides together with the Back between them, matching the edges, and stitch. Turn, press and topstitch.
- Join the shoulder seams in the same way, sandwiching the Front Yokes between the two Back Yokes.
- Stitch the side seams and overlock.
6. Lining, Facings and Zipper
- Join the Back Lining and Front Lining at the shoulder and side seams. Stitch the Center Front Facings to the Front Lining.
- Press the centre front allowances of the jacket to the wrong side and baste the separating zipper so that the teeth show.
- Place the lining with facings on the jacket, right sides together, and stitch along the front edges, catching the zipper tape.
- Turn right side out, press and topstitch along the fronts.
- Baste the jacket and lining together along the neckline, armholes and lower edge.
7. Collar on a Stand
- Place the Upper Collar and Lower Collar right sides together; stitch the outer edges, trim, turn, press and topstitch.
- Place the Upper Stand Collar and Lower Stand Collar right sides together with the collar between them along the upper edges (interfaced stand against interfaced collar) and stitch, continuing the seam along the front extensions of the stand.
- Turn the stand, press its open edges under, insert the neckline between them and edgestitch, continuing the topstitching along the upper stand seam.
8. Sleeves and Cuffs
- Stitch the sleeve seam up to the slit marking; overlock and press the allowances towards the upper sleeve. Below the marking press the allowances open and topstitch them to the sleeve along the edge.
- Set the sleeves into the armholes matching the notches; overlock, press the allowances towards the body and topstitch.
- Form the pleats at the sleeve hem by the markings, press and baste.
- Fold each Cuff right sides together, stitch the short ends and turn.
- Stitch the interfaced half of the cuff to the sleeve hem, right sides together. Press the open edge under and topstitch along the seam, continuing the topstitching around the whole cuff.
9. Waistband and Belt Loops
- Stitch the Waistband to the lower edge of the jacket, right sides together.
- Fold the waistband to the inside, press the open edge under and stitch the horizontal casing lines by the markings.
- Insert elastic into the side casings and secure with vertical stitching at the markings.
- Topstitch the open edge of the waistband to the jacket, continuing the topstitching around the whole waistband.
- Fold the Belt-Loop strip in half lengthwise right sides together, stitch the long edge, turn, press and topstitch both edges. Cut into 4 loops, turn the ends under and stitch to the waistband by the markings.
10. Finishing
- Make buttonholes on the pocket flaps and cuffs by the markings.
- Sew on the buttons.
- Give the jacket a final press.
