Classic Waistcoat with Double-Welt Pockets

Men’s Classic Waistcoat with Double-Welt Pockets (Upper and Lower) & Back Tie

A men's single-breasted waistcoat with a V-neck, five buttons, pointed front hem and three double-welt pockets. The back is cut on the fold from the main fabric and has ties at the waist; the whole waistcoat is lined.

When To Wear

• Under a suit jacket as part of a three-piece suit, for business and formal events.
• On its own over a shirt with matching or contrast trousers, at weddings and dinners.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Close fitting, shaped by long vertical darts in the fronts and in the back.

Length: Covers the waistband of the trousers; the fronts end in points.

Neckline: Deep V-neck, no collar.

Closure: Single-breasted, five buttons, buttonholes on the left front.

Pockets: Two lower double-welt pockets and one upper double-welt pocket on the left chest; the openings are reinforced with 4 cm strips of interfacing.

Back: Cut on the fold from the main fabric, with darts; two ties, also of main fabric, basted into the back darts at waist level and joined at the centre back with a buckle (shown on the drawing); small notch at the centre back hem.

Finishing: Fronts and centre front facings fully interfaced; all edges topstitched close to the edge.

Lining: Fully lined, bagged: hem, front edges, neckline and armholes are stitched in one pass and the waistcoat is turned through the shoulders; the shoulder seams are closed through an opening in the centre back seam of the lining.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. Three double-welt pockets and a lining bagged through the shoulder seams.

Fabric Recommendations

Fabrics of natural or blended fibres, such as striped wool-blend suiting; lining fabric for the lining (back lining with a centre back seam, front linings) and pocket bags.

Additional Supplies

• Lining fabric
• Fusible interfacing
• 5 buttons
• Buckle for the back ties (shown on the drawing)

Cutter’s Must

From Main Fabric:

1. Front – 2 pieces
2. Back – 1 piece on fold
3. Upper Pocket Facing (marked on pattern as Pocket Facing) – 2 pieces
4. Lower Pocket Facing – 4 pieces
5. Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
6. Tie – 2 pieces

From Lining:

1. Back – use Back pattern, don’t cut it on fold. Cut 2 pieces so there is a center back seam
2. Front (lining pattern) – 2 pieces
3. Lower Pocket Bag – 4 pieces
4. Upper Pocket Bag – 2 pieces

From Fusible Interfacing:

1. Front – 2 pieces
2. Center Front Facing - 2 pieces

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.

Assembly Instructions

Preparation

Fuse Interfacing: from the wrong side, apply fusible interfacing to Center Front Facings and Fronts (press with a hot iron to fully bond).

Front Darts

• Stitch darts on the Fronts.
• Press dart intakes toward the center.

Welt Pockets

• Mark pocket placement on the Fronts.
• Fold each Pocket Facing (Welt) in half lengthwise, right side out, and press.
• Place welts along the marked pocket lines, raw edges toward the center, and stitch along the markings.
• Slash the opening between the stitching lines; clip diagonally to the ends without cutting through the welts.
• Turn welts to the inside, form a neat rectangle, and press.
• Attach the pocket bags to the welt seam allowances from the wrong side.
• Turn the small triangles at each end of the opening to the wrong side and stitch them precisely to the pocket bags, securing the corners.
• Trim and align pocket bags, then stitch them together around the edges.

Back Assembly

Main Back (Upper Back)

• Prepare Tie: sew, turn, press. Baste tie ends into the back darts of the main Back.
• Stitch back darts.

Under Back (lining)

• Stitch back darts of the under Backs (lining).
• Stitch center back seam leaving 20 cm opening.

Main Body Assembly

• Join side seams of the fronts (main fabric) to upper back.
• Press seams open.

Lining

• Sew fronts cut from lining fabric to the center front facings.
• Join side seams of lining fronts and under back (lining).

Joining Main Fabric and Lining

• Place the waistcoat and lining right sides together.
• Stitch along lower edge, front edges, neckline, and armholes, stopping 1 cm short of each armhole edge.
• Trim seam allowances close to the stitching; clip diagonally at corners and notch curved areas.
• Turn the waistcoat right side out through the open shoulder seams. Baste and press edges flat.
• Pull the shoulder seams through the opening in center back seam of lining, align, and stitch them together.

Finishing

• Turn in seam allowances at the opening in center back seam of lining and close by hand.
• Topstitch all around the vest edges, close to the edge.
• Work buttonholes on the Left Front.
• Sew buttons to the Right Front.
• Tie the back tie adjusting the fit.