Another title for this post could be “Sewing with Professional Instruction – the Parisian Jacket.” One of the advantages of having a subscription to Susan Khalje’s online Couture Sewing Club is exclusive access to videos which take the viewer, step-by-step, through the process of making one of these jackets.

When this pattern was released a few months ago, I was immediately interested in making one. There are several details in this jacket which I find especially appealing. The first – and salient one – is the cut-on sleeve, also called an all-in-one sleeve. This is a design feature which was prevalent in the 1950s, but no longer often seen. Usually sewn with an underarm gusset to enhance moveability, this sleeve forms its own crease lines below the shoulder at the front and back. You can see that detail in the diagram on the pattern envelope above. Take a look at this magazine cover from November 1956. You can see both the crease line and the coat’s gusset.

I suspect at least one of the reasons this particular type of sleeve fell out of favor is that the pattern pieces do take a sizeable amount of fabric to accommodate the width of the attached sleeve. I also suspect sewing in those gussets demanded a certain expertise to be finished successfully, adding time to both home sewing and to ready-to-wear. But I love the look of the cut-on sleeve. It really is a classic style, and one which I am happy to have the opportunity to incorporate into my sewing. It is worth mentioning here that this sleeve is similar to a “kimono” sleeve, but it is not cut as full under the arm. (This seems like a good time to show the pattern piece for the jacket’s gusset. Rather than diamond shaped, it is a triangle with a curved top edge. Pretty clever!)

Another design feature of the jacket which appeals to me is the prominence of the buttons. The jacket is shown with just two buttons, although certainly a third one could be added. However, with two larger ones, it is really possible to use showcase buttons, if desired. And if you follow my blog, you already know that vintage buttons – and unique new ones – are one of my weaknesses. I am always looking for opportunities to use beautiful buttons.
A third construction detail I find appealing is the center back seam. This allows the opportunity for lovely shaping and more precise fitting than if the back piece were cut without a seam.
With all this in mind, I was anxious to get started on this project. As I already had several lovely woolens waiting for their turn, I decided to use one of them rather than buy new fabric. And my attention kept coming back to this vintage piece of Linton wool which I purchased from an Etsy shop about a year ago.

It is entirely coincidental that the jacket Susan is making in her instructional videos is also pink! Of course, I love pink. I would describe this particular hue of pink as a “Winter pink.” It has a bit of a dusty appearance to it, making it ideal for a November project. The best thing is that I have enough fabric to make a matching sheath dress to go with my jacket. (Although I feel sure that particular project will have to wait until after the new year.)
Well, back to Susan’s video instruction… She is very thorough in what she includes, so much so, that those of us who have taken classes from her already, are able to whiz through the early lessons for the most part. However, one suggestion she made was to use pins rather than machine sewing to fit the muslin together. Here is what I mean by that:

I found this method far superior to putting the muslin together by machine. It was much easier to make changes and alterations, and I felt like the “seams” laid flatter, enabling me to ascertain the fit, on me, more precisely.
Once I had my muslin perfected (as much as possible), I transferred all the markings onto white silk organza, to be used as my underlining and also as the pattern pieces from which to cut the fashion fabric. I had to move to my dining room table to accommodate the expanse of the wool.

Once I started assembling some of the jacket pieces, I realized I had not perfectly matched the facings. Although the wool is solid pink, there is that very distinct weave in it which needs to be matched. Fortunately, because I had left such wide seam allowances, I did not need to cut a new facing. I just needed to readjust the organza on the one facing which was a bit askew.

I still have a long way to go on this jacket, but here are two “work-in-progress” shots, with the seams sewn but nothing trimmed, ironed or catch-stitched yet. It is fun to see it taking shape, however.


Two more things need to take shape very soon – namely Holiday dresses for my granddaughters. Somehow, I think they will be finished before my jacket!
A White Blouse
White blouses (or shirts, if you prefer) seem to occupy a niche all to themselves in the annals of fashion. There is something both unpretentious and elegant about a white blouse. A white blouse is almost always noticed and admired, and even the most tailored white blouse has an air of femininity to it.
Here is what Christian Dior had to say about the color white when he wrote The Dictionary of Fashion in 1954: “White is pure and simple and matches with everything. For daytime it has to be used with great care because it must always be really white and immaculate… But nothing gives the impression of good grooming and being well dressed more quickly than spotless white…” (Published again in 2007 by Abrams, New York, New York; page 120).
What could be a better example of being well dressed than this white blouse featured in the February/March 1955 Vogue Pattern Book Magazine (page 28)? With its tucks and French cuffs, it is both demure and sophisticated.
Now this is an elegant blouse!
Timeless is another description that could be given to the classic white blouse. Here is one featured in the August/September 1962 Vogue Pattern Book Magazine, page 49. “In suburbia, nothing has as much unstudied elegance as a classic neat, white shirt…”
By the 1970s, collars look like they had overtaken the world, but even with its outsized points, the white blouse gives this velvet suit its focal point:
This is an advertisement for Crompton velvet, featuring a Vogue pattern (Yves St. Laurent evening suit), page XVI of the October/November 1971 Vogue Pattern Book Magazine.
The Wall Street Journal had a full-page feature on The White Shirt in the Weekend Section of March 26-27, 2016. “Always timely and the quickest shortcut to chic,” says the caption. Part of the feature is shown here:
Although the article fixated on RTW white shirts, a small section was absolutely apropos for those of us who make our white shirts. Finding your Match maintains that there is a certain chemistry involved in finding the perfect shirt for oneself, and it emphasized the importance of choosing the right fabric. While cotton is usually the preferred fabric, even it is subject to an appropriate quality and weave. Choosing a pure cotton fabric will necessitate a commitment to laundering and ironing. Quoted from the article, “You can throw it in the machine, but for a finished look, Ms [Carolina] Herrera (who has made the white shirt her style signature) recommends hand-washing with a splash of starch for a crisp finish. The white shirt, remember, is about contradictions – it may be easy, but it has good manners.” (Oh, yes!)
Well, I can’t say I was thinking about chemistry and laundering and manners when I purchased this white cotton shirting fabric from Britex a few years ago.
I just thought it was so lovely with its woven stripe and scalloped detail. I am happy to say it has been brought to fruition as a classic white blouse.
While the woven stripe IS lovely, it presented some definite considerations when I was laying out my pattern. For example, what reveal of the stripe did I want to show on the collar and cuffs. What about the back yoke? How should the buttons line up on the design on the center front? The following pictures detail my decisions as I worked through each component.
I chose to use the plain white band as the center portion of the cuffs.
I chose to position the stripe on the collar in the middle.
I decided to interface the yoke, as the cotton is lightweight, and the facing of the yoke would have shown through without it. I always use a woven, sew-in interfacing when I am making blouses. It works beautifully. I evenly balanced the placement of the stripe on the yoke, with just a slight plain reveal noticeable at the lower edge.
And then, what buttons should I use? It is so easy – and often appropriate – to choose a simple white pearl, two-hole button to accompany this style of shirt. I was prepared to do that until I came across this card of vintage buttons in my collection:
My first thought was, “How perfect! The incised stripes on the buttons mirror the stripe in the cotton. And, to seal the deal, they were also the perfect size, at 3/8”.
I used the same 1970s’ Simplicity pattern (with my many alterations to it) that I used for the two gingham blouses I made over the summer.
It is always satisfying to use a fabric which had been purchased – in the past, shall we say? It reinforces my thought that there is a time for all those lovely pieces of silk, wool, cotton and linen still waiting for their destination. Perhaps it really is about chemistry, after all.
21 Comments
Filed under Blouses, Buttons - choosing the right ones, Fashion commentary, Fashion history, Uncategorized, underlinings, vintage buttons
Tagged as Britex Fabrics, Choosing buttons, fashion sewing, quotes about fashion, sewing, vintage ads for fabrics, Wall Street Journal Fashion coverage, white shirt