Constructing My First Ever Jacket

Following My dream and passion in fashion, i took Pattern making and Garment Construction part time course while balancing full time work, and made my first ever jacket. It was a frustrating process, but it was worth all the effort!

Here is the first jacket I have ever constructed. The pattern was size 10 AU, supplied by the college, Melbourne Fashion Institute. Hence, it looked big on me, especially around the shoulder area. I picked 100% woven wool ‘CHANEL-esque’ fabric for the outer shell, purchased from Tessuti and beautiful non-shiny thick satin for the lining, purchased from The Fabric Store.

They say your first jacket's construction is the most difficult. My fabric choice did not make it easier for myself. Woven fabric tends to fray easily around the edges. I had to take my time and be extra careful when I unpicked the stitches to undo my mistakes, which happened a lot! My tip would be to do a bit of research on the behaviour of your fabric, other than its look and feel. I would avoid fabric that is difficult to handle such as velvet, woven fabric, easily frayed satin for your first jacket to construct.

I spent approximately 20 hours to cut and sew it together. Through this process I grew appreciation for garment constructions, and respect for garment constructors. I generally would not wear anything that is not my size, but this one is an exception since it’s my blood and sweat. Keep scrolling down to see how I style it with natural tone items.