A Dior-inspired Coat

Inspired by Dior’s classic style – a style that conveyed feminine sophistication, a blend of simplicity with elegance, I designed and constructed this black coat with a stand-up collar and contrasting lining. I am sharing some photos and construction process of the coat here.

This was the first item I have designed and constructed. I found inspiration in Dior’s post World War II era collection, where he created a dominant silhouette based on a femininity and elegance, bringing a war ravaged world into a new age of luxury.

To create the feminine silhouette that is thin around the wait and fuller at the hips, I started with a fitted bodice and skirt blocks. I joined them to make a fitted dress block and then manipulated the darts to princess seams. The waist and bust darts can look cluttered and often look out of date, I find the princess seam to be one of the easier methods of dart manipulation. I find it easier to construct compared to dart too. The most challenging part of the pattern making and construction processes was the stand-up collar. It took a few toiles (or samples) to get them right.

The fabric I used was 100% wool from Tessuti Fabric for the outer shell. They stock a lot of designers' fabric. The contrasting poly satin lining from the Fabric Store frayed a lot unfortunately.

Keep scrolling down to see some close-ups.