18cNewEnglandLife Clothing

The jacket or the sleeved waistcoat, as we have discussed at the Clothing Seminars, is a garment for the working class. It might be described as a shortened version of a coat or a waistcoat with sleeves. Since terms vary so widely in period descriptions we settled on the following profiles to help us in discussing them. A sleeved waistcoat would be cut in the style of a waistcoat and without a collar. With buttons of 5/8-inch or smaller and spaced reasonably close together as smaller buttons generally are. A jacket would be cut much like a sleeved waistcoat and may or may not have a collar and cuffs. The buttons generally being larger than 5/8-inch and therefore spaced further apart. Both having pockets and pocket flaps, with or with our buttons on the flaps.

When making or having made either of these two garments, you’ll find that J.P. Ryan and Smoke and Fire offer sleeved waistcoat patterns. These may be simpler to use than cutting down a frock coat pattern but that too is an option. You may choose to line your garment or simplify it by using a heavy coat-weight wool. This garment has worked out well for those who didn’t think they could make a jacket. I’ve demonstrated with the J. P. Ryan pattern and coat-weight woolens from the remnant table at Spalco Factory Store. With the heavier wool you can use ¼ " seams and leave them as is, or whip stitch them. The lower edge can be left raw so that only a minimal amount of detail work is required. For the collar and pocket flaps you’ll possibly want a lighter weight backing fabric which can be of a different color and fabric altogether. This pattern does run true to fit for the 18^th century man, that is say, snuggly. If you’d like a looser fitting jacket use a size or two larger. The armholes tend to be snug as well, be sure to measure the armseye before starting. I generally add half inch to both seam allowances on the shoulder seams and then cut the sleeve cap slightly larger for all but the slimmest of bodies.

This is a great garment to have for a laborers impression especially if you can find some worn out, old wool, or maybe your wife’s faded out petticoat needs a new use as a summer jacket. This would offer you a chance to use a mix-mash of old buttons, and then, have a few missing! For a nicer jacket, self covered, wooden, pewter or bone would be likely choices.

18cNewEnglandLife Clothing & Accoutrements

18cNewEnglandLife
Clothing & Accoutrements