The trench coat - Draft your own pattern

Every season you see the trench coat on the runway. It has become a classic, essential garment for most of us. Burberry, designed the original trench coat in 1914 and was asked to adapt the design for the World War I officers fighting in the trenches.  Humphrey Bogart wore a Burberry trench coat in Casablanca followed by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The trench coat will traditionally have a rain shield (back yoke), gun flap or flaps (front yoke piece), cuff straps and a belt. Added extras could be epaulette's, throat latch or strap. All these details can be re styled, embellished, made from a contrast fabric or left off your coat the choice is yours.	BBCHumphrey Bogart as private eye Sam Spade in 1941 film The Maltese Falcon
I have manipulated the woman’s fitted jacket pattern into a tight fitting trench coat that will give you a fitted coat that  you can wear belted or not.    Want a loser fit; manipulate the semi fitting jacket pattern.
Manipulating the woman’s fitted jacket The coat front Trace the jacket front, front side panel, back side panel and back onto paper that is long enough for the length of your coat.
	Step 1: On the front find the center of the shoulder and mark as H. Draw a line down to B, on the bust point. Cut down the line from H to B. Join together and tape G to E and B to J. You will now have two pattern pieces. Step 2: Drop down ½ inch (1cm)  at the center front and round up the neckline to the shoulder point,  5 to 4.  Step 3: For a double breasted coat front. Draw in button line 1-2 and 3-9. The button lines are approximately 4” either side of the center front line. Add a 3/4 inch (2 cm) button extension out from 3 -9. Mark in the button placement  Draw in the front facing. The coat back Step 4: On the coat back find the center of the shoulder and mark as D. Draw a line down from D to C. Cut down the line D –C. Join H – F and C – K and tape together. Step 5: re shape the waist line as shown and draw down from hip line to the required length. Remove the dart from the side front panel. Add a back vent - follow step 15
Manipulating the woman’s semi fitted jacket The coat front Trace the jacket front onto paper that is long enough for the length of your coat and tracing off all markings.
	Step 1: find the center of the shoulder and mark as A. Draw a line from A – B and B - C that passes through D. Slash from A – B – D and across from E – D. Move M over to D. Tape together. You will now have two pattern pieces.
	Step 2: For a double breasted coat front. Draw in button line 1-2 and 3-9. The button lines are approximately 4” either side of the center front line. Add a 3/4 inch (2 cm) button extension out from 3 -9 Step 3: Re shape the neck by dropping ½ inch (1cm) at the center front and rounding up into the shoulder point. Step 4: Draw in the length of the coat.
	Step 5: Match the side front panel at F as shown and trace around the side panel.Step 6: Draw a straight line down from C – H, this will be the side seam. Step 7: Draw a line from C to J. H to J is approximately 1 ¼ inches (3cm) but you can add to this measurement for a fuller hem. Step 8: Mark in the button placement. The dart can be ignored for a looser fit or closed for a closer fitting waist.   Draw the gun flap or yoke onto the front pattern pieces and trace off Draw in the front facing
The coat back
	Step 9: Match the side back panel to the back at D and trace around the side panel Step 10: Draw a line from E to F. This will create the under arm side seam Step 11: Straighten the center back line A through C to D. Mark in G on the shoulder line – find this point from the side front panel ( You do not have to break the coat back into panels if you want a looser fitting coat) Step 12: Draw in the length of the coat
	Step 13: For a fitted coat back  -  C to J is half the measurement C – R. J – K is half the measurement Q – S and L – R is half the measurement Q – S. Draw a line from G to J that will extend down to P and G – K down to O. The measurement P – O is your choice of hem fullness Step 14: Draw a line from E to H. H to I is approximately 1 ¼ inches (3cm) but you can add to this measurement for a fuller hem. Step 15: Draw in center back vent T – M and N – U,  measures 2 inches long (5cm)  draw a line down from M – N If you want a more fitted coat above the waist make a curve from E to just below R.  The center of the curve will be approximately 1/2inch (1cm). Repeat on the side front G – K.
Draw onto back the back rain shield or yoke and trace off.
The collar and collar strap This pattern comes with a collar and collar stand but because you have made changes to the jacket neck line start by measuring the manipulated neckline from the coat center back to the shoulder and down to the center front line.	(DETAIL OF LOOK 6, FALL 2012 COUTURE Jean Paul Gaultier)
	Step 1: Beginning with the collar stand, 1 -2 is half the neck line measurement, square up. 1 -3 is collar stand and collar depth square cross Step 2: 1 -4 is three quarters the measurement 1-2. 2 – 5 = ¼ inch (.5cm) square up Step 3: 1 - 6 half the measurement 1 – 3 minus 3/8 inch (1cm) square across to 7 Step 4: Draw in the collar shape and mark the shoulder line.  Step 5:  6 – 8 is 5/8 inch ( .75cm) draw across to 4 with a slight curve.  Cut out collar and collar stand
	Shape the collar –Divide the collar 10 -4 into four equal parts. Cut down the lines and spread the edge 1/8th inch (0.4cm).
	Shape the collar stand – divide the stand 1 -4 into four equal parts. Cut down the lines and overlap on the outer edge 1/16 inch (0.2cm) Trace out new collar stand and coat collar. The center back of both the collar and collar stand is cut on the bias with a center back seam. The top collar is cut with the centre back placed on the fold, add 1/8 inch all around. Add a strap to the collar stand if wanted.
The sleeve Fold the sleeve in half to find the center line. Fold the sleeve back over to the center line press and draw in line. At the elbow line shape out 3/8 inch (1cm) and in3/8 inch (1cm) at the hem line, draw in new line, cut apart.
The sleeve strap is 3.5cm up from hem line, draw onto sleeve and trace off Epaulettes are the length of the shoulder and twice the finished width. Decide on the pocket style The belt is half waist measurement plus (25cm) and twice the required width. The center back is cut on the fold.	(Vivienne Westwood Anglomania,Mercury trench coat)
Think of adding double edge opening zipper to the coat just below the waist line as in this Burberry Trench coat.   (detail of look 20, Fall 2010 Ready-to-Wear, Burberry Prorsum)	(look13, Pre-Fall 2013, Burberry Prorsum)
Use the fast fusible method of construction and the machine method for stitching the under collar from my book, Tailored fashion design.