A trench coat in wool gabardine

Filippo and I went for a walk around Lake Como last Sunday and we finally managed to take some pictures of my new trench coat. I finished sewing it in September and, despite having worn it a lot over this autumn, I hadn’t managed to get it photographed yet.

I designed and drafted it last spring at school, over the professional Pattern Making and Dressmaking course I attended at Afol Moda in Milan. I made a toile to test the fit of the garment, with the help of my teacher.

Then I had dropped it for some months. I started sewing it in July, in this beautiful olive-green wool gabardine, I bought at a local shop, Beviltex Tessuti (they have beautiful fabrics…I bought the fabric for my elegant blue coat here too).

When it was almost done, I dropped this sewing project again because I didn’t like the lining I had chosen (it was a simple ivory viscose lining).

In September I finally came across a lining that I liked matching with this wool gabardine. It’s a brown/bronze silk, with a tribal black pattern, I bought at Emme Pi Tessuti in Milan. Actually I was not 100% satisfied with my choice, however I wanted to finish this project in time for autumn, so I gave it a try!

The trench coat I designed is made out of raglan sleeves with epaluettes, double-breasted front with buttons (partially hidden by waist-lenght flaps), belt, vertical pockets and back vent.

I sewed and topstitched everything (except for the flaps, that are not topstitched). I sewed dark brown buttons up, I bought at Merceria Guffanti in Milan.

I used a light knit interfacing to reinforce the facings and the collar, because this fabric was very fluid and a knit interfacing could have helped to not stiffen the fabric too much. Anyway, if I could go back, I would have used a light cotton interfacing, at least on the collar (I’d like to have it a little stiffer).

I like this trench a lot when I keep it open, less when it’s buttoned up. Maybe because the sleeves are a little bit too loose compared to the garment silhouette. If I went back, I would tighten the sleeves or make the trench looser in order to better balance the garment.

This style issue aside, I’m satisfied with this sewing project and I’m happy to have a new trench coat, more elegant than that one in cotton I already have in my wardrobe. As I said, I’ve worn it a lot over these months!

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