A Spring/Autumn Jacket - 1950s Style

There's a few things which are permanently on my clothing wish list because they seem to permanently evade me. To name a few - a petticoat with a shorter than average waist, sturdy and pretty flat shoes with an adjustable strap, a jacket that makes spring and autumn feel like summer.

I found the last on that list yesterday at a vintage fair for the excellent price of £15. It would have originally had a matching skirt and probably dates from the early 1960s.

I tried it on three times before deciding to buy, very indecisive. Why? The shoulders and back fit wonderfully, the 3/4 sleeves show off my longer suede black gloves, and the tweed was bright and in great condition. However, it originally looked like this:

Not so flattering! Normally, if vintage doesn't fit I put it back on the basis it wasn't meant for me. But this jacket was otherwise perfect and I loved the colours. I decided to shorten the jacket by exactly one button and take it in 3cm from each side. This is enough to taper at my waist without pulling at my back when I bend down.

Mock up

The lining was beautifully sewn in by hand. I unpicked it from the bottom to get at the seams. After taking it in from the sides, I kept the original seam allowances on both the tweed (2.5 cm) and the lining (2cm) to keep in the spirit of the sewing of the day. I sewed the lining back in by hand. As the braiding on one of the buttons was badly frayed and braiding on another unravelling, I moved the two perfect buttons to the top of the jacket and mended the mostly good one with the braiding left on the last.

Side seams match up with the arm seams

The lining seams line up with the outside seams...

You can see where my stitches end...

And where the far superior original stitches begin!

The last button has been mended.

Now I have a jacket to keep my top half warm in spring and autumn but unlike a coat, allow the skirts of my printed dresses to be seen. It can be rolled up without creasing and put in my bag to carry home when afternoons are much warmer than mornings. And it matches most of my wardrobe. Score!