Men's Dress Coat

My husband really needed a nicer dress coat.

He has to wear dress clothes to work, and his puffy parka didn't seem that professional, and definitely not fashionable (not that he cares) after I got thinking about it.

 So I started looking online for ideas.  I pinned a butt-load of men's nicer wool coats and the end, casually asking what he thought, I realized he preferred simple and basic.   

My winning inspiration coat that I pretty much mimicked entirely was this University Coat from j.crew.

I was nervous to make an adult wool coat without a pattern.  Have you noticed there are virtually NO male patterns for men or boys?  So I couldn't bring myself to pay all that money for wool in case it turned out like bonch.  So I remembered I had this really thick sweatshirt fleece in my stash that was black.

So I thought it would be an affordable (it was only $2/yd) substitute that would look and feel close enough to real wool.  I also fully lined it in regular charcoal fleece, making it a really warm coat.  So this puppy is all he'll need in the dark early mornings when he's headed to work.

So to get this done for Christmas.

While he was asleep, I used my husband's regular thin jacket as a pattern.  I worked late into the night to conceal my surprise.  The back has a yoke and center back seam, which I top-stitched for flat felled seams.

There's a few elements I ended up being really proud of:
the thick welt pockets that are "external hand warmer" pockets

The flap welt pockets are lined with black satin.

The buttons are vintage from my husband's Grandma who passed away in 2006 at age 96.

My favorite part of the whole jacket is the inside "label" I made.  I just ironed interfacing on the back of white broadcloth and with my free motion presser foot sewed:
"for Rhett, my beloved husband
love, your Jess
2011"

It's the message on the pocket watch of Atticus Finch in the book To Kill A Mockingbird given to him from his wife.  I don't think my husband knows that's where I got it because it's pretty generic, but I liked the idea of having a little Atticus inspiration in this.

We had Christmas at my mother-in-laws and Rhett opened it and said, "wow this looks really nice".  I had left the back hem open in case I had to alter it.  He saw the back/bottom of the coat unsewn and said: "wait a minute, it's already falling apart."  I explained I didn't finish it in case it didn't fit right, and he held it up again and said, "Wow!  You made it?"

I thought that was pretty good he thought it was purchased.  I must be getting better from my sloppy sewing ways.  There are a few things I'd change if I did it again, but so far it's been a good project.

I've just begun sewing for my husband.  It's fun to sew for your kids and a lot easier, but I have to say it's my favorite to sew for Rhett.  Especially this coat which I'm considering a slam dunk because he wears it every day to work...and it was less than $13.00.