Why I Still Love the Chanel-Style Jacket

Long before I started making historical costumes and taking on Cosplay Commissions, I had another great sewing love: the Chanel-style jacket.

In fact, I was so fascinated by these jackets that I created an entire website about them: SewingChanelStyle. On the website, I share information about sewing patterns, fabrics, construction methods and all the little details that can make the difference between an ordinary jacket and a really beautiful Chanel-style jacket.

And believe me, making one is quite an adventure.

A little like making a wedding dress

I sometimes compare making a classic Chanel-style jacket to making a wedding dress.

It is one of those sewing projects that many dressmakers consider a real challenge. You need patience, good materials and, most of all, time.

When you make the jacket in the traditional way, the bouclé fabric and the lining are quilted together. The jacket is carefully constructed, shaped and finished, with attention to all the little details.

It is not a garment you quickly make in a weekend.

For many sewists, making one is almost a once-in-a-lifetime project. You spend so many hours on it that, after finishing the jacket, you may think: Well, I have done that. Perhaps once is enough!

Except...

That did not happen to me.

One jacket became two...

I made my first one.

And then I made another.

And another.

Soon I was making different versions, trying different fabrics, different shapes and different ways of finishing the jacket.

Then came a longer jacket.

And another model.

And a cape.

And wrap skirts.

And vintage-style jackets.

And, well... you probably know how this goes.

One sewing challenge simply led to another.

Before I knew it, I had made so many that I had developed quite a lot of knowledge about the subject. My website, SewingChanelStyle, is still doing very well, and people regularly contact me with questions about fabrics, patterns and construction.

Sometimes they ask me questions as if I am the Chanel-style jacket expert in the Netherlands.

Ahem.

I am happy to accept the compliment!

But of course, I am not Claire Shaeffer. And I certainly am not Coco Chanel herself.

What I do have is many years of sewing experience, a great love for traditional couture techniques and a rather unhealthy enthusiasm for making these jackets.

The magic is in the construction

One of the techniques I particularly love is quilting the lining directly to the bouclé fabric.

It sounds simple when you say it like that.

It is not.

There is a lot of preparation, careful sewing and patience involved. The quilting has to work with the fabric rather than fight against it. The jacket needs the right amount of structure, but it should still feel comfortable and move naturally when worn.

And then there are all the other details: the pattern, the proportions, the sleeves, the edges, the buttons, the pockets and the finishing.

A good couture jacket should look effortless.

Getting it to look effortless is the difficult part.

Perhaps 99.95% perfect is a more realistic goal than 100%.

We are making clothes, after all. Not miracles.

My own interpretation

There is something else that is very important to me.

Although I love the traditional techniques behind the classic Chanel-style jacket, I do not want to make copies.

That has never been my goal.

The jackets I make today may use some of the same traditional construction principles, but they are my own designs. Some are vintage-inspired, some are more modern, some are longer, softer or more unusual.

They are not replicas.

They are not copycats.

They are atelier pieces made in my own style.

And some of them are among the pieces I am most proud of.

From Chanel-style to historical costumes

Eventually my sewing journey took me in another direction.

I became increasingly interested in historical clothing, historical construction and costume. That eventually led to my work with historical costumes and Cosplay Commissions.

But I never really left those couture techniques behind.

In fact, they come with me into almost everything I make.

The patience, the fitting, the construction, the finishing and the belief that the inside of a garment should be almost as beautiful as the outside — these are lessons that stay with you.

And every now and then, I still feel the urge to make another beautiful jacket.

Perhaps that is why I could never quite leave this part of sewing behind.

A few of my favourites

A few of my favourite couture jackets and ensembles are now available for those who would like to own a genuine handmade atelier piece.

They are made using the techniques I have spent so many years studying and practising, but each one is completely individual.

No two are quite the same.

And that is exactly how I want it.

If you would like to have a look, you can [visit my couture collection here] and see some of the pieces I have made.

Perhaps one of them will become your favourite too.

Or perhaps you will simply enjoy looking at the details and thinking, How on earth did she make that?

I know that feeling very well.

I have been asking myself exactly the same question for many years.

And then, naturally, I usually make another one.