A new consolidated Jacket Conversion Thread

[CMcG]

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I'm not a big fan of severely cut-away jackets, so I gave it a gentile sweep, but was still able to eliminate about six inches of length.

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Well done there MNlad. I think you may be onto something with the more gentle sporran cutaway and judicious removal of length. Your conversion looks less... conversion-like!

[DyerStraits]

Well done there MNlad. I think you may be onto something with the more gentle sporran cutaway and judicious removal of length. Your conversion looks less... conversion-like!

EXACTLY! It has a very natural, un-truncated look that most conversions unfortunately have, and the additional details--shoulder straps and pocket buttons (even on the ticket pocket!)--make for a very un-converted look. If I didn't know any better, I would essentially assume it was completely bespoke. It's a truly outstanding work of highly talented alteration tailoring.

[KentuckyCeltophile]

Well done there MNlad. I think you may be onto something with the more gentle sporran cutaway and judicious removal of length. Your conversion looks less... conversion-like!

As part of this thread, it would be helpful to me to see a jacket that looks "conversion -like". I would love to have a kilt jacket, but at the moment don't want to shell out loads of coin for a nice tweed or Braemar. A conversion seems like a good idea, but I'm afraid it will not look right.
Cheers.

[English Bloke]

This is my converted pin-stripe suit jacket.




Pocket flaps tucked in... Tissshk... lack of attention to detail.

The jacket was originally part of a suit I used to wear regularly for work to the point the trousers expired. The jacket however was fine so to give it a new lease of life, it was adjusted by my nimble fingered Mother-in-Law who is a retired seamstress. She used another pukka kilt jacket as a guide and with a bit of tailor's chalk, roughed out the sweep of the off-cut. She took about 2.5" (6 and a bit cm) of the bottom then re-sewed in the hem and lining. Amazingly, I took her only an hour or two. I am fortunate. It would have been beyond my capability


It's one of my favourite jackets now and gets fairly regular use.


Along with the Kilt, it often draws attention and I'm frequently complimented on it.

By the way, MML. I've sent you a PM

[Taskr]

I've been eyeing a couple of tweeds in Value Village for a conversion. M'll post on what to look for will be very helpful. MNlad - I can only hope to find as good and do as well.

[MacLowlife]

kilt with linen.jpg

This is an unconstructed linen jacket, in a slightly unusual color. A tailor converted it for me and did a good job, but I am not convinced the full -sized patch pockets look "right". What makes it worth my while is the light weight, which is good for at least 6 months in SC. It has no vent, but its light weight makes it easy to wear.

I do not expect people to be proud of experiments that didn't work out, or of "learning experiences" but we might all just be understanding and recognize that some conversions are better than others. To my mind, the most obvious problems are pocket flaps without enough space below them and vents that end up being less than 4" long. I think closing a vent may be better than leaving it short, but often it is easy enough to open a vent up a little further.

[CMcG]

kilt with linen.jpg

This is an unconstructed linen jacket, in a slightly unusual color. A tailor converted it for me and did a good job, but I am not convinced the full -sized patch pockets look "right". What makes it worth my while is the light weight, which is good for at least 6 months in SC. It has no vent, but its light weight makes it easy to wear.

I do not expect people to be proud of experiments that didn't work out, or of "learning experiences" but we might all just be understanding and recognize that some conversions are better than others. To my mind, the most obvious problems are pocket flaps without enough space below them and vents that end up being less than 4" long. I think closing a vent may be better than leaving it short, but often it is easy enough to open a vent up a little further.

I think that your uncertainty about the full size patch pockets may be warranted... I'm guessing they'd look better (i.e. less conversion-like) if they were a bit shorter, like about equal with the middle of your three buttons. On the other hand, I see what you said about the shorter lapels being important for a conversion candidate because they work very nicely on yours. I hand not considered vent length either...

[MNlad]

All of MacLowlife's advice is spot on.

There was a period of time in the 1960s when sport coats featured higher collars (gorges), double vents, and pockets that were significantly higher than was the fashion the following three decades. These make for the easiest conversions, but are hard to find today. Next in line are three-button suit coats where you often eliminate the bottom button and buttonhole as part of the process. The hardest to convert, but the ones you find most often, are later generation two-button jackets. Trying to eliminating the bottom button to accommodate a sporran often results in a severe cut-away look. Combined with the deep plunging neckline, it unfortunately usually screams CONVERSION!

It takes persistence to find a good candidate jacket, but when you do find one, it's like hitting the jackpot. In the meantime, try your hand at one or two thrift store coat conversions. You're only out a few dollars and when the right jacket does come alone, you'll feel much more comfortable taking a scissors to it.

[MacLowlife]

Here are a couple of converted jackets that have served lately as moth rations.

One is a very old tuxedo jacket that I used once or twice. I turned under ( actually pushed in, like folding socks, almost) four or five inches of length and whipped/ basted the new hemline. When I wore it, I had square buttons at the waist and cuff, but those have been removed. Nowadays, I would probably search for a "Spencer" jacket or maybe a USAF dress mess, but when I needed a black tie kilt jacket, this one did well in a pinch.

(Because it was a dark party, I did not bother to improve the cutaway. The jacket has a slightly odd "chopped off" look to it, with just a little remaining cutaway from the original length. But black tie jackets are often 'odd' or 'original' so I figured it was OK.)

The other jacket came to me as part of an auction lot. It is an ancient and honorable Harris Tweed sport jacket, originally a 46 Long. I believe it was made for a gentleman of some girth. As you can see, it was treated to a radical cutaway treatment. I can't be sure whether a new button and buttonhole were added higher up, or that was a button that was never intended to be buttoned, but was always there. One other buttonhole remains, sort of- they did a patch job on the inner facing of the coat front and effectively plastered over the other side of the buttonhole, like a window that has been walled in. Look for the bottom buttonhole, barely visible in the pictures and just plain forlorn. Interestingly, I think the flaps look OK, at least vis-a vis the hemline, but that is the nicest thing I can say about this one.

Maybe another handy rule is to pay attention to how the flaps line up with the buttons- I will have to think about that some more...

Like my semi-constructed rusty linen, this jacket seems to work best when it is buttoned- the lapel wants to go other places- it wants to roll like a "3/2 Ivy League" jacket, where the front HAS 3 buttons, but the lapels are "rolled" to the second button. If you don't understand what I am talking about just go to That Internet Auction Site or Etsy and search 3/2 ivy...


001.jpg007.jpg008.jpg009.jpg

Just a couple of other notes:

A friendly correspondent told me about a tool that tailors use- it is a "French curve" similar to the one draftsmen use and it aids in the plotting and cutting of the cut away. That same gent also suggested the crucial role of proper buttons. Like my chopped off tuxedo jacket above, which passed because it had square silver buttons, many a converted jacket is improved by stag or leather knot buttons, or at least interesting horn ones, where formerly dwelled shiny plastic ones.

I have at least two more installments to add later on- won't someone else add a little more meat to this stone soup?

Meanwhile, thanks, all and sundry for your help and encouragement- keep those pictures and stories coming.
M'll

[Nathan]

I used to wear a converted tweed in my teens and that experience taught me a few things. I'll share them here:

1) Do the math. If you're paying a tailor, it's often less expensive to buy a used kilt jacket rather than converting one but if you are a less common size, you may not have that option. So, know what your tailor charges for each alteration and calculate that to see if the purchase is worth it. You could pay a lot for almost right.
2) Double down. If you are converting, look for a double vented jacket. This is easier in Britain because in NA most sports coats are single vented or at least they were during the tweed craze of the 70s and early 80s where many of your source material will come from. Even Harris Tweeds made for the NA market are single vented. Frustrating. Jackets designed to be worn with the kilt are double vented.
3) Get Shorty. If you take say a 40 Regular, get a 40 Short if possible. You'll have to lengthen the sleeves but everything else (button stance, gorge, height of vents, pocket flaps) will work better on a jacket that's already cut for a shorter man. Ensure there's enough cloth to lengthen the sleeves if you go that route. If you're not adding gauntlet cuffs, ensure the cloth isn't faded at the cuff as that will show when you lengthen the sleeves. If you're already short, disregard this one.
3) Nip the waist. Take in the sides a little to create a "new" waist and give the jacket better shape. jackets are cut to tuck in and flare out again. On a Saxon jacket this usually happens closer to the hips than on a kilt jacket.
4) Stay away from the corner. Avoid corners on your cutaway. A three button jacket helps with this but converted jackets often have an obvious corner where the cutaway starts rather than a smooth line like kilt jackets.
5) Attack the wack low flap. As MacLowlife mentioned, move your pocket flaps up so the bottom of them just covers your pocket slit. Pockets that are too close to the hem of your jacket are a dead giveaway. Patch pockets, while easier to deal with, don't look right.
6) Stag party. As MacLowlife mentioned, change the buttons. Factor the cost of new buttons into your math.
7) Give three piece a chance. Finally, if you can start with a tweed 3 pc suit, you'll end up with a matching waistcoat and lots of extra material from the trousers for making gauntlet cuffs, epaulettes etc...

If you can do this yourself and are a very patient shopper, you can save a lot of money. Wait for the right candidate for conversion.