Modify A Sportcoat to a Kilt Jacket: Website is up

[Hamish]

Hope the site is useful for you all.

Hey Hamish, can you chime in on exactly what an Ettrick Jacket is and how it's different from the Argyll or Braemer?

That is certainly a very comprehensive site, Alan. Unfortunately, the process is well outside my own capabilities and I am most envious of those who, like you, can turn their hands (and minds!) to doing such things Well done!

Yes, you will find that 'Ettrick' is the name of the Lochcarron tweed that is used in the informal jacket, rather than the style of the jacket. I have two Argyll jackets, in lovat green and charcoal grey, and they were tailored using Ettrick tweed. Most Highland outfitters carry, or have tailored to measure, the standard Argyll jacket in Lovat Green, Lovat Blue and Charcoal, and more often than not the tweed will be 'Ettrick' from the Lochcarron mill.

[motorman4life]

Very nice indeed, Alan. I have added a link to your article on my LINKS page. Many thanks for the effort. I'm sure many will find it very useful.

[Sherry]

Great job, Alan. I'm sure your work will be appreciated by many.

Sherry

[Sir Robert]

Outstanding Auld Argonian!

I had mine done by a tailor, cost me $60 USD.

[Southern Breeze]

Just a wee bump, I'm sure there's still a lot of interest in this.

[Panache]

Excellent Article Alan! Next stop the thrift store.

[Alan H]

I've noticed recently that a lot of Argyll jackets seem to be longer than I originally thought. I especially noticed this recently in a picture by Kilted CodeWarrior, who purchased a very fine black Argyll not long ago.

Because of this, if I were to re-do my jacket project I would probably shorten my jacket about 2 inches less than I actually did. One effect of that would be to make it so that leaving the jacket with a single buttonhole would look a lot better.

You see, when I shortened my jacket and put it on, I originally had figured on leaving the lapels the same and having a single-button jacket. However, the lapels looked too long compared with the now shorted "bottom half" of my jacket. That's why I decided to make a double-button jacket, and move the lapel. NOw I feel like my jacket, while it's fine, is about an inch or possibly two inches too short. Hmmm...Maybe I'll have to try this again.

Note that sportcoat styles right now are REALLY long. Three-button jackets are the current fashion. Also, the lapels are somewhat shorter because the first button is higher up the chest. So instead of Alan H making and hard-and-fast rules about "cut off this many inches" it's better for you to spend time staring at lots and lots of kilt jackets until you get a good idea what you're after. Then go to the thrift shop and find that perfect TWEED jacket with PATCH POCKETS. When you have a picture in your mind, THEN go for it.

If you are seriously into it and have some significant sewing skills, you could make a further change from what I suggest on my web site. I'd suggest trying this ONLY if you're up for a lot of work and serious re-shaping of the jacket. Also, only bother with this if you're a rather trim gentleman. If you're more..hmmm..."robust", or as Barb put it once, if you have a bit of a "corporation", then don't bother.

Here's the change:

1. Instead of buying a tweed jacket that's just barely big enough, buy one that fits comfortably (read: a little bit roomy) around the shoulders.

2. In addition to all the steps I wrote in my original web site, do this extra step... Open up about 12-16 inches of the two back seams, right at waist level as I've maarket in black in this diagram;



You'll have to open up the lining as well, OK? Take up about 1/2 to 3/8ths of an inch from each side, both the back and the side panels, to change the shaping of the back of the jacket. This will make the waist measurement of the jacket a little bit smaller, giving it that "fitted" look. If you take up 3/8ths of an inch from EACH panel (so 3/4 of an inch per seam) you will make the jacket about 1.5-inch smaller around the waist. That's a lot, you might want to do a bit less, depending. Try opening up the lining and pinning up how much material you want to take up, and trying the jacket back on. Adjust the pins until it feels good and looks right to you in the mirror. THEN, stitch it up.

Compare my adaption to the original of the diagram, which is available on the Haggar Web Site...



The jackets back panel lines are completely straight in the Haggar drawing, but YOU want YOUR jacket to look more like this:



Here's a photograph that shows what you're trying to approximate by doing this. Look at how the jackets panels are shaped. There's not a straight line anywhere to be found in thiskilt jacket! You won't turn a sportcoat into something this tailored without a total rebuild, but you can "approximate" it.



AGAIN, only do this if your body shape is trim enough that your chest measurement is 4-5 inches (or more) greater than your natural waist measurement. ONLY do this with a jacket that's comfortably large around the shoulders. Remember that opening up the lower 4-5 inches of that same seam down at hip level will let the jacket fit a bit better around the hips, even with the "snugging up" 'you just did around the waist.

BTW, on a more modern 3-button, long sportcoat like what's in style right now, I'd be aiming for a two-button kilt jacket. I'm GUESSING...guessing that I'd start my sporran cutaway about two inches below the second button. YOU, however, will put the jacket on, and stare and stare and stare......and make your own decision.

I would guesstimate that this project would take a hack (like me) 3-4 hours to complete, including sewing the lining back up by hand.

[Alan H]

PS:
do not purchase your jumble-sale jacket with a "center back vent". This is a slit in the MIDDLE of the back, down below the waist. if your jacket has splits, then there must be two of them, along the SIDES of the back of the jacket. Those are called "side vents" You're going to open these up, anyway.

Do not buy a jacket that looks like this!!!!!! NO!



You want this.....



Look here. Find the side vents in the back in the lower picture. THAT is what you want.



By the way, that's a bloody gorgeous jacket in that last link, isn't it?

[beerbecue]

Nice website, and excellent detail on the recent post. The new figures you did really make it much clearer...

Now, perhaps off to the thrift store.....

[Colin]

Nice Work Alan H!!!

You have really put the effort into this thread to help people that may be looking to alter a jacket. The pics, diagrams, and text were great and I am sure will be a great help to everyone wanting to do this project.

About the only thing I can add, is have a bunch of pictures of the jacket you want, before you start cutting. If you want an argyle, find a bunch of different photos on line and print them off as a reference. It helps to know what you want the final project to look like.

The centre back vent may be an issue, but if you just want a casual jacket to go with a kilt, I am sure you can work around the centre vent issue.