Buttons On Both Sides of a Jacket Closure?

[Bugbear]

I have seen mess jackets, Colonel, though I don't have one to studdy closely. The jacket I am experimenting with is more like an Argyle and a bit longer.

In fact, what I have is a two button suit jacket. I have cut it down to be hemmed at a length around the bottom of the fell on a kilt. Where the experiment comes in is in the tailoring on the back of the jacket.

I have made a pleat on either side of the back of the jacket to make the flap that an Argyle style jacket would have. I then sewed down these pleats at the waistline, or around the same place a kilt belt would be. The top few inches of the pleats have become darts that follow the shoulder blades up toward the arm. The bottom of the pleats form the back flap of the jacket and the vents. With this tailoring, there is no need to open a side seam and put a fabric panel behind it, as in the normal jacket conversions. It also makes the waist much more fitted.

However, because of this tailoring in the back, the jacket is no longer closable... It's changed the hang of the front of the jacket just a bit.

I think it might look better with a three button closure, but I don't think I can reproduce the buttonhole between the two that are already there that would be needed.

So, I thought, what if I put buttons on both sides of the closure and covered the button holes... Thinking about the buttons on both sides, I kind of liked the symmetry of the front of the jacket. And... that's where we are now.

[Bugbear]

All Right then, I am making arrangements to go shopping for buttons at some point in the near future. I will try to find buttons that are similar to what the jacket has on it now, just a little bigger for the front closure, and hope it is not too weird. I'm not sure that I will be wearing this jacket, so it's not too important.

Just trying to finnish up the experiments with the jacket and get it out of my hair.

* Oh no... I need to get buttons for the waistcoat, too, if I'm going to replace the jacket buttons. *

[Bigkahuna]

I think it's going to look like a short Peacoat.

[Bugbear]

I think it's going to look like a short Peacoat.

I don't remember exactly what a peacoat looks like, but the material isn't that thick.

And a couple of notes on the progress of the jacket conversion:

My attempts to fix the dammaged buttonhole on the front of the jacket have not worked, so there is no choice but to cover the buttonholes with buttons.

I have installed a stabilizer in the waist area that attaches to the hair canvas in the front and goes across the back. This supports the pockets; takes the stress off the stiching of the pleats I put in the back; and is also an anchor point for some other interfacing.

I very much like the fit of the jacket across the back, and the work is coming along. I sew extremely slowly, so it will probably be a couple more weeks before I am finished.

[Bugbear]

But, since this thread came up again, I have been wondering about a jacket style.

Some of the American Founding Fathers and colonial folk have been depicted wearing a coat that is short along with their knee length pants etc.., as well as, some kind of cravat-like neck wear. I think that is what is stuck in my mind.

What kind of coat is that?