We were mostly given free reign with this project. The only requirements were that it be an insulated jacket of some kind, with a minimum number of pockets, and a center front zip closure.
I didn't have any sort of insulated jacket at the time, and the only waterproof jacket I had was only a shell. There were a few other features I wanted, like handwarmer pockets, a detachable hood, and inside rib cuffs.
I found a few jackets I liked, and tried to combine the look and features I liked.
Jacket: inspirational. Hair: not so much.
Ultimately, this is what I made:
I decided to continue with the military theme from my previous Navy-inspired jacket, but this time the color inspiration was the Army. I got lucky and found some perfect fabrics in the student store. The jacket is lined with 2.2 ounce Thinsulate. It's amazing how warm it is for how thin the insulation is. They don't call it Thinsulate for nothing, I guess.
You can't really see in this photo, but the seam lines from the sleeves match up with the edges of the shoulder flaps on the front and back. The detachable hood is fully insulated.
I just really like this photo.
The front handwarmer pockets are lined with herringbone wool tweed.
Why stop with just a detachable hood? I also made this detachable cowl/collar. It's fully insulated, and is lined with the same ribbing that's on the collar and cuffs. Great for those blustery days when a scarf just won't cut it.
You can also wear it folded down.
The total number of pattern pieces for this came to about 45. Total number to cut: 122, mostly because of the pockets. Were I to make this for production, I'd probably simplify the pockets to reduce the number of pieces.
Of all the garments I made in school, this is the one that gets the most use. I wear this almost every day in the winter. It's perfect for cold windy days, rain, snow, sleet. It's not entirely waterproof since the seams aren't taped, so it's not great for total downpours, but we don't get a whole lot of that in Seattle anyway. I get compliments on it all the time, and people are amazed that I actually made it myself. I also made a version of this in a heavyweight charcoal wool for my girlfriend's sister to keep her warm on a winter trip to Europe. If it had fit me, I would have been tempted to keep it myself!
