This jacket happened after I went to go and see Crimson Peak and was inspired by the opulence of the costume design and the large sleeves of late era Victorian garments, combined with a dash of details from military uniforms of ages past.

The body of the jacket is not super tight, but is fairly close cut, the main feature being the large leg ‘o mutton sleeves and the draped cowl bustle set into the back waist. The jacket can button up at the centre front with small loops of golden-yellow cord over small buttons set into fabric & lace flowers. It can button all the way up, but was made more in mind with just being buttoned in and below the waist - both options are shown in the pictures.

The forearm section of the sleeves are fairly narrow and the cuffs are trimmed with a row of taffeta pleats. This pleated trim is also set inside the collar and along the lower edge of the bustle section. Flowers made of matching fabric and set with golden/brassy buttons in their centres are scattered about the jacket, while taffeta & lace versions are set onto the shoulder to echo the look of military style epaulets. Gold woven braid on the waistline and around the collar also add to the overall richness.

Construction

Outer Fabric: Main - 100% synthetic velour in deep purple. Pleat trim - Crushed nylon taffeta in golden-yellow. Trim: Cotton & synthetic blend woven braid in gold, synthetic lace in black. Buttons: Cast plastic buttons with gold/brassy finish.

Lining (fully lined): Crushed nylon taffeta in golden-yellow.

Measurements

The jacket is approximately a size 34 - it has finished measurements of 102cm around the bust and 84cm at the waist, it is cut high over the hip so if the waist and bust are ok that should be fine. The person in the pictures has a bust of 93cm and a waist of 73cm.

Washing / Garment care

I am not a specialist when it comes to washing clothes, so I would strongly recommend speaking to a cleaning professional for best results. I will provide as much information about the materials as I can to help in this regard. In general though, I can say that this is not the type of garment you will be able to just throw in the washing machine/drier!