It’s officially fall in Atlanta, even though it feels more like a baby winter. Living in this city is so great because we definitely get a chance to watch the seasons slowly transition before things get too harsh. This season I continued on my quest to add more spice and color to my wardrobe with clothing and accessories. So to keep up with that goal I decided to create this coat dress for the transition weather.
The printed cotton wax Ankara, along with this fabric, was purchased during my trip to Nigeria. I wish I had more of it because it seriously was my favorite among everything I bought. Imagine my disappointment when the vendor at the market told me she only had a few yards of it. I knew I needed a lot of yardage in order to make sure the print aligned and flowed well. This is also another one of my excuses for always buying several yards of fabrics with large prints.
I decided on a coat dress because I just love it’s versatility. Throw one on with different styles of jeans for various night and day looks. They pair well with short shorts, over a body-con dress, and even with tailored pants.
I used McCall’s 7835, a vintage 1965 pattern for a brunch coat. Brunch coats were originally designed to be worn as housecoats or wraparound dresses so this felt like the perfect vintage look to play around with.
I added 3 inches to the sleeve for the fold and removed the notches in the collar. Because I wanted a stiffer collar, I added heavier interfacing to make it pop. I was on the fence about the large pockets but decided to keep them because, hey girls love pockets. There are a few hidden snap buttons on the flaps to prevent any accidental flashes of skin when wearing it simply as a dress.
The coat dress dress was worn with Michael Khors sandals (old) but you can grab a few over on Poshmark for less than the original price. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the sewing pattern anywhere online. I bought mine years ago from an estate sale.
Another completed look, another garment closer to my closet goal.
