Back(b)log; Victorian Chesterfield Coat, part 2

My husband will wear the coat with reenacment events set roughly between 1840-1910. With more epmhasis on the early years 1840-1890.  So we'd like his to reflect that era, so it will need to have the follow elements, small velvet collar, no waist seam but with a slightly fitted waist. Although the coats where mostly black or grey in colour. We choose to make his a dark bottle green. In style with the time of year it will be mostly worn in, around Christmas!

And bcause I can't get enough of pictures of the originals worn. Here a carte-de-visite portrait of the Prince of Wales (right) with Prince Louis of Hesse (Grand Duke Ludwig IV) made in 1862.

source: https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/

I thought both of them where wearing Chesterfield coat but closer inspection revealed a waist seam on the Prince of Wales his coat. The overcoat on the right is a fine example of a single breasted fly front Chesterfield coat.

source: http://www.oslobilder.no/

In this portrait from around 1899 the gentleman on the left is wearing a double breasted Chesterfield coat.

I will not subject you to my love of vintage photography for any longer but I do feel the need to share this image.

Can you guess what Watson is wearing?!

There are not many Victorian mens clothing patterns around so our choice was limited.
Reconstructing History's #937, Gentleman’s Victorian Chesterfield Top Coat was the best if not the only choice.

Because I wanted to start quickly and to save money I decided to go with the download version. The pictures in the description turned out to be of a generic coat, a lot of pattern pieces weren't on the pattern. Most of them where pretty straight forward, so quite easily to draw yourself with the measurements in the description but some of them where harder like the (partial) lining piece. The things that really gave me a lot of trouble where; markings on the body of the coat but not on the sleeves, or vice versa,  I blocked out working with pattern. Ever set in sleeves without knowing how to set them! I had to pin and sew them six times to get it right!  No button placement indication, no breast pocket placement indication (for inside or out!), no measurement for the breast pocket pattern piece. No mention in the description of lining the collar or collar lining piece. No real description how to turn the coat into a double breasted version. I seriously don't remember if the list ends here or if there is more....

I love the combination of the black cotton velvet

and the pine green wool.

Victorian Chesterfield Overcoat

Last year I made my son a blue overcoat inspired by the coat worn by Eddie Redmayne in Fantastic beast and where to find them. We try to keep him engaged in our hobby by making his costume the way he wants it. Even if it means having to cheat a little on the authenticity.

When he asked for this coat, he was actually jumping the queue. As I promised my husband a Victorian overcoat years ago! I sorta had not gotten around to it as there are so many spiffy costuming projects for moi and he still hadn't not made up his mind up on what model he wanted.

This year I decided to make good on my promise. So I made him decided what model he wanted, thumbscrews had to be applied, but we got there in the end!

He wants a Chesterfield coat! Well that's nice but what exactly is a Chesterfield overcoat?

Here are some definitions:

"The chesterfield is a man’s overcoat with simple vertical seams, no side-back piece, and a velvet collar, usually in grey with black." - the Dreamstress

Who also provided me not only  with this excellent pattern from the Thornton’s Sectional System of Cutting Gentleman’s Garments (1893), book but also with the definition in it:

"The Principal Characteristics of the Chesterfield…the turns of the collar and lapels are bold in character, in keeping with the general outline of the garment, and all the details arranged in accordance with the requirements of a winter overcoat… The buttons are of horn or smoked pearl…The edges are double stitched…Sometimes the seams are strapped, a style which produces a very good effect."

The slightly fitted waist is still visible here, 

it has been lost in later models.

"...the original Chesterfield overcoat seems to have been a dark (probably black) single breasted overcoat with a velvet collar and most importantly characterized by a lack of a waist seam. Until then, all the body coats had waist seams in order to guarantee a close fit. The Chesterfield, on the other hand, was to be worn more loosely over another garment and hence did not require waist seams."- Gentleman's Gazette

They had this picture of the coat being worn by it's namesake George Stanhope 6th Earl Chesterfield.

This version doesn't have cuffs or top pockets.

"The Chesterfield has no horizontal seam or sidebodies, but can still be somewhat shaped using the side seams and darts. It can be single- or double-breasted, and has been popular in a wide variety of fabrics, typically heavier weight tweeds, or charcoal and navy, and even the camel hair classic. It has often been made with a velvet collar.These variations make it extremely versatile, so it can be worn with a city suit or even semi-formal dress, as well as casual sports jackets. It was a staple of smartly dressed men's wardrobes from the 1920s to 1960s, and has become a classic style for both men and women." - Wikipedia

Wikipedia also had several good images of a Chesterfield coats from the Victorian and Edwardian era.

Chesterfield coat on the left.

From  The Gazette of Fashion, 1872.

Double-breasted Chesterfield coat, 1876

worn by Major General the Hononorable James MacDonald

painting by James Tissot

Two later versions a double breasted and single breasted.

Also a view of the back!

A 1901 fashion plate of a Chesterfield overcoat,

Source: Men's Fashion Illustration form the Turn of the Century. 

Reprint by Dover Publications, 1990. 

Originally published New York : Jno Mitchell Co. 1910

With the definition of a Chesterfield a little bit more defined. It became time to decide what elements we wanted to use, what kind and what color of fabric and ultimately what pattern to buy.

Viking weekend, Archeon

The weather during our summer vacation hadn't been great. So we were really happy that we had nice and sunny weather when we where in the Archeon.

Our home away from home.

We where standing in the Roman area of the Archeon.

Our son working on his reflexes.

But he prefers to do this!

And got me infected with the virus as well.

My husband made me a quiver based on viking era finds from haithabu.

Nalebinding another pair of socks.

Finally a picture of us together!
And a really nice one to boot.

Made by Dajana Heremic - Fine Art & Craftsmanship