A bespoke coat for a curvy woman – it’s all about the fit and your personality
What’s behind the seams of a made-to-measure garments? Well it’s all about you from start to finish; your personality, the complex part of our being that we are all too often still getting to know years later. It’s interesting for me to note that we can be quite clear about what we don’t like, in terms of design, colour, garment shape/style, but not necessarily be as adamant when it comes to knowing what we would like to wear. I am going to take you on a clients journey, my friend and colleague Karen Huggins, Children’s Wear designer at ‘Little Huggins’
Let’s start with one unhappy client! Karen is such an actress we decided to have one of those ‘before faces’ that you see in the magazines all doom and gloom as their before picture. Karen’s story: she was getting ready to go on a Caribbean Cruise however, before boarding the plane and then cruise ship for sunshine, blue seas and palm trees Karen would have to tackle the cold English weather of harsh winds, and the possibility of snow! A winter coat was the commission, my design brief I have to take into account Karen’s effervescent personality, her love for bold colours, a quirky sense of style.
Having taken Karen’s personal measurements a foundation bodice block pattern is made followed by a toile in calico this is the starting point before moving onto the style draft for the coat. This allows me to look at the overall fit, and symmetry, for example is one shoulder higher than the other and so the fitting list goes on.
From the foundation bodice block, all the fitting issues addressed I then made another pattern, this is the style draft for the winter coat, it’s an opportunity for both Karen and I to discuss how the coat will look. We were not hiding her voluptuous shape our focus are personality, shape, structure and fit; I also have to take into account, it’s a winter coat the function being to provide comfort, warmth and protection.
The fabric:- floral embroidered purple corduroy, purple is one of Karen’s favourite colours however, I felt the need to break this up from being a solid block of colour.
Injecting a contrast of surprise with texture and another colour, taking my lead from the embroidered flowers, I found a pink bouclé fabric that sat comfortably alongside the purple corduroy. The image picture also shows aubergine silk satin lining, as well as a pink flannete underlining which will provide additional warmth.
For the main design of the coat I looked at styles from the 1920’s loose fitting coats that spoke about shape, fluidity and intricate detail a time when design pushed the boundaries to stand out and be different. These features spoke to Karen’s personality, I wanted for her a garment that whilst structured would move with her body, complementing her shape, plus she’s travelling. Which is why the design idea of having the coat fitted from the neck to the waist and flaring below the hip at varying angles made sense.
The coat finally comes into being, contrasting colours and shapes all meld into each other, the two-piece sleeve not to be outdone follows their lead. The stand collar in pink bouclé fabric means there is no need for a scarf, the large glass buttons with a hint of red colouring taken from the embroidered flowers stand proud.
And what is this I see? Karen’s effervescent smile the ‘After’ results of a design, fabric selections, and fittings, a bespoke coat celebrating her personality, shining through in what she wears.
The coat completed we decided to name her ‘Crystal’ because of the purple coudroy fabric reminded us of amethyst, the crystal known for calming the mind, the pink bouclé we named rose quartz a symbol of unconditional love and peace.
I’d be happy to talk with you about your style and personality through what you wear, we can start a conversation by email info@coralturner.com.