Tux jacket conversion

[sydnie7]

EDITED "After the dance" -- I am going to make a few changes to the original conversion detailed below, will post that info as I get around to it. All in all, it was a smashing success and can be seen "in action" about 3 or 4 pages into this thread. Briefly, I will say: 1. Check that your new buttons fit through the existing buttonholes in jacket! 2) my complicated "loose" lining is irrelevant in a short jacket, and will be sewn down tightly to the jacket shell, and 3) after adjusting the lining, I will see if the side vents then sit right (they don't, now). If they still don't sit right, I will remove the flaps and sew the vents up again -- they spoil the line of the rear hem, and to my mind give it a casual appearance.

ORIGINAL POST: With the clan dinner dance this weekend (gulp) I'm finally getting around to converting a thrift-store tux find into a formal kilt jacket, or reasonable facsimile. We have a borrowed PC just in case I run out of time or make a total hash of this, so not really as much pressure as you might think!

I showed the jacket when we first bought it -- note the shawl collar. . . and pants, so plenty of spare material.


Used the PC to help establish a front cutaway line, then modified it slightly to sit better with the bottom of lapel -- the satin edging curves around to the inside for a short way, so I need to start the cutaway below that.


Sat down with the seam-ripper (and some Guinness) last night and opened 'er up. Boy, this thing has lots of gizzards! My re-tailoring won't be quite as detailed, but I'll try to take and post some more shots as I go along.


One decision that could go either way -- I have the skills and materials to make PC-style sleeve and pocket flaps, but wonder if the "pointy" style will sit well with the shawl collar. I'll pin up some rounded flaps and see if that looks better. It will have round gold anchor buttons when finished -- perhaps another reason to stay with curves.

Oh, the epaulettes! Discovered that the jacket had faux cuffs hand-sewn onto sleeve hems. You can just see them in the first photo. When I removed them, I decided that these beautifully finished, satin-edged pieces would make the perfect epaulette. I'll get a shot of them in the next update.

This is a nicely made suit by "Lord West," complete with U.S. garment worker's union label (no, I wasn't looking for it ). Got me humming that jingle. . . for those of us old enough to remember when the U.S. had a garment worker's industry worth advertising. . .

Wish me luck!