Coat & Jacket Fabrics

Coat fabric has to do more work than almost any other cloth. It needs to hold a shape over months of wear, keep weather out, take a lining and a good deal of interfacing, and still look like something you'd choose to put on. That's why outerwear cloth tends to be heavier and more structured than dressmaking fabric, and why the choice of cloth does more to determine how a coat turns out than the pattern does.

Wool dominates this collection, and for good reason: it insulates while still breathing, it resists water surprisingly well before any treatment, and it's naturally flame retardant. Melton, tweed, boucle, flannel and cashmere blends all sit here in a spread of weights. Beside the wool, waxed cotton is the traditional British answer to rain, in 6oz and 12oz weights that soften and mark with use in the way people either love or don't. There's also quilted fabric and fleece for linings and lighter jackets, corduroy, denim, faux fur, faux leather and outdoor fabrics.

Choosing cloth by garment

Overcoats and winter coats want the heavier wool coatings and meltons, which hold a tailored line and take the weather. Casual and workwear jackets suit waxed cotton, denim, corduroy and canvas, all of which wear in rather than out. Unstructured and boxy jackets work well in boucle and tweed, which have texture and body without needing full tailoring underneath. Lighter layers and gilets are where quilted fabric and fleece come in, and they double as linings for a heavier outer.

Waxed cotton, briefly

It behaves differently to everything else here, so it's worth knowing before you commit. The wax makes it water-repellent and gives it a distinctive dry, slightly tacky handle. It doesn't press with a hot iron, since the wax will move, and it marks where it's folded or creased, which is part of the character rather than a fault. Use clips instead of pins where you can, as pin holes stay. It can be re-waxed once it starts to dull, which is why a waxed jacket lasts decades. Check the individual product page for the specific guidance.

Sewing outerwear

Everything gets thicker than you expect. Use a heavier needle and a longer stitch, and slow down where seams stack up. Press wool properly, with steam and a cloth, since a well-pressed seam is most of what makes a coat look tailored. Most coats need interfacing through the front, collar and lapel, and a lining to let the whole thing slide on. Bulky cloth wants seams grading and pressing open rather than to one side. Always follow the care guidance on the individual product, as it varies a good deal across this range.

Related collections

For more wool, see wool fabrics, and for the rest of the make there's lining fabric and interfacing. Patterns are in coat and jacket patterns.