Tail/morning coat pattern draft

[SO_tailor]

I've been trying to find a fairly recent draft on a tailcoat (preferably post 1940s) but have came up empty handed. Does anyone know where to find a good tailcoat or morning coat pattern draft?

Thanks.
-Solomon

(Edit: also is there a way to convert an existing suit jacket into a tailcoat pattern?)

[Schneiderfrei]

A tailcoat is a development of a body coat pattern, so a lounge /sports coat will not be a useful starting point in general.  A body coat is much more fitted to the shape of the body.

I'll have a look.

[Steelmillal]

Tried workaround. Find photo. Paste into wayback machine. Some joy.

https://rrr00129.blogspot.com/2012/06/cutter-tailormorning-coatsaks.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20150915055209/http://www.cutterandtailor.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1061

[TSjursen]

If you have a well fitting coat pattern it is a perfectly good starting point in my opinion, but if this is the first time you are attempting a body coat draft then perhaps following instructions that gets you a complete pattern may be easier.

If you already have a good coat pattern and the time to experiment a bit, here is a general idea of what needs to be done to make a body coat pattern out of it:

- Tape or glue the back and forepart to a piece of paper (in the same position as they were drafted).

- Back seam gets 3/4 to 1 inch suppression

- Mark the waist seam on the back at or below the natural waist, square this line forward to the centre front

- Draw the new side seam (the curved seam of the back), the width of the back is usually about 2 to 2.5 inches at the waist seam line but it is really entirely a matter of taste, same goes for where the seam hits the armhole.

- Give about 1.5 to 2 inches of suppression at the side seam. Curve the side seam of the sidebody to meet the side seam of back on the chest line. The side seam of the sidebody as it is now will be too short. To make up the required length sweep by the top of the side seam (where it meets he armhole) from the waist seam line on the back to the bottom of the side seam of sidebody. Also add some extra to the top of the sidebody side seam into the armhole. Any excess is trimmed away at the armhole when making up.

- From the bottom of the sidebody side seam, draw the waist seam curving upwards under the armhole, and then back down where the waist seam meets the centre front.

- Mark out on chest line from back seam slightly less than 1/2 chest, this gives a good position for the top of the sidebody seam

- Draw the side seam about straight down, give it about 1 to 1.5 inches of suppression. If you placed the waist seam below the natural waist you must spring out at the bottom of the sidebody seam on both forepart and sidebody to provide for the hips.

- Shape the front to taste, if a tailcoat then measure back from the net centre front line half the amount of waistcoat you wish to show in the finished garment (i.e. 2 inches back if you want a 4 inch gap when finished). If there is a front dart you can keep it where it is, just run it into the waist seam.

- Measure up the waist. If it is too small reduce the suppression at the sidebody seam.

-The back skirt is in one continuous piece with the back. Add on for a hook vent at the back and a pleat at the side.

Cut out all the pieces and draft the skirt: lay the sidebody and forepart in position as drafted, square down from the bottom of the side seam to the seat/hip level, square out towards the back 1 inch. Draw a line through this point from the bottom of the side seam and mark the length of the skirt slightly longer than the corresponding line of the back. Mark out another 0.5 inches at hip level and draw the line of the pleat in a neat curve (the curve is drawn to a straight and pressed when making up, which gives room and shape to the hips). Add on 1 to 1.5 inches for the pleat on the back and back edge of skirt. Measure up the waist line as it will be when finished, mark the front edge of skirt forward on waist seam from back edge of the finished skirt pleat the same quantity plus 1-2 cm depending on the customers seat size. The extra is shrunk away under the arm or taken out in a dart. Waist seam of skirt follows the line of the waist seam as drafted on the other pieces, although at the front it is often dropped down 1/4" to 3/8". Draw the front edge of the skirt in harmony with front edge of the forepart.

Both tailcoats and morning coats benefit from a good amount of shape in the chest as it helps to make the fronts cup forward and cling to the body.

[Gerry]

I'm not the original poster, but thank you TSjursen. Saved for future reference! 

[SO_tailor]

Alright I'll try that out TSJursen, as well as a few other drafts I found on bodycoats. Thanks for posting!

-Solomon