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Inside A Designer Jacket
Inside A Designer Jacket
n the list of iconic fashion garments, there are a few classics that
are included without fail: the little black dress, the crisp white shirt,
the belted trench coat, and the classic French cardigan jacket. What
they share is an uncomplicated elegance and a clever marriage of
fabric, ft, and design. But in none of these garments is the partner-
ship more splendid than in the cardigan jacket. With the added
element of sewing techniques that brilliantly bring the design to life, its
no wonder the term classic so aptly applies.
Ive always been a devotee of haute couture sewing, starting way
back when my grandmother was a client at New Yorks couture salon
Chez Cez et Bez. When a wrist injury cut short my career as a classical
pianist, I applied for a job almost on a lark at Chez Cez
et Bez. To my amazement, I was hired to train with the
most talented designers and seamstresses, and at the
salon, I was able to poke around in boxes of fantastic
garments from various couture houses. Packages from
Chanel were my favoriteswhen I inspected the gar-
ments seams or oh-so-carefully peeked inside a lining, I
was amazed by the fne, ingenious handiwork.
In the following pages, I will show you how to sew the
four key features of a classic cardigan jacketquilted
rows of stitches that anchor the soft boucl fashion
fabric to a slinky lining; hand-fnished seams that pro-
vide hidden strength and support; a hard-working and
decorative chain weight at the hem; and bold trim and
buttons for design interest and stability. Tere really is
nothing like a classic French cardigan jacket, and every
woman deserves to have the simple style, luxury, and ut-
ter comfort of this unique garment in her wardrobe.
Susan Khalje (SusanKhalje.com) is a couturier and cou-
ture sewing teacher, host of DIY.nets Sew Much More, and
Treads newest contributing editor.
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