Legally Blonde 2023Murray Bridge Players & Singers
Elle and BruiserSimplicity 1299Pattern Description: Simplicity Misses Costume Coat, Jacket, Bustle and Ruffled Skirts. Misses' costume features a long jacket with cuffed sleeves, pockets & buttons and a short jacket with buckle closure, pockets & ruffle trim sleeves and collar. Pattern also includes ruffled skirt in two lengths & detachable bustle.
I wanted a feminine looking leather jacket for this costume, I left off the bustle skirt. I chose this pattern for the ruffle detailing on the cuff, collar and back peplum.
I wanted a leather look jacket with a fitted bodice but girly chic details. 
Toile for fitting
FabricNeon pink vinyl that smelt funny at first but the odour went away! From Spotlight. I bought this fabric on sale in 2022 in anticipation of making this costume. It was an online order and I left the vinyl in the bag until I needed it so getting the creases out was impossible but I did iron it very lightly and they became more faint. My mistake.
Satin for lining from Tricia’s Discount Fabrics
Buckles from my stash.
I traced the pattern pieces directly onto the wrong side of my vinyl using a sharpie as I could not pin it.
I used quilters holding clips instead of pins to secure the seams for sewing.
The fabric was actually very easy to sew with and apart from remembering to use a 4mm stitch for all the topstitching, I didn’t have any trouble.
Pleating on the collar
Fit changes
Shortened the sleeve length a bit, took the front bust shaping in a bit through the front to front princess seam. Cut the centre front so the collar is edge to edge to make it more fitted.
gussetDesign changes As this is a costume and will be worn on stage the actor need a wide range of motion so I added underarm gussets to the pleather and the lining.The actor will wear this jacket undone so I needed it to look good in that format, she has to remove it quickly for a scene change and wouldn’t have time to undo all the buckles. 
buckles done upHowever I still wanted to make the closure functional but also balanced. I changed the front buckle tabs and only used left side tab 32. This tab is pointed at both ends where the right side tab only has a point on one side. The right tab is designed to thread through the buckle centre, fold over to the wrong side and be stitched down then attached to the jacket. I wanted a more elaborate detail so used the left tab pattern and folded the smaller pointed end to thread through the buckle then fold it back on top of the larger pointed end and stitched down so they nested.
On the photo showing the buckle tabs A shows my version done up. B shows my version open with the magnets holding the right tab folded back. C shows how the right tab looks when the magnet is not engaged. D shows the original version as the pattern instructs with the buckle side plain. 
On the left side of the jacket, the tabs would just stick out when not fastened and this looked out of place.
I inserted small adhesive magnets into both ends of the left tab so when it was not done up the tab would fold back on itself and be secured by the magnets into the nested shape that matched the right side tab. 
Eliminated the pockets all together I also added another buckle tab on top off the back tab which sits above the pleated mini peplum because I like symmetry and matching details. 
Sleeve cuff
I lined the jacket for neatness and also because the vinyl created friction with other clothes and wouldn’t come off quickly. I chose a nice slippery satin so the actor could remove the garment quickly. This also prevented the white side of the vinyl showing. 
I added a sleeve head to the inside of the sleeve to keep the gathered head sleeve proud. 
Once I had constructed the back pleated peplum I realised it should really be lined because the white side of my vinyl was very visible. I used a pink sharpie and coloured in the white backing so it wouldn’t show up.
Coming in Part 3
dress rehearsal photos by photographer Jason McCullough
Elle and Bruiser
Simplicity 1299
Pattern Description:
Simplicity Misses Costume Coat, Jacket, Bustle and Ruffled Skirts. Misses' costume features a long jacket with cuffed sleeves, pockets & buttons and a short jacket with buckle closure, pockets & ruffle trim sleeves and collar. Pattern also includes ruffled skirt in two lengths & detachable bustle.Toile for fitting
Fabric
I traced the pattern pieces directly onto the wrong side of my vinyl using a sharpie as I could not pin it.
I used quilters holding clips instead of pins to secure the seams for sewing.
The fabric was actually very easy to sew with and apart from remembering to use a 4mm stitch for all the topstitching, I didn’t have any trouble.
Sleeve cuff
I added a sleeve head to the inside of the sleeve to keep the gathered head sleeve proud.
dress rehearsal photos by photographer Jason McCullough
I wanted a feminine looking leather jacket for this costume, I left off the bustle skirt.
I chose this pattern for the ruffle detailing on the cuff, collar and back peplum.
I wanted a leather look jacket with a fitted bodice but girly chic details.
I wanted a leather look jacket with a fitted bodice but girly chic details.
Fabric
Neon pink vinyl that smelt funny at first but the odour went away! From Spotlight. I bought this fabric on sale in 2022 in anticipation of making this costume. It was an online order and I left the vinyl in the bag until I needed it so getting the creases out was impossible but I did iron it very lightly and they became more faint. My mistake.
Satin for lining from Tricia’s Discount Fabrics
Buckles from my stash.
Satin for lining from Tricia’s Discount Fabrics
Buckles from my stash.
I used quilters holding clips instead of pins to secure the seams for sewing.
The fabric was actually very easy to sew with and apart from remembering to use a 4mm stitch for all the topstitching, I didn’t have any trouble.
Pleating on the collar
Fit changes
Shortened the sleeve length a bit, took the front bust shaping in a bit through the front to front princess seam. Cut the centre front so the collar is edge to edge to make it more fitted.
Shortened the sleeve length a bit, took the front bust shaping in a bit through the front to front princess seam. Cut the centre front so the collar is edge to edge to make it more fitted.
gusset
Design changes
As this is a costume and will be worn on stage the actor need a wide range of motion so I added underarm gussets to the pleather and the lining.
The actor will wear this jacket undone so I needed it to look good in that format, she has to remove it quickly for a scene change and wouldn’t have time to undo all the buckles.
buckles done up
However I still wanted to make the closure functional but also balanced. I changed the front buckle tabs and only used left side tab 32. This tab is pointed at both ends where the right side tab only has a point on one side. The right tab is designed to thread through the buckle centre, fold over to the wrong side and be stitched down then attached to the jacket. I wanted a more elaborate detail so used the left tab pattern and folded the smaller pointed end to thread through the buckle then fold it back on top of the larger pointed end and stitched down so they nested.
On the photo showing the buckle tabs A shows my version done up.
B shows my version open with the magnets holding the right tab folded back.
C shows how the right tab looks when the magnet is not engaged.
D shows the original version as the pattern instructs with the buckle side plain.
On the left side of the jacket, the tabs would just stick out when not fastened and this looked out of place.
I inserted small adhesive magnets into both ends of the left tab so when it was not done up the tab would fold back on itself and be secured by the magnets into the nested shape that matched the right side tab.
Eliminated the pockets all together
I also added another buckle tab on top off the back tab which sits above the pleated mini peplum because I like symmetry and matching details.
I lined the jacket for neatness and also because the vinyl created friction with other clothes and wouldn’t come off quickly. I chose a nice slippery satin so the actor could remove the garment quickly. This also prevented the white side of the vinyl showing.
Once I had constructed the back pleated peplum I realised it should really be lined because the white side of my vinyl was very visible. I used a pink sharpie and coloured in the white backing so it wouldn’t show up.
Coming in Part 3
dress rehearsal photos by photographer Jason McCullough