Cashmerette Chilton Trench Coat

I was excited when Jenny introduced the Cashmerette Chilton Trench Coat pattern. I love the look of a trench, but here in the high and dry desert, most of our precipitation is snow, so I’ve never actually owned a trench coat. Lucky for me, I’m the only one here at The Confident Stitch who is large enough to fit in Cashmerette Patterns! Also, our seamstress, Bonnie, loves tailoring and topstitching, so she was gung-ho as well.

Cashmerette Chilton Trench Coat Sizing

Bonnie did a lot of flat-tissue measurements for this project, and she ended up grading between three sizes. She started with a size 16 C/D cup (I can’t remember why). She graded up to a size 18 for the upper back and cape, and down to a size 12 for the sleeves. For reference, my measurements are: high bust 38”, full bust 42.5”, waist 35”, hip 42”. I am 6’ tall. The 16 C/D cup measurements are: full bust 44”, waist 36”, and hip 46”. She also lengthened the sleeves by 2.5”, and moved the belt loops so they hit at my smallest point.

Fabric Choices

Bonnie used our coated linen lined with an aboriginal print quilting cotton for the trench. She found both easy to sew with. I also love the fabrics, even though I’ll need to dry-clean the linen. Because the coated linen isn’t machine-washable, it’s perfect for fancy outerwear that you’ll want to dry clean anyway.

Chilton Trench Coat Conclusions

Bonnie found the pattern instructions easy to follow, even though there are a ton of pattern pieces. She was downright gleeful about all the topstitching. I’m gleeful to own such a fancy coat. Even with lightweight fabric, the coat is substantial, however. You may want to avoid thick fabrics for this pattern.