Merchant Coat

There are a dizzying variety of possiblities for medieval mens coats, the main-stay of the middle and upper class gentleman's wardrobe.

Fabric

Apholstery department ahoy! A bluish-grey tapestry fabric was used for the coat and hat and a study navy broadcloth was used for the shirt and lapels. Blue and grey were chosen as the color scheme to complement the gentleman's fair coloring.

Design Sketch

Okay, so the garment mutated a bit after the design phase. I decided to get rid of the long over-sleaves to conserve fabric. And the shirt has the decorative buttons instead of the coat. And I lengthened the lapels. And the shirt sleaves were changed to poofy instead of tight to be more comfortable. Okay, so the end result is nothing like the original idea. But it has a nice hat.

Pattern Highlights

Because this garment was for the father of the bride, who was to have an important role in the entertainment before the ceremony, considerable trim and adornments were included. The back of the coat was cut in a graceful drape to match the slight train on the mother of the bride's gown.

Finished Garment