JTO Jacket

Jacket modeled by Eren Jan 

To diversify my portfolio for applying to art colleges, I decided to display my sewing and design skills and create a garment. I made a jacket to encapsulate my favorite trends of Fall/Winter 2018-2019: faux fur, neon, and animal prints. I wanted to design something that follows my aesthetic that is also useful on a day-to-day basis. 

Sherpa jackets and faux fur coats are a big trend right now that I really love. Although, since they are very trendy and popular, it's harder to find something that is unique and stands out. I found the faux furs that I used for the body of the jacket at Michael's and at Joann's, I got the fleece for the lining, the sherpa for the sleeves and the back, and the zipper. 

I never made a jacket before, but I thought it couldn't be that difficult to figure out. I didn't do a sketch for this piece first, so I started with making a pattern. I took a jacket that fit nicely on me, and I used it to make a "copy pattern" to make the fit of the jacket similar to the one I already have. To add a stylistic flare, I extended the sleeves to make them a bit longer and added a collar. Sewing it all together didn't take too long, about 5 hours. The one problem I had is that since the faux fur was a bit thick for my sewing machine, I had to keep replacing the needle, since they would break. Although, I'm pretty proud of the finished piece. I might even wear it to school one day.