This pattern, by Genniewren Designs, is for the Prince Charlie Jacket and Vest only. Other patterns in the Highland Dress and Highland Dance Series are available to enable you to make a complete Highland dress or Highland dance outfit for your doll. Complete the look for your Highland boy with the Highland Accessories, Highland Kilt, Highland Socks and Highland Ghillies, sold separately,as well as in bundled packages (see listing image for purchasing options available).
The Prince Charlie Jacket is nowadays the most popular choice for full Highland Dress, and for formal evening wear in Scotland or among those with a Scottish heritage. Yet while it is considered traditional Highland dress, it is not as old as we might think. Historical paintings of Highland Dress show men wearing doublets rather than short coats and a vest.
The Prince Charlie Jacket first appears in menswear and tailors’ catalogs in the 1920s. It is said to be based on formal military dress from Napoleonic times, mixed with the sophistication of the tuxedo from the Jazz Era, and a hint of the Victorian military formal mess jackets. It was marketed by tailors as the height of fashion, and the Prince Charlie name was used to make it sound more authentic and Scottish, even though it is not traditional at all.
Originally the Prince Charlie Jacket was strictly for evening dress and was never worn before 7pm. Nowadays it is worn at any time of the day for Highland Dance or for formal occasions such as weddings, graduations, parades etc.
The Jacket is a short coat (or “coatee” in Scottish parlance), cutaway at the front, with short tails at the back. The front of the jacket has buttons that mimic the style of a double-breasted jacket, but the cutaway style means that the front edges of the jacket do not meet and the buttons are only for decoration. The Prince Charlie jacket has braided epaulettes that are finished with silver buttons at the neck edge.
The jacket usually has a center back vent, and the tails and sleeves are decorated with scalloped flaps also known as “Braemar cuffs”. The purely ornamental Braemar cuff was “borrowed” from older military-style jackets and a similar style of cuff survives today on the sleeves of the USMC Dress Blues jacket, and several of the famous red jackets worn by British Guards regiments.
This pattern includes a lined Prince Charlie Jacket, along with the formal-style three button vest. The vest, which has a long collar along the front neck edge, is also fully lined and has the back cut from lining fabric rather than the smart fabric. This was a traditional tailoring practice, to reduce bulk and to allow the jacket to fit the wearer more closely. The vest also features traditional welt pockets.
I hope you will enjoy making the Prince Charlie Jacket and Vest for your dolls.
This pattern is also available in a bundled package with The Highland Dress Shirt, and The Highland Accessories pattern at a discounted bundled price.
Recommended Fabrics: This pattern is designed for woven fabrics only. For the jacket and vest medium weight woolen or linen fabrics are recommended, approximately 190-300 gsm (a similar weight to soft denim jeans).
Supplies Needed:
JACKET AND VEST
- Half a yard of medium weight linen or woolen fabric
- (Optional) A third of a yard of contrast fabric for lapels etc.
- Half a yard of lining fabric (e.g. habotai silk or acetate lining)
- 25 x 7mm square or 8mm round doll buttons (silver or gold is traditional, but any style can be used)
- 7” x 3” Lightweight fusible interfacing
- 1 yard of ⅜” wide grosgrain ribbon or ⅜” wide single fold bias tape
- 1 yard of ⅛” (3mm) wide Soutache (russian braid), ⅛” (3mm) wide satin ribbon or 5/64”(2mm) diameter rattail cord for the braided epaulettes.
Skill Level: Intermediate
What You Get: One 48 page sewing pattern that you digitally download as a PDF file so you can start your project immediately! The PDF sewing pattern provides full color step-by-step illustrated instructions and full size pattern pieces. This pattern includes a 6 page Summary of Instructions section so you can print out just the text version if desired to save on printer ink! A PDF reader is required to view and print the files (example: Adobe Reader or Preview for MAC). The download link is received immediately after the transaction is complete. Print copies are NOT available.
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