MAKING A CHANEL SUIT

I’m making a Chanel Suit for a special client. The jacket is base bodice is cut out using BOF Full Size jacket from the August, 2008 magazine. The sleeves are cut using Claire B. Shaeffer Vogue pattern # 8259.

For the skirt I used Ann Klein Vogue pattern # 2834. This is a pleated skirt which it is perfect for the client, since she has narrow hips. The pleats on the pattern face towards the center front, but they will be change to face outwards.

The suit has a hat made of the same fabric as the suit. We want to give the “Gabriel” Chanel look. Although Chanel’s suits (Gabriel) that we see her wore were mostly white with black trim, we went with a boucle similar to the one use for Chanel Spring 2009 RTW collection. It is almost exactly, but I’m sure it is not.

Changes were made on the pattern, looking closely to Gabriel jackets, I could see the armhole is higher on both the armpit and the shoulder, given greater movement to the arm without the “pull” we have when the armhole’s are larger. Needless to say there would be no shoulder pads on the jacket.

After all fitting/changes were made on the muslin, I cut the fabric with 2” seam allowances on side seams, princes seams, 1 ½” to armhole, neckline and 3” for the hem.

All edges were overlock to keep the cut lines. Then the basting was done. I’m doing the quilting on a horizontal at 1 ½” “lines” with a distance of 2”

One of the Chanel details is the trims used for the jackets. I wanted to be as “true” to the Chanel Jacket as I could, so instead of purchasing or using an already made trim, I made my own. I experimented with the yarns to get the right “look” for the suit.

On this photo you’d see the first two trim I braided, I thought the all white trim will be nice, but it just did not, then I braided black and white together, although I like the way it looks it was just not write for the fabric, it just blend right in with the fabric.

Both of these trims were braided with 6 strands of yarn. I thought if I use 12 it would do. No they are too heavy. I have to say I do like the white wide braid with the white and black smaller braid on top; I might use this for address some day.

The final pic shows the way I’m going with the trim. I used 8 strands of yarn, 4 black, one furry black, one white, and the last white with small pompom balls. The black furry was worked as one with one of the black strands, so was the white pompom’s with a white strand.