Inside a Burberry Trench

I wrote this post a number of years back, and it is in the forefront of my mind because I'm working on a trench coat right now, so while the Thanksgiving turkey cooks, here it is again for your sewing pleasure...

A couple of things to note about this coat: the collar stand (of course it has a separate collar stand) is pretty high. This helps keep rain off the neck. It also looks quite sharp.

Buttons are either plastic or metal. My coat is navy; the buttons are black. Notice that the button for the breast flap is smaller than the others. The buttons are supported by small plastic buttons on the back.

Buttonholes are all machine-worked keyhole style.

The breast flap buttonhole is positioned at a 45-degree angle.

Buckles on the belt and the sleeves are leather-covered. In some models they are metal to match the buttons. The sleeves are three-piece raglan sleeves. Burberry also makes styles with 2-piece set-in sleeves. Sleeves are topstitched along the upper arm seam.

The body of the jacket is lined with the classic Burberry plaid. Note the careful placement of the plaid along the princess seams.

The sleeves are lined with satin twill to make the coat easier to get on and off. The sleeve linings are also three-piece raglan.

The lining is bagged. Interestingly, while the outer shell has a center-back seam, the lining does not.

Burberry also positions the buttonholes so you can opt for a partially-open look. It’s kind of cool and a nice casual touch.

Hopefully that gives you some insight into the construction of a classic trench coat. Have fun and happy sewing!

Ann

December 1, 2019 ETA: Coincidentally, The Cutting Class did a post yesterday highlighting details of current-season Burberry coats. I have to wonder if they were "inspired" by my little post 😂