Review: McCall's m7442, View C– A Dress Coat for a Lady

This coat is perfectly shaped for wearing over your favourite dress for winter! The style is a modern version of a 1930s coat without the leg of mutton sleeves. I've made a video tutorial for this coat so that even beginners can enjoy this pattern! 

Pattern: McCall's 7442; Coat Fabric: Wool (thrifted); Lining: Bemsilk (Fabric Vision) 

What to love about this pattern 

I feel like an elegant lady when I wear this coat! The style is classic and similarly shaped to the Collectif coats without the huge price tag of course! The bodice of this coat has lovely seam lines created by front and back yoke sections. How cute is the frilly peplum at the waist?  

What I don't like about this pattern 

This coat isn't lined below the waist so it's best for autumn weather. I don't mind this though, because the lightness of the skirt helps it drape nicely and you won't have static issues with whatever you wear underneath. Also, I found that the dots didn't align nicely on the sleeve for size 12. 

Changes that I made 

I didn't add the horsetail braid to the hem of the skirt like the pattern suggested. I'm not a fan of horsetail braid; the last time I tried to use this stiffener on a dress hem it bent out of shape and looked terrible. The fit for the coat was perfect straight off the pattern, so didn't make any adjustments. I love the fit of coats for McCall's patterns they always look fantastic! 

What I could have done better 

The fabric I used had some issues with miss-dyed patches, which you can see at the back of the coat. Unfortunately this happens when you're thrifty with fabric!

Difficulty 

I think this is a great challenging coat for people learning to sew. It's like sewing a dress with sleeves so it's a great way to extend your skills into sewing coats. The sleeves are more difficult to sew than normal coats because you need to align two seams on the sleeves and the bodice. Aligning these seams creates a sleek look once done though. Follow my tutorial to learn how to make perfectly aligned sleeve seams! 

The Verdict 

This frock coat is elegant and looks lovely over the top of the full skirt. The skirt is a full circle so it's perfect for twirling! This coat is perfect for pin-ups or vintage enthusiasts on a budget. My video tutorial is posted on my YouTube channel so check it out!

• Instruction Clarity: 4/5. The instructions are quite good, but could have more detail for difficult areas like sewing the armholes.
• Fit: 5/5. The fit is lovely and very flattering. I'm not a fan of darts at the waist to shape the bodice for coats, but in this case it works really well! 
• Design Elegance: 5/5. This pattern has so many great designs! I love the options to use lace and frills to add drama. I'll definitely be using it again in the future. 
• Final Product: 5/5. I love this coat and it looks exactly like the pattern. 
• Overall: 4.8/5. This coat is the perfect addition to all wardrobes and making it yourself is much better for your wallet too.