While we were in Argentina in August, I kept my eyes peeled for Patrones issues whenever we passed a newsagent. It didn’t take long before I found this one on a newstand in Mar del Plata (and 343, which I already own), likely from last winter but who cares? Patrones do the best coat patterns, and this is a Coats Special!! I’ve made so many of theirs in in the past, most notably my winter coat (still my main winter coat several years later!), the silver tweed jacket I throw on in summers, and my duffle coat, which I wore until it was literally in tatters. I’ve got some wool coating burning a hole in my stash right now, so it’s likely I’ll look to Patrones for this coat, too.
I was mostly drawn to the top, but the Armani blazer is also worth a note for its razor-sharp lapels! On first glance, the top has a shape very similar to a lot of other patterns (like that Lekala top I made a few years back) but a closer look reveals it’s actually got two layers – a satin layer underneath and a gauze layer on top.
This menswear-inspired sheath dress would be a great alternative to the clichéd skirt suit for business meetings! Apart from the curved waist seaming, I love the waist-lapel – it feels more like a blazer than a peplum (which we’re all so over by now, right?). This also reminded me of Charity Shop Chic’s recent spectacular Dior-inspired refashion, too.
Ok, now on to the coats feature, and, ignoring the bubblegum pink colour, I just love this dolman sleeved cocoon coat! It fastens with a hidden zipper placket and only uses 2m of wool, which is conveniently the exact amount of my navy wool coating… This is now top of my list to muslin!
This short sleeved blanket coat is marked as an easy sew, and apart from all the binding, I reckon it’d be a pretty quick one, too. I could easily see this in a double sided, thick wool, maybe a Pendleton? With a bit of tinkering on the buttons and pockets it could be reversible, too.
In the Plus section, this coat-cape is the weirdest design I’ve seen in a while. It looks like a loose fitting coat, but with big armpit slits you can put your arms through. But surely it’d mean you’d have a constant draft even when your arms are inside and presumably you’d want to be warm?? I just don’t get it.
Still in the Plus section, this blazer has some nice lines but I love this blouse! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it before! The waist shaping, the batwing sleeves, the back view – I just wish it was in my size!
It’s bee a while since I talked about Patrones magazine, and when I shared some covers on Instagram, some of my followers admitted they’d never heard of it before. So by way of a refresher for you – Patrones is the monthly Spanish sewing pattern magazine, and all the patterns are offered in three sizes only (usually 40-44-48 for regular sizes and 50-54-58 for Plus). On the upside, however, the pattern sheets are less dense than Burda or Manequim and are pretty easy to trace. The patterns themselves are often knockoffs of designer clothes, but AFAIK they don’t actually get the designer garments to trace (unlike Vogue), and are just “inspired by”. I’ve never tried subscribing since the summer issues aren’t much use to me in England (very wispy dresses and bikinis) but they’re easy to find on newstands in Spain (bonus if you have relatives who holiday frequently in Spain!), and eBay usually has plenty of individual issues. Beware that the “Extra” issues with low issue numbers are reprints of patterns from older issues and can sometimes feel quite dated.