Tutorial: How to Make a Basic Jacket for Costumes

Learn how to make a basic jacket for your next cosplay. This costume piece is made with mostly rectangles, making it easy to create without a pattern. I’ll also walk you through how to create that contrast band along neckline and at the ends of the sleeves. This is a great tutorial for advanced beginners who want to start making their cosplay costumes completely from scratch.

Supplies Needed:

1 yard of fabric
1/2 yard of contrast fabric for the bands
1/2 yard of fabric for the facing (or use the contrast fabric)

How to Make Your Pattern (using rectangles)

Measurements:

Shoulder: Wrap a measuring tape all the way around your shoulders and round up. (if you want an oversize jacket or have hips that are a lot wider than your shoulders, feel free to add a few inches to this measurement)
Neck: Place the end of the measuring tape in the hollow of your neck (the little divot in between your collar bones), then wrap the measuring tape around your neck and back to the starting point.

You will need 7 pattern pieces to follow this tutorial (see images below):

Back (cut 1 on fold)
Width: Divide the shoulder measurement by 4
Length: However long you want your jacket to be
Neckline: cut off at the Back Band
Front (cut 2)
Width: Divide the shoulder measurement by 4
Length: However long you want your jacket to be
Neckline: cut off at the Front Band
Back Band (cut 1 on fold, cut 1 on fold lining)
1. On the Back piece, place a dot 1.5 inches down from the top, center back.
2. Divide your neck measurement by 6, then place another dot on the top of the back piece
3. Connect these dots with a curved line. This is the outer edge of the Back Band.
4. Measure a band width of 2.5 inches all along the Back Band.
Front Band (cut 1 on fold, cut 1 on fold lining)
1. On the Front piece, place a dot 15 inches down from the top, center front.
2. Divide your neck measurement by 6, then place another dot on the top of the Front piece
3. Connect these dots with a curved line connecting to the center front.
4. Measure a band width of 2.5 inches.
Bottom Band (cut 1 on fold)
Width: 2.5 inches
Length: Shoulder measurement divided by 2
Sleeve (cut 2)
Width: However long you want your sleeves to be
Length: The same length as the front and back of the jacket
Sleeve Band (Cut 2, Cut 2 lining)
Width: 2.5 inches
Length: The same length as the front and back of the jacket

Draw your pieces using your measurements and then cut them apart. Don’t forget to add seam allowance before cutting your fabric.

back jacket template and back band template

sleeve template and sleeve band template

add seam allowance to the pieces — Don’t forget to add seam allowance!

Step 1

Sew the front and back together at the shoulder seam

With right sides together, sew the front and back together at the shoulders

Step 2

sew the front and back neckband together

with right sides together, sew the neckband pieces

Step 3

sew the band to the jacket

sew the neckband to the jacket along the inner edge (right sides together)

Step 4

sew the band lining together

Sew the band lining pieces together.

Step 5

sew the lining to the jacket

With right sides together, sew the inner edge of the lining to the inner edge of the band. Then fold the lining over to the reverse side and topstitch it to hide the raw edges of the fabric.

Step 6

sew the sleeve band to the sleeve

With right sides together, sew the sleeve to the sleeve band along the length.

Step 7

sew the sleeve band lining to the sleeve

With right sides together, sew the lining to the end of the sleeve band. Then fold the lining over to the reverse side and topstitch it to hide the raw edges of the fabric.

Step 8

sew the sleeves to the jacket

Line up the center of the sleeves with the shoulder seam of the jacket. Then sew them together with right sides together. The sleeves should come halfway down the front and halfway down the back of the jacket.