So a couple of months ago I was casually browsing the Gucci website as one does (they have the most amaaazing florals) and found a super-cute black leather bomber jacket with a ruffle and a bow. A few years ago when everyone was making bomber jackets, they never really appealed to me, but after seeing the Gucci bow collar one I suddenly needed a bomber jacket? a black one? with a bow?
I looked at a bunch of bomber jacket patterns but I went with the Style Arc Bobbi Bomber in part because it was lined and had that nice zip guard and in part since I had never tried a StyleArc pattern and thought it was about time! This pattern company came up a lot recently in the size inclusivity discussions since it\’s one of those super-productive but less hyped indies (like Jalie) that are just doing their thing and doing it well: the Style Arc size chart goes from a 30-58\” bust. (For reference, Cashmerette also goes to a 58\” bust.) I made the straight size 8 with no fit modifications. It\’s actually a bit more oversized than I expected (and definitely less fitted than the Gucci version) and I could probably have sized down to a 6 for a more modern fit, but I prefer this slouchy size–it provides a bit of contrast with the bow and it is very warm and cozy.
The fabric I used is this lovely wool from Harts! It\’s a very fleecy black wool that was wonderful to sew–it\’s dense and spongy. I will say if you have a white dog (like me) it will pick up dog hair and never let it go! The ladies at Hart\’s recommended this fabric for the project and they did a great job helping me pick, as always. It is warm and cozy for the tail end of these chillier spring days and I\’m hoping to wear this a few more times before wool melton is too warm for North Carolina weather! (Since I had someone ask on instagram, the front is soft and snuggly but the reverse side is a bit scratchy so I wouldn\’t suggest using this unlined.)
To make the bow neck instead of the traditional bomber rib knit neckline, I drafted a collar band using my pattern drafting book (I lovvvvve this book wow), and then just topstitched the ribbon onto it. I suggest petersham ribbon in applications such as this because you can easily curve it to fit your pattern piece. I was a bit nervous about wearing the jacket unzipped with ribbons hanging loose, but I actually like it more than I though I would. Since I know that I don\’t like jackets bunching around my hips, I did lengthen the bottom band slightly so that the hem is not quite so gathered. I also made the cuffs a bit longer in both directions since I love having slightly-too-long sleeves on cozy layers like this one. You can see it covers the palm of my hands instead of stopping at the wrist–I think as written the sleeves are just slightly long but would be held on your wrist by the tighter cuff.
As far as my experience with Style Arc, I really enjoyed the drafting of this pattern, the 3/8\” seam allowances, and the completed style, but the instructions are very minimal. (If you\’ve sewn a Burdastyle pattern, the instructions are similar.) For most of the project, this wasn\’t an issue, but my welt pockets and the lining/zipper are not sewn \”correctly\” because I could not for the life of me figure out how to interpret the instructions. I will definitely make another Style Arc pattern in the future, but I would suggest sticking to simpler patterns you feel confident sewing without instructions–this is not the time to try a new technique!
xoxo,