Alright, so I got this idea stuck in my head a while back about getting a proper western sports coat. Don’t know exactly where it came from, maybe saw one in an old flick or something. Just felt like I needed a change from the usual jackets I had hanging in the closet. Something with a bit more… personality, you know?
So, I started looking around. First place I checked was online, obviously. Loads of options, but you can’t really tell much from pictures, can you? The fit, the feel of the material… it’s always a gamble. Decided I needed to actually touch the things. Went down to a few thrift stores and vintage places first. Found some interesting pieces, real old-school stuff, but nothing quite hit the mark. Some were pretty worn out, others had weird stains, or the size was totally off. Saw one with bright blue fringe all over the back – definitely not for me.
Then I remembered this bigger store, kind of an old department store place, that had a section for western wear. Tucked away in a corner, most people probably walked right past it. Headed over there. And yeah, they had a few. Found this one coat, dark brown corduroy. Nice and simple, not too flashy. It had those classic pointed yokes on the chest and back, the ones that kinda scream ‘western’. The fabric felt solid, durable.
Getting it Right
Tried it on. Shoulders felt pretty good, surprisingly. Length was alright too. But the sleeves – man, way too long. Story of my life. Hung down past my knuckles. And it was kinda baggy around the waist. Didn’t look quite right, felt a bit like I was playing dress-up in someone else’s clothes.
Now, I could’ve taken it to a tailor. But honestly, where’s the fun in that? Plus, they charge an arm and a leg these days for alterations. I figured, how hard can it be? I like tinkering with things anyway. Bought the coat and took it home. Spread it out on the dining table. Looked at those sleeves.
- Measured how much needed to go.
- Carefully unpicked the stitching on the cuffs.
- Folded the sleeve ends up inside, pinned them real careful.
- Fired up my old sewing machine. Yeah, I keep one handy for stuff like this.
- Stitched the new hem, trying to make it look like the original finish. Took a bit of patience with the thick corduroy.
- Tried it on again. Sleeves were perfect. Big improvement already.
Next was that boxy fit. Didn’t want to mess with the side seams too much, that gets complicated fast. Decided to just take it in a little at the back. Added two simple darts, one on each side of the center seam. Pinned them, tried it on, adjusted, tried it on again. Did that maybe four or five times until it looked less like a sack and actually followed my shape a bit better. Then I sewed the darts properly. Not professional tailor work, maybe, but it looked a heck of a lot better.
Gave it a good brush down afterwards. Put it on. Yeah, that felt right. Still definitely a western coat, but it fit me. Felt less like a costume piece and more like just… my jacket. It’s got character, you know? Different from the standard navy blazers everyone seems to wear. Wore it out the other day. Felt good. Comfortable. Sturdy. That’s what matters. Took a bit of fiddling, but I got there. Way more satisfying than just buying it perfect off the rack.
