I couldn't find the 'perfect' Chore Jacket ~ So I designed my own!
- Tara Deighton
- May 14
- 3 min read
If you spend any time with me in my little cottage by the sea, you will know I've been on a quest to find a chore or workwear jacket to sew for quite some time. Despite there being so many options available, nothing was really quite right.
In the end I thought the perfect chore jacket is probably a vintage one already having lived a life before it becomes part of my life. And if you look at vintage chore jackets to buy you will know that every wear, tear and well worn elbow carries a very hefty price tag!
So I decided to design my own jacket with traditional details but with a whimsical twist and the Junebug Duster Jacket was where I landed. And, if I say so myself, I think Junebug is rather fabulous!
The Inspiration
Like everything I design, there's no one simple inspiration but lots of elements that collide in my imagination eventually becoming the garment you see. There's always a story, stored up memories and moments, details and images that influence where I go with my idea.
My original inspiration board for Junebug, a design I shared on my Patreon a few years ago was a mix of traditional french workwear and utility pieces, 1940's swing coats and the way 50's pin ups like Marilyn Monroe and Anita Eckberg wore casual coats over rollnecks or pretty dresses both on and off screen.
Another influence has been the clothes that artists wear especially Barbra Hepworth and Georgia O'keeffe and I found Charlie Porter's book 'What Artists Wear' a total delight and inspiration. The thing that struck me was that much workwear, because of it's functionality, is very bland. But the artists I read about used little details or interesting fabrics to elevate their utility pieces. Georgia O'Keeffe especially, who had most of her clothes made for her, had a very unique take on how she wanted to adorn her body throughout her life. Her workwear was anything but bland!
I took a leaf out of her book and added some beautiful decorative details to Junebug.
The Design
The scallop detailing on the collar, cuff and pockets is very much imbued with my love of my home ~ the Old Town, Hastings. For hundreds of years the ancient fishing fleet have launched from the shingle beach, the gulls have wheeled above them as they head out to sea, the shells have been left on the foreshore to collect. You can quite easily believe a mermaid could be spotted from Rock A Nore.
The unlined and simple to construct jacket can be made from a wide variety of fabrics and I've suggested twills and denims etc. The seams are bound using the Hong Kong method. I really think though you could sew Junebug in more lux fabrics ~ I'm thinking of a velvet for the Autumn with silk binding! And there are no buttons or fastenings as I wanted to maintain the vintage feel of throw on duster jackets like the wonderful versions on the covers of vintage sewing patterns {included on my inspo board}.
The topstitched details and shaped collar, cuffs and pockets are the most technical part of the sewing process but I've included my 3 part very detailed step by step videos from the original Patreon project to guide you through. Fun too as we are, in essence, having a sewalong together!
It's a real joy to share Junebug with you and I hope you enjoy my take on vintage utility chore jackets ~ it's a little whimsical I admit but I have a romantic soul and there's nothing wrong with adding a touch of whimsy to such an everyday and easy to wear item of clothing. If there was a little more whimsy, then the world would be a better place!
Tara x
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