Friday, March 7, 2014

The Long and Short of It - Burda 7073


The jacket style of Burda pattern 7073 is one of my favorites when I want an easy to fit and sew jacket.  It has princess seams in front and a center back seam that are great for fitting my body differences.   The center fronts meet, but do not overlap (no button holes) adding vertical style lines.  There is no sewn on collar. The neckline edge is raised and lies against the neck. This can be worn with a scoop neck top underneath and still covers a decent amount of upper neck or with a collared blouse.  It is a great style of jacket for a SWAP or mini wardrobe. 


Burda 7073

   I made the shorter jacket some months back  in a black and white silk tweed  and really loved it.




 At the sewing retreat I finished the 2nd,  longer version in a black and red wool tweed. It is only 4.5 inches longer that the short version, but for some reason the longer length felt strange to me when I wore it.   



   In the 80’s/90’s I wore a lot of longer jackets, but they were typically made of the same fabric as the skirt or slacks worn with them.     I started worrying about the proportions of the pieces that make up an outfit. Prompted by memories of proportion diagrams,  I decided to take some pictures of the two different length jackets worn with the same  knee length skirt and pair of  slacks . To see if I looked like a fashion proportion faux pas.






Sorry about the facial expression above. It was starting to sleet. Little, hard, cold icy pellets hitting my face.


My conclusion was that the  longer jacket actually looks nice with the skirt and pants.  I think the cut away front had a lot to do with it.  If the jacket front edge  had been straight across , it would have had a more cropping affect.

Well, the only proportion I will be worrying about next week is the amount of rum in my fruity punch or the length  of lily white legs I want to expose to the sun. Off to a warmer, sunnier climate. 

18 comments:

  1. I like both jackets very much but I prefer the shorter one with the pants and the longer one with the skirt. They look more interesting, just as the proportion photo you posted.

    Also, I think the color comes into play in the equation. The darker jacket shows as less contrast. Something I personally prefer in my clothes because of my body shape.

    Very pretty jackets and the fit is awesome.

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  2. Interesting comparison! I like both jackets. The short one gives you longer legs, the longer one visually makes your upper body longer. I remember the 80's suits and know what you mean. Maybe it would be a nice experiment to wear the longer one with ton sur ton trousers or skirt to check that effect too? (On the envelope I like the close color match on the longer jacket outfit). Thanks for posting, food for thought on the length of my next jacket!

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  3. Interesting topic. Thanks for sharing all the photos. I think i personally like your longer jacket with the skirt and your shorter jacket with the pants, but i am not sure that i can articulate why. A couple of years back i analyzed my wardrobe and convinced myself that shorter tops and jackets are more flattering to my body shape. Any jacket that hits my between my high hip and the top of my thighs is just emphasizing my widest bit and thus not very flattering. But now you point out that there is another element to consider, the overall proportion of the various visual lengths. I had completely ignored that, silly me. I have been avoiding pants in favor of skirts but i think i need to go back and pay attention to the proportions. Thanks for making me rethink! And have a great and warm holiday!

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  4. Both jakets looks rely good on you though I have a preference for the longer one with pants.

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  5. You're right the cut away front is the key. It gives a long leg line.
    The jackets are wonderful!

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  6. This is an interesting illustration. I have been thinking about proportion more and more lately. I'm gravitating towards shorter tops paired with higher waist bottoms. I agree that the v at the bottom of the jacket makes a difference. I think you need a super wide pair of trousers for the short jacket, though!

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  7. It is surprising that just color and length can make a pattern vary greatly. Both jackets are lovely and carry their own individual appeal. As for proportion the cut away front is amazing, it is creating a fluid line from top to bottom. I adore long jackets but find they can weigh down my petite torso I will have to try this jacket cut.

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  8. I love them both, but the longer jacket looks so flattering. You're right--it's the cut away effect that makes it work. Thanks for pointing out the pattern!

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  9. I really like them both and could not pick out a best or fave. One thing for sure - they don't look like you made the same jacket and that's good!

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  10. I definitely agree - the cutaway front really helps to balance the sections, and looks great! It's a gorgeous pattern on you, very flattering.

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  11. I like both jackets. I agree with Marianne about how one jacket makes the legs look longer with the pants, vice versa with the other jacket. I play around with proportions a lot and I like the article you shared.

    Enjoy the warmer, sunnier climate.

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  12. I love both jackets, and initially preferred the shorter one. How interesting a post. The longer jacket is incredibly flattering, perhaps, as you said, due to the cut away effect. Both are so lovely. Pictures do so help us with perspective, don't they? And do enjoy your time away!

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  13. What a beautiful jacket - and isn't it surprising what a difference length makes. I like both versions on you, but i agree with others, it depends what you pair it with. Thank you for sharing with us :)

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  14. Absolutely gorgeous jackets. Beautiful!

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  15. Both jackets look great, an interesting neckline and a fantastic fit. The shorter one makes your legs look super long, and the longer one also looks great with your skirt but tricks the eye into thinking your proportions have changed when you changed jackets ;).

    Enjoy your holiday.

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  16. Interesting. while looking at the pictures I was thinking they both look good (I was expecting the longer one to not look so good). It is as you say the opening gap that shows the column of black behind the jackets. Seems like a very versatile pattern.

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  17. How interesting to see the two jackets side by side. I doubt many people have the luxury comparing the lengths two nearly identical jackets like this! The simple yet flattering shape (on both) is very appealing.

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  18. I read something recently that suggested cropped jackets with trousers and long with skirts to equalise the proportions. I share your love of collarless jackets and simple design lines.

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