This is a recent “woo hoo” garment – the Style Arc Lux coat.

I wish that I had realised the collar wasn’t sitting quite right on one side in these photos!  My photographer is generally quick to point out those sorts of things, but she missed it this time.  Here is how it usually looks:

This fabulous coat is a recent Style Arc release. It pairs beautifully with this boiled wool/viscose from The Cloth Shop.

I sewed this on my last trip to Sewjourn, and only realised when I was there that I had managed to cut only one pair of the lower front pieces instead of two pairs, and I didn’t have any of the fabric scraps with me. Actually, I don’t think that I there would have been quite enough to cut another pair anyway! A friend gave me some wool knit of similar weight, and so there is now a little contrast on the inside.

From the Style Arc website: This modern sophisticated on trend coat is clever in its simplicity, straight architectural lines give this coat an edge that differs from the usual. The clever design of the tucked neckline creates an interesting shawl collar.  Fabric suggestion: Wool, Melton, cashmere, bonded wool or any suitable coat fabric.

I enjoyed every moment of sewing this coat.  It was lovely working with such beautiful fabric, and pleasing to watch it evolve.  Even binding all the edges was fun!  I cut the bias binding from floral cotton that was in stash.  And I always like topstitching.

This is a garment that benefits from taking the sewing process slow and steady.  Between the written instructions and the diagrams I had no issues with construction.  There are pockets set into the front side seams. I cut them from the same fabric, but they’d probably have been better cut in something lighter weight.

The buttonhole is very clever – it’s an opening in the seam between the upper and lower front pieces. Nice! I found a vintage button in stash that worked beautifully with it.

Quite a few people have asked me whether I find the arm openings restrictive. Although I wouldn’t be doing star jumps in this coat, I don’t have any issues with it at all! The openings are at the front, so when doing things like driving a car with my arms forward there are no problems at all.

I usually sew size 12 in Style Arc dresses and tops, but after looking at the line drawing for this coat I decided (not without some trepidation) to give size 10 a go. I am happy with how this has worked out on me, as it still has an oversized cocoon shape but fits nicely across my shoulders. I would only suggest sizing down on this coat if you are comparatively small across the shoulders; otherwise stick with your normal Style Arc size. It could be quite restrictive if you go too small!

Have I already mentioned that I LOVE this coat? An unlined coat without long sleeves in a warm fabric actually works quite well in a Melbourne winter. It is a rather distinctive style, so I’m not likely to have two of these in my wardrobe at the same time, but I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes something a little out of the ordinary. As the name says – it’s Lux!

The dress underneath is the Style Arc Cher dress, reviewed in my previous blog post.