Ah, yes. Work. It continues on the workman’s jacket for the Young Mr to wear at Battle Road, and for next week’s HSF deadline. There are some additional views of him in the same pose here. I tacked the lapels down because I have seen that detail on an original garment, and because if I don’t, they’re likely to bother the kid.
The nice thing about a workman’s jacket is that a waistcoat is optional underneath it. This short, only post-RevWar waistcoats look alright. So for Battle Road, long underwear may be in order. It wasn’t last year, but who knows?
The form is authentic, thank goodness, for working men’s clothes; on the left, in a detail from Sandby’s A Sandpit, is a jacket in blue. On the right, in a detail from Roslin Castle, Midlothian, is another jacket that looks short, worn without a waistcoat. It may not be as short, but I am encouraged by the lack of waistcoat, though I will insist on shoes…
The form persists for a long time, and is seen in military wear as well, in light infantry and dragoon troops, as well as in sailor’s clothing.
Kirsten Hammerstrom 
I’m in the process of making several of these jackets from the same pattern for the sailors in a local (Midwest) naval re enacting group. Thanks for the link to the Commodore Parry jacket; what a fabulous example. Still, the catalog record is a bit “terse,” . . . assuming you’ve seen it in person, what is the outer fabric? Is it lined? With what? and Is it single or double breasted?
The Perry jacket is unlined. It is a dark blue plain weave linen or very fine wool; haven’t put a magnifying glass to it and I think it deserves more fibre study. The terseness of the record is from its origin: the basic curatorial record without expansion. I did just put this away Tuesday, so here’s what I remember:
The fabric would be equivalent to a very fine wool, but a mid- or light-weight tight weave linen would work as well. The blue is very dark. The buttons are self-covered blanks; probably wood, they haven’t deformed the way horn does with washing. The buttons are closer to 5/8 than 7/8″ in size.
It is double breasted, but faced, not lined. The facing is wide enough to go under the buttons, but not more than that. On the right side, you can see the stitches that attach the facing–this is not fine sewing. The CB seam is pressed open and the edges overcast. The thread was dyed with a cheaper dye, or never matched the blue: now it looks orange or purple, which is why it shows.
The neck has, I believe, an actual collar; Kannik’s pattern doesn’t, but I’m pretty sure Perry’s does. It is not small, and folds down, not up, so it would make a simple arrangement like a notched collar.
The sleeves…shaped and tighter than the Kannik’s pattern, but I can’t remember the cuff. I think it is a simple closure like the kannik’s pattern, with two to four buttons.
Have you looked at the USS Constitution’s site for information? They’ve come down to look at this jacket. I won’t get a chance to work with it again for awhile, so I hope this helps!
Thanks so much! Although my sailor guys are Royal Navy, having the details of an actual jacket of the time and place is invaluable. I think I’m going to try and convince some to go with linen or at least a lighter weight wool so they don’t sweat through at summer events!
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