Dark Blue Wool Jacket with Capelet

Overview: The jacket is made of dark blue wool. A matching detachable collar (aka capelet) accompanies the jacket. It is machine embroidered in an intricate pattern with off-white thread. Gold metal seed beads embellish the embroidered pattern.

Construction: The bodice is tightly fitted with an 11" long circle skirt extending below the waist. The jacket closes right over left with 14 hooks and eyes in the body and 2 hooks and eyes on the 2" high standing collar. The left side has a 1" wide underlap covering the eyes and extending from the waist to just below the collar. The body contains 4 panels per side: front, side back, mid back, center back. Center front has a bust dart beginning 2" from center front at the waist. There is a stiff linen interfacing giving the front more structure. The shoulder seam is dropped toward the back. The jacket has 2-part, extremely full, gigot sleeves. The sleeve cap is pleated into the armscye. There are 5 inverted box pleats, 1 at the top of the shoulder, 2 in front and in back. Trim (which matches the jacket skirt) is applied at the hem of the sleeves. The jacket is lined with navy silk satin. The standing collar is cut in one piece as is its interfacing of stiff woven hemp and lining of satin. There is a detached collar piece with a smaller version of the intricate embroidered pattern. The undercollar side is plain wool and has a center seam. The top collar(?) piece neck seam allowance is felled down around the stiff hemp interfacing. The undercollar neck seam allowance is left raw. Threads remain along this edge, but it is not clear exactly how this was attached to the jacket. The capelet is 9" wide with a 2 1/4" high standing collar. The collar closes with 2 hooks and eyes at center front. There is a center back seam. It is lined with the same navy silk as in the jacket. The collar has the same lining as well as a woven hemp stiffening piece for support. The same trim is found on the capelet as on the jacket.

Trim: Three rosettes/cockades of self-fabric wool accompany the jacket. There is no indication as to the placement of the cockades. They have been placed at the collar of the capelet in the images. Intricate patterns are machine embroidered with off white thread. Gold metal seed beads are encapsulated in the embroidered patterns. On one particular repeating pattern, parts are cut out revealing gold mesh net underneath. Within the cut out sections, on top of the gold mesh net, navy embroidery thread has been knotted to form a larger net pattern. This trim has been applied on the fabric after the wool garment was sewn. The patterns match at the openings. The pattern on the detachable collar is 3" high with smaller cut out sections. The capelet patterns are 8" high. The patterns at the cuffs extend 8" high. The center front trim is a 1" embroidered running vine with metal seed beads. See pictures for more detail.

Damage: The wool has some moth eaten spots. Otherwise, the jacket and all of its parts are in pristine condition.