Occasionally, I’m given garments that are from someone’s family. These are special to the giver for sentimental reasons, but they recognize that I, as someone who sews, will find them interesting for design reasons as well. That’s how I obtained the mid-20th-century jacket in the Up Close department.

The salient features of this shapely jacket are its dual-flap pockets. Each front pocket has a flap that folds down and is secured with a button. Mirroring this flap is another that folds up and is buttoned in place. This type of detail is characteristic of garments from the 1950s, which often included elements to enhance an otherwise classic jacket style. As in many 1950s garments, the pockets emphasize a curved hipline and narrow waist, which was a favorite silhouette of the decade. However, this design element can be placed and shaped in many ways for the effect you prefer. Once you follow the general patternmaking and construction, you can adapt the idea as desired.

This seemingly complex configuration is fairly straightforward: The pocket is incorporated into a horizontal seam in the jacket’s side-front panel. Its opening is positioned between the flaps’ folds, rather than under the lower fold. Thus, the flaps are essentially extensions of the upper and lower side-front panels, rather than inserted flaps as would be used, for example, in a classic welt pocket.

I’ll show you how to re-create the pocket on a pattern that closely resembles the original jacket, with its princess seams and a deep waistline curve. As long as there is a side seam and princess seam, you can fit a pocket of this type into any pattern you choose. 

You can download a free template of the pocket flap here.

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Kenneth D. King’s expertise in patternmaking and tailoring…