Mid-length coats with a flared silhouette were popular in the 1930s, enjoying revivals at various times throughout the ensuing decades. The style was dubbed a “swagger coat,” perhaps because the pyramidal shape and three-quarter length encouraged a confident stride. Details evolved, but a swingy back and ample ease remained. The coat on the back cover, from the 1950s, is a pleasing example.

From the inspiration jacket’s color and style, I put the date of manufacture in the mid-1950s. I bought the garment years ago at a vintage shop in Palm Springs, California, along with a matching skirt suit. What caught my attention were the exaggerated “notched” lapels, which terminate in handy pockets near the hem. The jacket has no front closures but hangs slightly closed, and the pockets enable the wearer to enfold herself fetchingly and keep her hands warm. There’s a modern quality to this style. A jacket with this statement collar would be a terrific three-season layering garment today.

The swagger collar is a relative to a shawl lapel. The only difference is that the lapel foldline goes all the way to the hem, rather than terminating partway down the center-front edge. The swagger collar can be added to many basic jacket or coat patterns. In this section of a two-part series, I’ll demonstrate the patternmaking steps to create this collar, plus its facings. Part 2 will cover the sewing instructions.

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Contributing Editor Kenneth D. King is the author of  the 2023 bestseller Doll Couture (The Taunton Press, an imprint of Abrams Books, 2023).