Finished – My 70’s Midi Jumpsuit!

Sewing, , 36 Comments

Well I’ve finished my 1970’s midi jumpsuit, and I quite like it!

I don’t think it will be my “go to” outfit, but reserved for those days when I feel like being a bit quirky. I have to say I would not have made this had I not been captivated by the brown tweed version on the envelope,with it’s 60’s/70’s polo neck and boots styling – I can’t think of any other way I would wear this.  Polo necks and boots are a bit of a winter uniform with me, and therefore are the perfect (and secure) base for something a bit different!

I used a charcoal wool that I purchased from Global Fabrics in May, and some black wool remnants that I had from stash were put to use for the collar, front band, pockets and armhole facings.  I added a fourth pocket because I like symmetry – and after looking at all those Chanel jumpsuits in my last post I was on a bit of a Chanel symmetry tangent.

I fully lined the jumpsuit.  I used the original pattern pieces less the armhole facings, plus 3mm extra on each seam allowance and 25mm added to the crotch length.  It slips on easily and is so comfortable to wear.

I made a few fitting alterations:
  • back neckline was bunching up, so I lowered it 5mm tapering to zero at the shoulder point.
  • front armhole was gaping, so I swung the excess into the side bust dart.
  • totally redrafted the pant portion! Finally I have got around to redrafting and fitting a trouser block, and I have transferred this to the pattern. Essentially the high hip is wider, the rise is way longer, and the leg angle is altered. 
And I need to off-centre the buttons a bit – the buttonholes are quite large and stretch open slightly when being worn – see how the front bands don’t line up properly in the photo?  Don’t let me forget to do that…

The thing with jumpsuits is you need some extra length in the centre seam for everyday things like reaching up, bending over and sitting down – you need to allow an extra 2cm in the waist to hip/crotch length to enable comfortable jumping around in your jumpsuit!

I’m reasonably happy with the back appearance.  I’m not really standing evenly here, but the below the hipline it does sit better when I shorten the back waist by 1 cm, however I need that extra ease for bending so I’ve compromised.  Plus looking backwards into the mirror gives me a tension headache after a while!

The pockets and collar and front bands were topstitched in Nr 80 weight thread, and staying true to the instructions I topstitched the pockets with an X – which I think is rather groovy:

And speaking of staying true to instructions…I have a few comments on that for my next post!
Happy sewing!

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36 thoughts on “Finished – My 70’s Midi Jumpsuit!”

  9. I've been so excited to see this finished – and I'm not disappoiinted. I really love it! I think it has loads of groovy 70's cool but it also looks bang up to date – very modern and high fashion. And, of course, like all your garments, it looks beautifully made!

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  10. I agree with Eugenia. I am so glad you decided to make this jumpsuit. I was well worth the wait. You look sharp/baddddddddd/amazing/hip in this outfit. Beautiful job, beautifully made.

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  11. Looks great! I just discovered your blog, and wanted to thank you for all the exellent information and tutorials you've posted.

    As one who lived through 70s jumpsuits the first time (to some extent), it looks really good. You'll find that jumpsuits aren't terribly practical for women…at least that's my opinion. 😉

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  12. It is fabulous! This is something that will be noticed when you're walking down the street. Very cool. It looks like it fits absolutely perfectly, too. I'd love to hear more about your trouser block. That's my next big project.

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  16. Yay, I also couldn't wait to see this! This is just too cool and I would wear this style in a heartbeat… love the charcoal boots!! Nice tip about the extra length, especially in a fitted jumpsuit. I seem to remember as a kid how fitted coveralls rode up in the back in an annoying way.

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  21. Groovey baby! Love it and hope you have enough “quirky” days to wear it lots …

    – will also be interested to hear how you find it in terms of warmth -I've been thinking about making a wool dress, but the mild winters we have here makes me wonder if I'll be too hot in it, since there are no “layering” options with an all-in-one.

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  27. What a totally fun outfit – I love all the details in black. I bet you'll get tons of compliments and envious looks when you wear it out.

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  29. Wow! I was dubious about it, and almost had to cover my eyes when I opened this page, but it actually looks fantastic. It's something I can totally see on the racks of a designer fashion house.

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  32. Well you made that work, I was wondering how you'd manage it. But you did and you look lovely. The finishing inside is gorgeous, too bad you can't wear it inside out for a day 😉

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  34. That does not look seventies, it looks very up to date, very today. the clothes of the seventies were ugly. Wish I could wear that!! I am so jealous.

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  36. Pingback: Whatever Happened to All Those Things? | pattern scissors cloth

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