A kimono jacket is one of the easiest jackets to sew: a back cut on the fold, two fronts, two rectangular sleeves and a long band that frames the front opening, with no collar, no buttons and no sleeve cap to ease in. Two meters (2 1/4 yd) of 140–150 cm (55–60 in) fabric covers a hip-length jacket with elbow sleeves in most sizes, with room for pockets and a belt. You sew the shoulders, attach the sleeves flat, close each underarm and side in one seam, hem, and finish with the band.
What pieces make a kimono jacket?
- Back, cut once on the fold: almost a rectangle, with a shallow neckline and a gentle shoulder slope.
- Fronts, cut as a pair: the neckline runs in a straight diagonal from the neck down to the front edge, which forms the V.
- Sleeves: two rectangles, each cut on a fold that runs along the top of the arm. Their depth sets the armhole.
- Front band: a long strip folded in half lengthwise, 6 cm (2 3/8 in) wide finished by default, running from one hem, around the back neck, to the other hem.
- Optional: two patch pockets, and a tie belt with two belt loops.
The only notion is about 50 cm (20 in) of lightweight fusible interfacing for half of the band.
The fit is generous on purpose. The body is about 34 cm (13 3/8 in) wider than your bust and the sleeve opening is deep, so the jacket layers over a dress or a sweater and needs no fitting beyond the length.
What does two meters of fabric cover?
On 150 cm fabric folded in half, the back and one front sit side by side, so a hip-length jacket uses one body length of about 70 cm (27 1/2 in). The sleeves fit side by side in a short row below, the band pieces run across the width, and pockets fit in the leftovers. That is why two meters is comfortable for a hip-length jacket and often enough for thigh length.
| Length | Where the hem falls | Fabric to plan (140–150 cm wide) |
|---|---|---|
| Hip | A little below the hip | 1.5–2 m (1 5/8–2 1/4 yd) |
| Thigh | Mid-thigh | 1.8–2.3 m (2–2 1/2 yd) |
| Knee | At the knee | 2.2–2.8 m (2 3/8–3 yd) |
| Long (robe) | About 15 cm (6 in) above the floor | 2.6–3.3 m (2 7/8–3 5/8 yd) |
Long sleeves, larger sizes, 110 cm (45 in) fabric and prints that need matching all push you toward the top of these ranges. For the exact amount, lay out your pieces or check the quantity calculated for your size.
Which fabrics suit a kimono jacket?
- Viscose and silk: fluid and light, for summer evenings and over a slip dress.
- Linen and cotton double gauze: soft structure, easy to sew, breathable.
- Quilted cotton or lightweight wool: a warmer jacket that holds its shape.
Watch out for one-way prints. Because each sleeve is cut on a fold along the top of the arm, a directional print ends up upside down on the back half of every sleeve. Either choose a print that works both ways, or cut each sleeve as two pieces with a seam along the top, adding a seam allowance to the fold edge. Large motifs look best centered on the back, so place that piece first.
How do you sew a kimono jacket, step by step?
- Prepare. Prewash, press and cut. Mark the armhole notches on the side edges (two on the back, one on the front) and, on each sleeve, the point where the fold meets the edge that joins the body.
- Patch pockets, if using: hem the top edge, press the other edges under, and topstitch the pockets to the fronts before anything else.
- Staystitch the diagonal front necklines, which are off grain and stretch easily.
- Shoulders. Sew the fronts to the back at the shoulders, then finish and press the seams toward the back.
- Sleeves. Open the body flat and unfold each sleeve. Match its fold point to the shoulder seam and sew the sleeve edge to the body between the front and back armhole notches.
- Underarms and sides. Fold the jacket right sides together and sew from the end of the sleeve to the armhole, pivot, and continue down the side to the hem. Clip into the corner at the pivot, right up to the stitching.
- Finish the seams. French seams suit viscose and silk; zigzag or serge thicker fabrics.
- Hems. Turn up a double-fold hem on the 2.5 cm (1 in) allowance at the sleeve ends and the body.
- Band. Fuse interfacing to one half of the band, join the pieces at center back if needed, and press it in half lengthwise. Sew the interfaced half to the jacket edge right sides together, starting at the center back neck and working down each side. Sew across the band ends at the hem, turn them, fold the band over, and stitch in the ditch from the outside or slipstitch it by hand.
- Belt, if using: sew the tube, turn and press it, and attach the loops at the side seams at waist level.
- Press everything, especially the band.
How do you keep the front band from rippling?
The band runs along edges that change grain: straight down the fronts, on the bias along the diagonal neckline, and curved across the back neck. Staystitch before you start, interface half the band, and pin at short intervals without stretching either layer. If the jacket edge has grown, ease it onto the band rather than stretching the band to match. Press as you go, and the band will lie flat.
Can Sewly draft a kimono jacket to your size?
Sewly's kimono jacket pattern drafts the body from your bust and the length from your back waist length plus the length you choose: hip, thigh, knee or robe. Sleeves can be short, elbow, three-quarter or long, the band can be 3 to 10 cm (1 1/4 to 4 in) wide, and the belt and pockets are options you switch on. The long band comes as cutting dimensions, so it does not use printed pages, and the cutting layout guide helps you place everything with very little waste.