Pippin's Coat | Costume Research

I am a complete novice when it comes to sewing. Meaning, I just started today. Seriously. I just learned how to use a machine today and I'm now in the process of making a cloak, thanks to an awesome friend of mine who happens to be a wizard when it comes to sewing.

Anyway. I'm finding that as I foray deeper into the world of cosplay, I am very obsessive when it comes to details. I find myself having the idea that if it isn't perfect or at least as close to the original as I can make it, why bother making it? Now, I'm not saying that my first costume is going to be 100% accurate or even that I don't like other people's cosplay because they're not 100% perfect or something. Really, all it is is me being a perfectionist and striving to make something to the best of my ability so I'm not disappointed in my work later on.

Moving along, a lot of my friends are aware that I've been trying to create a Pippin costume. Seeing as this is my second blog post I'll have to make more posts about my current state of this costume, but as of right now I have made some progress on a what I feel to be a fairly accurate scarf. Now I'm tackling the jacket because as much as I wish for it to happen, a perfect jacket isn't going to pop up in one of my thrift store finds and I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I'm going to have to craft it myself.

Here's what I know about Pippin's jacket (as a side note, I don't know sewing "lingo" and a lot of these points came from Alley Cat Scratch):

• It is a sack coat (these sorts of coats seem to be common among Civil War costumers)
• It has "belted" cuffs (there is a picture of what I mean down below)
• It is hunter green
• There are two deep, "patch pockets"(??)
• There's a sort of.. belt? on the back of the coat
• There are four wooden buttons 
• I have NO idea what the fabric is. It looks sturdy and heavy but I am in no way well versed in fabrics to be able to look at something and say what it is. So ANY feedback would be so helpful. -- I don't think that it looks like wool, that is my one thought and even if it IS made from wool... Well there are pros and cons with a wool jacket for a cosplay.

Now on to the pictures. Most of these are screencaps I took from my LotR blurays. It goes without saying that these photos should NOT be looked at for color reference as I enhanced the images and the color varies from screencap to screencap.

Here is a fairly full shot of his jacket. It actually looks baggier than other shots, I think this is because this cap is from Two Towers, and seeing as the hobbits had been on a long journey they probably lost weight and as a result clothes are baggier. Maybe I'm just imagining things/ thinking too much into it.

This is a screencap from the Costume Design featurette on the EE of FotR. I think it just gives a good idea of what the jacket looks like overall.

Here's another full shot, this is mostly to demonstrate the length. Pippin's coat stops around the top of the thigh, while Merry's is much longer. I never realized the drastic difference in length between the two hobbit's jackets.

The next three images are simply the lapels, they are slightly rounded. The shoulders appear to be gathered slightly? Perhaps my lingo is wrong. All I know is they look slightly puffy/gathered.

These three images are the "back belt" that I am talking about. I have no idea what this is, except that it's there with two wooden buttons on either side. I own belted coats and blazers that have "belts" similar to this on the back but I'm not sure what it's called.

The cuffs are flared out slightly. In some other shots, the cuffs don't appear nearly as flared out, which leads me to believe that the cuff upon his jacket is unbuttoned here (and therefore the cuff has a button). I don't know if buttons are standards on cuffs but I'm guessing Pippin's coat does have buttons on the cuffs. Like I said I don't know what I'm talking about though. Just putting it out there.

Here's another cuff shot. I don't know if this proves that the cuffs are unbuttoned or not, or if they're split somehow.

Pippin's coat is the second on the left; to me the cuffs here seem tighter and not as floppy as the above pictures.

Four buttons c: Also, along the coat... does this mean it's lined?

 I'm posting this for myself to better organize my research as well as for others who might want to make a more accurate Pippin jacket. Any feedback/opinions/advice would be MOST welcome.

I'm not really sure where to start making this coat. All sack coat patterns that I find have different cuffs and lapels and I'm not sure about the "back belt". I don't know if I'd be able to modify a pattern properly at this stage in my knowledge of sewing so if anyone has any tips or maybe some patterns they have found useful I would be ever so grateful.

Happy costuming! :)