would it be possible

[jackrocks]

to take apart a suit jacket, and use it as a pattern with to make a pirate coat?

I know it would take some modifications, like making it longer, and larger cuffs....what else would I need to do?

[gem]

I honestly think you'd have an easier time using a 99 cent pirate coat pattern to make a pirate coat with. A suit jacket just doesn't have the right silhouette, and you'd spend so much time trying to draft the new elements that an inexpensive pattern already has built in. Plus, bonus: you won't destroy a perfectly good suit jacket. I think Simplicity patterns are 5 for $5 this week at JoAnn.

[DonaCatalina]

I honestly think you'd have an easier time using a 99 cent pirate coat pattern to make a pirate coat with. A suit jacket just doesn't have the right silhouette, and you'd spend so much time trying to draft the new elements that an inexpensive pattern already has built in. Plus, bonus: you won't destroy a perfectly good suit jacket. I think Simplicity patterns are 5 for $5 this week at JoAnn.

ditto

[LadyStitch]

Playing a little devils advocate here.....

I would take a suit jacket appart to make the pirate coat pattern for 1 reason, and that is to make one more tailored for learning purposes.  By taking apart the coat you would learn how a tailored suit goes together.  As the old jacket, vest, breeches evolved into our modern suits it isn't hard to 'devolv' it into the coat.

The big drawback is this will take TIME. 

Taking the coat apart so that you retain the proper shape of all the pieces will be difficult.  You will need to make mock ups after you have gotten your patterns off the coat pieces it's self, which will take time. 

If you are new to sewing, or are just trying to make something for fun just buy one of the already made patterns.  Simplicity make a nice one, as does Butterick, but it is more colonial than pirate.  McCalls makes one as well, but I'm not as familar with it.  There is a REALLY nice historically accurate one that Lady Kathleen O uses all the time that in my pinion is great for an advanced beginner to expert level.
Just think about the time and effort you want to put into it before you make the leap.

[jackrocks]

well, it is a perfectly good suit jacket, but one DH hasnt worn in many years and he gave several of them to me to use as material or donate somewhere. I just thought....if it fits him, I would already have a pattern there that I know fits. And then I thought I could maybe just insert gores down the sides to make the flare bottom.
IDK.
It was just an idea. Sort of...if it worked, I would make it a good coat, if it didnt, then I guess I learned something:)

I am never lucky enough to find the .99 cents sale when I go to Joannes!! lol I always miss it.

[bellalye]

I think it is most DEFINITELY possible!  Sempstres (a jaw-droppingly fabulous costumer) has used goodwill jackets to form several fun costume pieces.

Here:  A revolutionary war jacket - http://www.sempstress.org/demo/how-to-turn-out-a-passable-rev-war-uniform-jacket-from-goodwill/

And here: A colonial waistcoat - http://www.sempstress.org/demo/how-to-find-colonial-waistcoats-at-goodwill/

I think a pirate coat would take just a little more tweaking than one of these demos.

[isabelladangelo]

First of, all the things you'd have to change:

The way the way the back drapes.  Not only is the cut of the shoulders different in 18th c frock coats -there is a reason for it.   The extra weight of the "skirt" of the coat makes it pull differently as the shoulders.  You wouldn't just add gores, you have to add extra material to the center back as well.

The shape of the sleeves.   The sleeves tend to have a slight elbow to them -present not only in the extant coats but in most of the Big 3 patterns I've seen as well. You would have to draft your own sleeve because the modern ones don't look like the historic ones at all.

The cuffs.

The collar. The shape of the collar in the 18th c was very different.

The length.

Depending on what time period you were going for, the way the front opens.  Many Revolutionary War frock coats were left open in the front and would look "small" to us today.  They wanted to show off their waistcoats and there could be a good sized gap in the front to just that.

Really -it's easier to just go get the Jack Sparrow pattern from Simplicity.   Every weekend they have one of the Big 3 on sale for at least $2 a pattern.   Save yourself the frustration and just spend the $2.

http://www.yvettes.net/justaucorpspattern.jpg  <Early 18th C Frock coat pattern.  What they actually wore in the Golden Age of Piracy.

[jackrocks]

yeah, Ive done a few like that, just drafted my own patterns and done them for my boys, when they were in the jack sparrow/will turner stage.