~~~ Trench Club 2013 ~~~

#31
Jesssh said:
Hi everyone! I finally got the short khaki trench at the outlet! The color, fabric, buttons, fit and length are perfect. The price was good: $121.

So now I am in a relentless effort to turn the tie belt into a buckle belt. I believe I have found the pieces I need: eyelet pliers, black eyelets, black belt buckle. I'm guessing I'll need to use the sewing machine and buy matching thread to secure one side of the tie belt to the buckle. I will let you know how it goes. Hopefully I'll have everything within a couple of weeks.

Here is the buckle I ordered:

View attachment 2365624

One thing I love about this trench is that you can button it open, so it looks more like a cape. Each side looks a little different, especially if you have contasting buttons. I'll do mod shots after I get the belt converted.

Can't wait to wear my new trench!!!

:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
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Please post detailed instructions and pics when you have transformed your trench. :smile: I might try this too. Can you post a picture of what it looks like buttoned open too?
 
#32
whateve said:
Please post detailed instructions and pics when you have transformed your trench. :smile: I might try this too. Can you post a picture of what it looks like buttoned open too?
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Sure! When I do the mod shots. (House is a mess right now. :-s)

To button it open, just fold the front edges out and back on themselves (outside edges together) so that the buttonholes match up with the buttons on the same side of the jacket.

On the left side (while wearing the coat), unbutton the flap, then fold the edge against the outside left side of the coat about 4" over the same side of the coat. Button the middle button and the top button under the flap. The flap can just hang over the fold.

On the right side, fold it back the same way, and button all 4 buttons if you want.

This way, 3 or 4 buttons show on the right side, and 1 or 2 buttons plus the flap show on the left side. (The collar tends to cover the top buttons.) If you don't like it, you can unbutton 2 buttons on the right side so it matches up (I think that looks weird if the buttons contrast a lot), or wear a cute scarf which masks the opening a bit. :biggrin:

You can tie the belt in the back of the coat so that it is out of the way and still looks cute. Or wrap it through the belt loops however you want and tuck the excess in a cute way.

BTW, it looks like my belt project is going to cost me about $30: $15 for the tool (at 50% off), $10 for the buckle with shipping, and I assume a few more dollars for black eyelets and thread, if I don't have to order the eyelets online. So it is not cheap. Unless you can find the buckle and eyelets locally, and borrow the tool from someone. Then it will probably cost $5 or so.

Edit: Took a quick ipad pic of the coat buttoned back (belt is off in this pic - it would only show in the back anyway):

image.jpg

I also buttoned the collar tab back under the collar on the left side.

(How gorgeous is this coat? I'm so happy! :biggrin:)
 
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#33
Jesssh said:
Sure! When I do the mod shots. (House is a mess right now. :-s)

To button it open, just fold the front edges out and back on themselves (outside edges together) so that the buttonholes match up with the buttons on the same side of the jacket.

On the left side (while wearing the coat), unbutton the flap, then fold the edge against the outside left side of the coat about 4" over the same side of the coat. Button the middle button and the top button under the flap. The flap can just hang over the fold.

On the right side, fold it back the same way, and button all 4 buttons if you want.

This way, 3 or 4 buttons show on the right side, and 1 or 2 buttons plus the flap show on the left side. (The collar tends to cover the top buttons.) If you don't like it, you can unbutton 2 buttons on the right side so it matches up (I think that looks weird if the buttons contrast a lot), or wear a cute scarf which masks the opening a bit. :biggrin:

You can tie the belt in the back of the coat so that it is out of the way and still looks cute. Or wrap it through the belt loops however you want and tuck the excess in a cute way.

BTW, it looks like my belt project is going to cost me about $30: $15 for the tool (at 50% off), $10 for the buckle with shipping, and I assume a few more dollars for black eyelets and thread, if I don't have to order the eyelets online. So it is not cheap. Unless you can find the buckle and eyelets locally, and borrow the tool from someone. Then it will probably cost $5 or so.

Edit: Took a quick ipad pic of the coat buttoned back (belt is off in this pic - it would only show in the back anyway):

View attachment 2365992

I also buttoned the collar tab back under the collar on the left side.

(How gorgeous is this coat? I'm so happy! :biggrin:)
Click to expand...
Thanks! It's so cute!
I forgot about putting the eyelets in the belt. Do you think it would stay fastened if you just had a buckle to slip the belt through that didn't have a pointy thing? Then you wouldn't need eyelets. I used a tool like that years ago to attach snaps to baby clothes. It wasn't easy.
 
#34
whateve said:
Thanks! It's so cute!
I forgot about putting the eyelets in the belt. Do you think it would stay fastened if you just had a buckle to slip the belt through that didn't have a pointy thing? Then you wouldn't need eyelets. I used a tool like that years ago to attach snaps to baby clothes. It wasn't easy.
Click to expand...

I don't know. I suppose it would depend on how much fabric it took to keep the buckle in place. I saw buckles called tri glides and thought about those, but I wanted to try the eyelets first. You could sew round buttonholes in the belt. That sounds riskier than eyelets. I wonder if eyelets with the pliers would be easier than snaps. I'll have to play with it.
 
#35
whateve said:
Thanks! It's so cute!
I forgot about putting the eyelets in the belt. Do you think it would stay fastened if you just had a buckle to slip the belt through that didn't have a pointy thing? Then you wouldn't need eyelets. I used a tool like that years ago to attach snaps to baby clothes. It wasn't easy.
Click to expand...

Whateve, some people are posting helpful info about belt buckles in this thread:

http://forum.purseblog.com/the-wardrobe/how-turn-trench-coats-tie-belt-into-buckle-839716.html
 
#36
#37
whateve said:
Thanks! I think I'll try looking for one of the slide buckles first. I have a couple of big fabric/craft stores near me. I used to do a lot of sewing so I might even have a buckle put away some place.
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I ran into an obstacle on the belt project. The latch that came with the belt buckle won't fit into the eyelets I want to use. I replaced it, but the project is getting way too complicated and risky to post instructions. It is easy to discolor and rip the existing tie belt. If you want to pursue it and have questions, please PM me. Let me know how your project goes, too. :smile:

I saw D rings at the fabric store which I'm pretty sure would work for cinching the belt without cutting it, but it wouldn't look like a traditional buckle. They had the tri glide plastic buckle too. I decided against that one. There are lots of fashion buckle options for anyone who wants something more decorative.
 
#38
Jesssh said:
I ran into an obstacle on the belt project. The latch that came with the belt buckle won't fit into the eyelets I want to use. I replaced it, but the project is getting way too complicated and risky to post instructions. It is easy to discolor and rip the existing tie belt. If you want to pursue it and have questions, please PM me. Let me know how your project goes, too. :smile:

I saw D rings at the fabric store which I'm pretty sure would work for cinching the belt without cutting it, but it wouldn't look like a traditional buckle. They had the tri glide plastic buckle too. I decided against that one. There are lots of fashion buckle options for anyone who wants something more decorative.
Click to expand...
That's a shame. I haven't done anything yet. I'm too chicken.
 
#39
whateve said:
That's a shame. I haven't done anything yet. I'm too chicken.
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You know, you could get a simple two-inch thick black leather belt which would look beautiful on that green coat.

I think a contrasting belt on my khaki coat is a little weird since khaki is such a traditional color for a trench, but a thick black belt on any of the colored trenches might look really good. Very upscale. Burberry showed a gold belt on a camel wool coat - GORGEOUS.
 
#40
Jesssh said:
You know, you could get a simple two-inch thick black leather belt which would look beautiful on that green coat.

I think a contrasting belt on my khaki coat is a little weird since khaki is such a traditional color for a trench, but a thick black belt on any of the colored trenches might look really good. Very upscale. Burberry showed a gold belt on a camel wool coat - GORGEOUS.
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Good idea! I was thinking along those lines. I was checking my other coats to see if any had a belt that would work.
 
#41
It is finally getting cool enough to wear my new Jade trench. I buttoned it open as someone suggested. I love wearing that way so it shows off my scarves. I posted these in the mod thread - I don't normally do mods, but I was trying to figure out what scarf/bag combinations I could wear with it. I think Black Violet may be my favorite. Here's BV, Cranberry, belted Ergo/tattersall scarf, and studded duffle/ocelot scarf. Needless to say, I love my new trench.
 

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#42
coach943 said:
It is finally getting cool enough to wear my new Jade trench. I buttoned it open as someone suggested. I love wearing that way so it shows off my scarves. I posted these in the mod thread - I don't normally do mods, but I was trying to figure out what scarf/bag combinations I could wear with it. I think Black Violet may be my favorite. Here's BV, Cranberry, belted Ergo/tattersall scarf, and studded duffle/ocelot scarf. Needless to say, I love my new trench.
Click to expand...

Everything looks so pretty with your new trench!
 
#43
coach943 said:
It is finally getting cool enough to wear my new Jade trench. I buttoned it open as someone suggested. I love wearing that way so it shows off my scarves. I posted these in the mod thread - I don't normally do mods, but I was trying to figure out what scarf/bag combinations I could wear with it. I think Black Violet may be my favorite. Here's BV, Cranberry, belted Ergo/tattersall scarf, and studded duffle/ocelot scarf. Needless to say, I love my new trench.
Click to expand...
It's not cold enough yet here to wear mine. I'm jealous! I keep looking at this beauty in the closet. All your combinations look beautiful! I didn't even think of wearing it with purple.
 
#44
Not that I needed another trench - we only get about 11 inches of rain a year! - but this color was so pretty and it was on clearance! Passion Berry! :heart:
 

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