Last summer and throughout the fall, I was obsessed with finding a minimalistic, lightweight cardigan jacket. I even rounded up a few from ethical, sustainable brands that I had my eye on, but was holding out for the perfect one.
As always, I was hesitant about buying a piece of clothing online due to the frustrations of fit and size. This past Fall, armed with my first-ever sewing machine and itching to make my own clothes, I decided there could be no better first project than to make the Wiksten Haori.
The Haori is a minimalist jacket pattern that is oversized with a thick, fold-over open collar, and pockets. The pattern has catapulted the indie pattern brand, Wiksten to cult-favorite status within the modern sewing and slow fashion community.
The pattern’s name reflects inspiration from Japanese traditional clothing. A haori is actually the jacket worn over a traditional long, belted kimono. This pattern was previously named the Kimono, but was revised after the brand was urged to consider the cultural inaccuracies.
The pattern is available in print and pdf, but since this was my first clothes sewing project, I picked up the print pattern at a local sewing shop (months before quarantine began). My neighborhood shop also has great fabrics, so I also picked up the charcoal grey linen and navy/gold crosshatch cotton used for this jacket.
When I told her this was my first big sewing project, the owner of the shop simply encouraged me and said, “Don’t be scared about making mistakes! Sometimes the best thing for beginners is to just jump right in or you’ll never learn.”
She was right. I learned so much from simply jumping in and immersing myself in sewing! My knowledge and skills have only gotten better. For everything else I didn’t know, I was grateful I could rely on Google and YouTube for help.
For future projects, I now know that if using a printed pattern (there are various sizes in one pattern), to trace the selected garment size on tracing paper before cutting, as now I cannot use my original Haori pattern.
The Haori pattern design allows for three different lengths: short (hip length), mid (below-hip length), and long (thigh length) and sizes from XXS-XL. I chose to make the short length in an XXS, for a more casual jacket and one that was fitting for my height. The short length falls slightly below my waist. I definitely want to try sewing the other two lengths in the future.
The pattern instructions and pictures were generally straightforward. There were some steps that were difficult to understand as a beginner, and took me a while to figure out on my own. My past experience sewing small projects, using a sewing machine, and basic sewing stitches definitely helped me get through this a bit easier.
The most difficult part was making the collar, but I also think it was challenging due to the heavier weight fabric I chose. Other than that, the fit and draping are exactly what I was looking for. I’m pleased with the fabrics I chose, as I wanted a simple, versatile color for the front part of the jacket and a patterned inner lining.
The Wiksten Haori took about a month for me to make, but that’s because my only free time in between going to work, was on the weekends or late at night. Factor in a beginner learning to size and cut fabric, plus follow instructions for the first time, and it took me a bit longer than your average sewer.
While the fit of the jacket is slightly off in some areas (jacket sleeves are deceptively difficult), I’m pleased with how well my first garment project came out. I now have a wearable cardigan jacket that also feels so satisfying because I made it myself!
Making the Wiksten Haori gave me the inspiration and motivation to continue my pursuit of sewing more clothing and developing my skills. Stay tuned for more about my sewing journey!
