Hey hey, I was a lucky-duck pattern tester for the new, ultra-chic Victory Patterns Ulysses trench! This garment has style for miles, and I fear it’s too fashionable for my stay-at-home parent life. But I’m keeping it — and wearing it — anyway! Just try to stop me.

I kinda like looking like Kooky Mom (and I write that with love!) when I’m out and about, so why the heck not don a hot-pink trench? I dress up for myself! 👊👗

Ulysses Trench Construction Details

Fabric

This trench is sewn with Robert Kaufman Brussels washer linen (affiliate link). The color is lipstick!💄 Brussels washer linen is a linen-rayon blend, which makes it less wrinkly than straight-up linen and gives it more drape. It’s soft and easy to sew. Definitely a fave. (And it’s relatively inexpensive — less than $10 a yard on Amazon!)

Modifications

I sewed a medium to ensure the relaxed Victory Patterns Ulysses trench flowed over my hips. The trench is straight from the shoulders (no shaping for body curves.)

I also removed 7/8 inches from the sleeve length and 1 inch from the overall trench length. Victory generally drafts for humans 5-feet-6-inches to 5-feet-8-inches. (I’m just a whisper under 5-feet-5-inches.)

I omitted the epaulettes and belt ring. I had a passing vision of Ulysses being a lightweight summer robe, and these details would be strange on a robe. I am, though, a sucker for an epaulette!

Cool Features

Vent: To my memory, I’d never sewn a vent before. Woo hoo, new skill!

Bias-Cut Rain Guard: How chic is the rain guard with the belt loops?!? Victory Patterns designer Kris Boos even highlighted the belt loops as her favorite feature on the trench! I self-lined the rain guard, but if you pleased, you could add a little sumthin’-sumthin’ with a contrasting lining.

Shawl Collar + Dipped Front Hem: Highly wearable drama! This is a trench coat for a modern sewist. Victory Patterns does a WONDERFUL job designing for the 21st century without going all avant-garde on us. That’s hard to do, and my hat tips to Boos for her strong vision and aesthetic.

Style Notes

Maybe you’re thinking, “Hmm, how practical is a hot-pink coat?” I thought of it this way: It’s a statement color for a statement coat. Plus, I wear mostly cool colors, and this pink coordinates with them quite well.

I haven’t worn my Ulysses trench much (yet), but I think it’d be snappy with any spring or summer dress or jeans and a T-shirt (for a relaxed vibe).

Following are Amazon affiliate links chosen for you! If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Amazon Offerings of Robert Kaufman Brussels Washer Linen: Lovely linen-rayon fabric blend to sew with and wear. Soft, drapey, beautiful, and affordable. The Brussels washer linen has become my go-to when I want to sew with linen.

Mettler Metrosene 100% Polyester All-Purpose Thread Gift Set, 18 Pieces: I bought this set for myself and have been delighted with it!

BIGTEDDY Set of 5 Fabric Bias Tape Maker Tools: The interior of the Victory Patterns Ulysses trench is finished with bias-bound seams. IMO, it’s nice to have a few bias tape makers in your notions stash.

Rowenta DW5080 Focus 1700-Watt Micro Steam Iron Stainless Steel Soleplate with Auto-Off, 400-Hole, Brown: Look, if you’re sewing with linen, you need a good iron. This is mine, and it’s fab. (ALSO: I wrote a whole post about irons for sewing right here: Buying an iron for sewing: 5 irons less than $100 from Amazon.)

zeroUV ’70s Women’s Large Oversized Retro Vintage Cat Eye Sunglasses: I feel strongly that these are the correct sunnies to wear with the Ulysses trench. Plus, they’re only $10! Let’s hear it for cheap sunglasses!

What Could Be Better with My Victory Patterns Ulysses Trench

Bias Binding

In lieu of a lining, the interior of the Victory Patterns Ulysses trench has bias-bound seams. I’m disappointed to report that my bias-bound seams did not turn out too hot.

I think what happened was a combination of two things:

I didn’t accurately cut and sew together my bias strips.
I got sloppy with my bias-tape maker (that’s a funny thing to say).

The short story is that I struggled to fold over and stitch down the bias binding. And when you’re working in one-eighth measurements (!) for sewing the bias binding, being a smidgen off at any point is rough. I ended up trimming the seam allowances so the binding would wrap around nicely. The seams are not the prettiest, but they work.

Pocket Sewing

My pocket sewing could have been a teeny-tiny bit more accurate. Pro tip: Baste to ensure the flaps and pockets line up along the appropriate edges.

Thread Color

When I sew, I use a contrasting thread in my bobbin. That way, when I need to unpick a seam, it’s easy to ID which thread is the bobbin.

Well. There are places in this trench where the bobbin thread is visible. And I used white bobbin thread in this hot-pink coat, and I’m not happy about it. But by the time I realized this error, there was ZERO chance I was going to unpick perfectly sound seams to change thread color.

Over to you: Do you have any sewing patterns that feel too fashionable for your everyday life? Do you wear them anyway? (PLEASE SAY YES.) If you were to sew a Ulysses trench, what color and fabric would you choose?

P.S. Here’s the previous post: Me-Made May 2018: Feels Like First Time.

P.P.S. I finally learned how to spell “Ulysses” after writing this post! HA!

P.P.P.S. My husband took these photos at 6:30 a.m. the day before this post published, so if I look kinda dazed, it’s because I haven’t had coffee yet!

P.P.P.P.S. Oh yeah, here’s another time I wrote about a cool-mom outfit: Mom status: Effortlessly cool in a Megan Nielsen Briar top.