I sewed the Victory Patterns Ulysses trench. It's a modern take on the classic outerwear garment.

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 β€” and wearing it β€” 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! πŸ‘ŠπŸ‘—

The Victory Patterns Ulysses trench features a drapey shawl front opening.

The belt loops through the rain guard of the Victory Patterns Ulysses trench.

Ulysses Trench Construction Details

Fabric

This trench is sewn with Robert Kaufman Brussels washer linenΒ (affiliate link). The color is lipstick!πŸ’„ 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 β€” 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!

Back detail of the Victory Patterns Ulysses trench.

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:Β 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.

Wear the Victory Patterns Ulysses trench open or closed.

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).

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Amazon Offerings of Robert Kaufman Brussels Washer Linen:Β 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:Β 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!

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I prefer the Victory Patterns Ulysses trench open. I adore the drape of the shawl collar.

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:

  1. I didn’t accurately cut and sew together my bias strips.
  2. 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.

The patch pockets of the Victory Patterns Ulysses trench are smartly angled.

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.

I should have used coordinating bobbin thread when sewing my Victory Patterns Ulysses trench.

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.

I used lipstick pink Kaufman Brussels washer linen, a linen-rayon blend, to stitch the Victory Patterns Ulysses trench.

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:Β Mom status: Effortlessly cool in a Megan Nielsen Briar top.

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