Seeking Closure

A few readers have asked about how my recently completed Issey Miyake leopard coat stays closed.

In truth, at present, it doesn't.

But I'm still not sure how I want to address this, or if I even want to at all.

The original Vogue pattern calls for four front buttons.  I don't love how that looks and I think my coat would lose some of its elegance if I punched buttonholes through it -- even if I had Jonathan Embroidery do the dirty work.



I've toyed with other options.  Last week I purchased the biggest toggle I could find at C&C Button in the Garment District.  I was inspired by this Miyake coat I saw on Ebay.





But I'm not thrilled by the look of those leather patches (too classic duffle coat) and frankly, the toggle against a leopard print makes the coat look like something out of The Flintstones.

So next I bought simple dark gray horn buttons.



I'd already added a series of squares down the front of each side of the coat facing (on the wrong side) in anticipation of buttons and/or buttonholes before I finished the coat.  But rather than make holes, what I'm thinking of doing is this:  I'll cut large square patches of double-layer melton (the same fabric as my facing), put buttonholes through them, and then stitch each square to the right side of the facing (like a patch pocket).  The buttons will fasten into the squares (aka, inside buttons), so nothing will be visible on the left front, which on a men's coat overlaps the right.

How does that sound?

Testing my buttonholes...

I've thought of other things: ties, frogs, button loops, covered snaps, even a zipper.  The facings haven't been stitched down yet, so I can still make minor changes.  I like the idea of the patches because I could rip them out with a seam ripper without damaging the leopard fabric, if need be.

Of course, I don't have to change anything.  Since the surface of the coat is rough and the coat is oversized, when you drape one side over another, it stays in place (more or less).  Still, it would be nice to have some way to keep the coat closed on a windy day when the temperature is below freezing.

What do you think?  

Have a great day, everybody!

Cool trompe l'oeil effect!