Commission: Sirius Black Housecoat

I've just popped this coat into the post (hopefully not soggified by the rain I just trekked through), so I thought it about time to write about it.

The coat is made from a beautiful burgundy silk velvet and is lined in a matching brocade. One of the interesting little features about it is that it has a long and thin wand pocket (see photo under the cut) on the inside.

As can be be surmised form the title of the post, the coat is based largely on a housecoat worn by the character Sirius Black in film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. He wears it in scene where he shows Harry the Black Family Tree tapestry and gives a rather lengthy plot dump. The original seems to be inspired by a Victorian or Edwardian smoking jacket, worn by gentlemen as they sit around in clubs or sitting rooms with pipe and brandy. There's a slightly similar garment (next to a rather terrifying one) in John Peacock's Men's Fashion: The Complete Sourcebook, under Underwear and Negligee 1882-1894. In fact, a lot of the aesthetics of the Wizarding World in the Harry Potter films appear to draw from the turn of the century fashion and interiors.

I can't say this version of the coat can rival this rather more famous one on Severely Right Brained and they do differ somewhat in construction. The customer had wanted it to slightly less theatrical as this was designed not as a stage magician's costume but as a piece of clothing to be worn normally. The gatherings at the back are significantly less excessive (thus a lot less "swish" to the coat). It also has shorter sleeves and isn't lined in black.

To commission a coat like this one from the Mercenary would cost in the region of £90-100.

More photos under the cut.