A few months ago a friend came to me asking if I could restore her treasured silk bolero which belonged to her grandmother. Well loved and worn, it had a large tear under the left armhole, was fraying at the seams and near the shoulder. Although this was a large challenge, I gladly accepted and just recently completed the restoration of this beautiful heirloom jacket. Here was the process.
Before the restoration
As you can see from the images below, the damage was quite extensive. My friend has estimated that this piece is about 50 years old, made from Chinese silk jacquard. With time, the silk has frayed at the various tension points and edges, making it unwearable in it’s current state.
The restoration process
I proposed to remove the cuffs and use this fabric to make a gusset under the armholes as well as insert panels at the shoulders to replace the frayed fabric. Although the bolero was only torn on one side, I made gussets on both sides for balance. In order to minimize pulling during future use, I recommended that we add a lining to the jacket. The lining will therefore protect from friction as well as take on the stress from arm movement when worn.
As per my friend’s request, I found a beautiful bemberg lining which matched the red in the jacquard pattern. Although more expensive and a bit more difficult to work with because of it’s light silky feel, bemberg lining has a much nicer drape than regular polyester lining which can be quite stiff.
The completed restoration of the heirloom jacket
Because I didn’t have enough of the jacquard fabric to make the wider hem and cuff needed to attach to the lining, we improvised by using satin from my friend’s wedding dress which she gave me in case it could be of use. It has the perfect stiffness to make an invisible hem and I find that it also makes a beautiful contrasting detail when paired with the red lining.
My friend was overjoyed with the result and will now be able to enjoy wearing it for years to come.
Do you have a special heirloom jacket or garment in need of restoration. Send me a message on the link below with a picture of the garment for a quote.
I’m the friend and I am utterly thrilled with the restoration work that Caroline did on this jacket, which is of great sentimental significance to me. My grandmother designed and had it made for herself with silk that my uncle brought back from China in the 60s.