The weather in northern California can be unpredictable with wild swings from morning to night, so I made this sleeveless coat as a stylish layering piece when I need some extra warmth. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make a sleeveless coat by refashioning a thrift store suit. This easy project took me only a couple of hours to complete over the weekend.

Here’s a quick overview of this on how to refashion a suit into a sleeveless coat.

Step 1: Chop off the sleeve

Step 2: Take in the sides and adjust armholes (optional)

Step 3: Shape and finish the armholes

Step 1: Chop off the sleeve

Remove the sleeves.

Step 2: Take in the sides and adjust armholes (optional)

If your coat fits you well, skip to Step 3.

Pin the sides and trim the excess fabric.

Sew the side seams.

Adjust armholes if you have any gaping.

Fix the gaping by taking in the excess fabric at the shoulder seam or adding armhole darts.

Make the same shoulder adjustment at the collar facing if needed.

Step 3: Shape and finish the armholes

Finish the armholes with bias binding. Cut two 1.5″ strips of black fabric 1″ longer than the armhole opening and press it lengthwise.

Sew the bias binding to the right side of the armhole, flip it to the back and stitch it down from the front.

I like how this upcycled sleeveless coat dressed up my outfit. The coat added a touch of menswear that was polished and pulled together. It certainly jazzed up the everyday jeans and t-shirt I’m wearing.

If you start with a well fitting coat, you can finish this project in 15 – 30 minutes. Just chop off the sleeves and finish the edges. Since my original suit was enormous, I had to spend a little more time altering it to fit.

Did you enjoy this project? Let me know in the comments or share with your friends!