We're not here to teach you how to make a specific jacket, we're here to teach you the fundamentals of outerwear design, so you can design and build your own jackets.
This isn't a recipe - this is a culinary course.
You're the visionary, you're the designer.
The Outerwear Design Course is organized into seven simple sections
We teach you everything you need to know about designing and building professional outerwear, from materials and trim, sourcing, fit, professional craftsmanship, design, details, and more.
Next we put it into practice by designing and building four different jackets from start to finish, two technical jackets and two classic jackets. Watch as we work on our designs, and bring each jacket from concept to reality. Finally we end each jacket with what worked well, and what we could improve for next time.
When you register for the Outerwear Design Course we send you a full set of professional patterns. These aren't your average tissue paper patterns that come in an envelope - these are professional patterns. Ten sheets each measuring 36" x 48" where each pattern piece is separate, meaning you can make as many jackets in as many sizes as you want.
These patterns cost us over $2,500 to develop - and they come included with the course
You also get so much more than just printed patterns - we teach you how to modify the patterns to make nearly any kind of outerwear you can imagine, and nail the perfect fit.
- Hooded sweater? Check
- Waxed canvas bomber? Check
- Leather jacket? Check
- Rain jacket? Check
- Winter parka? Check
So what do we mean 'commercially licensed'? It simply means you are free to sell jackets made with these patterns - something you can't do with most consumer patterns.
The Outerwear Design Course has everything you need to create professional outerwear at home, including printed patterns licensed for commercial use (you are encouraged to sell jackets made with the patterns)
If you're just getting started check out our Outerwear Design Mini Course - packed with value and perfect for those just starting out in outerwear design
We're not here to make a quick sale, we're here to help you design and build jackets you're proud of.
That's why we offer a 60 day guarantee so there's no rush - if the course isn't right for you, we'll refund your course fee, simple as that.
It's one thing to make a jacket that gets compliments, it's another thing entirely to make a jacket people will give you their hard earned money for - and that's exactly what we want to show you.
We've built and sold hundreds of jackets over the years using the exact patterns, techniques, and strategies we teach in this course.
So you can go from "Did you make that jacket?" to "Where can I buy that jacket?"
You can't make professional outerwear without professional materials, so we show you how and where to source professional materials.
Oh and we also give you our Sourcebook, a list of our favourite material suppliers that took years to build.
The Outerwear Design Course comes with two PDF guides:
The Workbook contains over 70 pages of in depth info, from tools and equipment, to design, tips, and detailed material guides.
The Sourcebook is a concise list of some of our favourite outerwear material suppliers for outerwear.
Both guides are regularly expanded and updated, and all updates are included with every course purchase.
We want to show you that your skill behind the sewing machine isn't as important as you might think - that you can design and build incredible jackets that are simple, durable, and beautiful.
Step out of home sewing and into the world of professional design, at home.
The Outerwear Design Course is organized into seven sections -
with over 12 hours of detailed step by step video lessons
Introduction to the course and Section One
Tools and equipment for outerwear
Professional outerwear components breakdown
Craftsmanship and it's relative importance
The two worlds of fabric
The two styles of fabric
Layered and coated fabrics
Intro to trim and thread deep dive
Zipper deep dive
Additional trim
Introduction to Section Two and a lesson on what makes jackets from a factory look so professional
Tips and tricks on getting professional craftsmanship at home
Bold and subtle outerwear details
Jacket interiors
Functional details and pockets
Non functional and punch details
Outerwear fit
Proper fit and how to modify fit
Pattern run-through
Design thinking, prototyping, conceptualizing, and research
Moodboarding and sketching
Introduction to Section Three
Creating a draft jacket
Fitting a draft jacket
Jacket One concept and mood boarding
Jacket One sketch and plan
Materials and trim for Jacket One
Marking and cutting Jacket One
Assembling Jacket One
Jacket One review
Introduction to Section Four
Jacket Two concept and mood boarding
Jacket Two sketch and plan
Materials and trim for Jacket Two
Marking and cutting Jacket Two
Assembling Jacket Two
Jacket Two review
Introduction to Section Five
Jacket Three concept and mood boarding
Jacket Three sketch and plan
Materials and trim for Jacket Three
Marking and cutting Jacket Three
Assembling Jacket Three
Jacket Three review
Introduction to Section Six
Jacket Four concept and mood boarding
Jacket Four sketch and plan
Materials and trim for Jacket Four
Marking and cutting Jacket Four
Assembling Jacket Four
Jacket Four review
The latest section breaks down how we designed and built some of our favourite jackets from the past 10 years:
Insulated waxed canvas bomber
Waterproof breathable trail running jacket
Leather and waxed canvas jacket
Lightweight soft-shell jacket
Waxed canvas riding jacket
Heavyweight riding jacket
Twill summer-weight jacket
Insulated winter parka
I have had the amazing fortune to work as a professional designer over my career so far. I've won awards, shown collections in fashion shows, worked with amazing teams, and have been featured in various magazines and media - but that's not important.
What is important is that I love outerwear, and I love teaching. I'm not here to talk about my accomplishments, I'm here to help you achieve what you want to accomplish.
- Eric
The Outerwear Design Couse now comes with exclusive course level membership to the Lathley Community - an online community for all things creative.
Join other students, alumni, instructors, and industry professionals inside the community - where you can ask questions, attend events, share resources, and connect with like-minded individuals and professionals from across the industry.
If you're ready to learn a skill few people have, sign up below - we can't wait to see you inside!
Cheers,
The Lathley Team
We've put together the most common questions about our course, and if you can't find the answer here please don't hesitate to reach out!
Awesome to hear you’re interested in making your own outerwear!
This course is designed as an introductory course, though we do recommend students having some sewing experience before starting this course - being comfortable with your sewing machine and how it operates, and having some experience making easy projects (such as tote bags or blankets) would be great to have before starting our course.
For an easy project, we do have our Technical Blanket Workshop - which you can check out here!
You will not need a specific machine - just one that works well and you’re familiar with using. We are working with denser fabrics such as denim and canvas which some lighter duty home sewing machines may struggle with. We suggest using a heavy duty sewing machine, or an industrial sewing machine if possible (but it is not required).
The only stitch function required is a single straight stitch.
We keep it as simple and minimal as possible, but you’ll need:
- Fabric shears (a nice sharp pair)
- Snips (for clipping threads)
- Binder clips (in place of pins for most situations)
- Pins (to use occasionally when binder clips won't work)
- Soft (tailors) measuring tape (for measuring)
- Chalk/pens/pencil crayons (for tracing the pattern)
- Snaps and setting tools (if you want snaps on your jackets)
You can use a dress form if you want but it’s not required (we don’t use one in the course)
Yes! The course includes two full printed outerwear patterns in women’s XS - XL and men’s XS - XL along with other pieces like pockets, hoods, etc.
We cover materials in the course and provide suggested materials for a wide variety of jacket styles. (and where you can purchase them)
The course consists of pre-recorded video lessons, outerwear patterns and a workbook/sourcebook are also provided. In the video lessons, we will cover the basics of outerwear design, including - material selection, fit, and construction. After the basics are covered - the jackets start getting made! In our video lessons, we make four different jackets, each with varying levels of detail and complexity - from moodboard, to sketch, to finished jacket.
We try to balance a quick pace without being overwhelming. We do cover a good amount of info in our video lessons and we break up the lessons into their own video chapters - if you need to reference the info again at a later time, you can jump right to the specific chapter from the table of contents on the homepage of the course.
We’re here to help! Shoot us an email and we’ll do our best to help you out. In the future we will also be doing live Q&A’s as well as expanding and refining the course.
Shoot us an email! We’re here to help, not make a sale - we’ll help you figure out if this course is right for you and aligned with your sewing and design goals.
We have a 60 day full refund policy for the course - if the course isn't right for you we'll refund your full course fee
Definitely! We’re here to help if you’re experiencing any kind of technical issues with the course itself, if there’s problems getting the results you want in your outerwear, or if you have any questions or needing further clarification.
We’ll do everything we can to set you up for success in your outerwear design journey!
Yes! As an included optional benefit - you can receive a certificate of completion after you complete your coursework and it is reviewed by the Lathley team. This is not an automated system, we review your work and send a personalized certificate of completion.
