2 Denim Jacket Patterns Compared: Kingston vs Stevie

Image of a woman wearing a denim jacket, striped shirt, and yellow skirt next to a digital drawing of a woman in an oversized denim jacket with purple box overlayed with white text that reads VS

October’s Project Sew My Style’s theme is denim jacket patterns. It’s Kingston vs Stevie month!

Meaning, the patterns we’ve chosen for the month are the Rebecca Page Kingston and the Style Arc Stevie.

*Housekeeping: there are affiliate links in this post, and I received this pattern for free as a member of the #sewmystyle2019 leadership team. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.*

At first glance, you may not notice too much of a difference between our two chosen patterns. A jean jacket is a jean jacket, right? Sure.

But if you look closely you’ll see a few differences in the details. And if you know anything about either of these two pattern companies, you’ll know right off the bat that one of them is going to be significantly easier to make. The other is targeted towards a more advanced sewing audience.

Both of them have their place in the sewing world!

First, let’s talk about denim jackets.

Jean jackets are classic. They’re one of the quintessential casual jackets and effortlessly cool.

A person in black wearing a light blue vintage denim jacket leaning against bushes looking down

Some elements of a traditional denim jacket:

button-up front
front and back yokes
3-piece fronts with a flap-front patch pocket centered over the middle section
3-piece backs
hem band
front welt pockets

Of course, there are lots of variations on these elements.

To help our October participants determine which pattern is best suited for them, here is a comparison of the two jacket patterns.

Kingston vs Stevie

The Rebecca Page Kingston is the more beginner-friendly denim jacket pattern. It is priced at $14.50 for the PDF and is rated for an intermediate sewist. This is how the website describes it:

The Kingston Jacket, a beautifully-finished ladies denim jacket pattern, is the perfect finishing touch for any outfit!

On the other side of the skills spectrum is Australian company Style Arc. They are known for the brevity of their instructions but also for their excellent fit (mine was probably the exception).

Style Arc also have a strange quirk of originally releasing their PDFs in single size files. They have recently started nesting their sizes, so you have the option of a single or multi-sized file with this pattern.

The single size Stevie PDF pattern costs $17AUD ($11.56 USD) and the multi-sized PDF pattern costs $20AUD ($13.60 USD). It is rated as challenging and for the experienced sewist.

From the website:

This denim jacket is a wardrobe staple for all year round, its oversized style gives you the perfect boyfriend fit without being too big. The oversized sleeves are ideal for rolling up giving it the true boyfriend look.

Kingston vs Stevie Sizing

Note that the Kingston is a more fitted silhouette while the Stevie is an oversized “boyfriend” look. You may want to size down in the Stevie if you don’t want a baggy jacket.

The Kingston sizes range from XXS to 5XL. This translates to the following ranges:

Bust: 30″ – 54″ or 71 cm – 137cm
Waist: 24″ – 50″ or 61 cm – 127 cm
Hips: 33″ – 57″ or 84 cm – 145 cm

The Stevie sizes are given in Australian sizing, 4-30. This is roughly US 0-26 and translates to the following ranges:

Bust: 30.3″ – 58.25″ or 77 cm – 148 cm
Waist: 23.5″ – 50.5″ or 60 cm – 130 cm
Hips: 32.6″ – 61″ or 83 cm – 154 cm

Both pattern size charts can be found on their respective webpages:

Kingston size chart (in carousel)

Stevie size chart (scroll down to Fabric Estimates & Measurements)

Kingston vs Stevie Pattern Options

There is a big difference in this category. The Kingston offers a variety of sleeve options and a hang tab. The Stevie pattern does not have any variations included whatsoever.

The 5 sleeve options on the Kingston are as follows:

classic 2-piece long sleeves (similar to the Stevie)
half angel sleeves
trumpet sleeves
full bell sleeves
¾ bell sleeves

While the full bell and trumpet sleeves may seem very similar, there is a slight difference. They both start below the elbow, but the bell sleeve is gathered while the trumpet sleeve uses a shaped pattern piece (no gathering).

There are 2 bell sleeve lengths: full bell to the wrist and 3/4 sleeves ending at the mid-forearm.

Kingston vs Stevie Pockets

Both jacket patterns have the traditional front breast pockets with flaps. The Kingston includes side seam pockets that the instructions admit aren’t very functional. The actual quote is:

It is quite small & is on the side seam.Too far back on side seam to put hands in comfortably.

SMH. Highly recommend saving fabric and skipping these if you make the Kingston pattern.

The Stevie has the front welt pockets you see in traditional jean jackets. These are much more functional than inseam pockets.

Kingston vs Stevie Buttons

Both patterns utilize the typical jean buttons for the front pockets, sleeve cuffs, front band, and back decorative tabs. The number of buttons varies by pattern, as shown in the table below.
[table id=1 /]

That is a LOT of jean buttons to install, no matter which pattern you choose. I highly recommend investing in a heavy-duty press. I have this one from Gold Star Tools, which came with the 5/8″ (15.88 mm) set for jeans buttons. It makes installing these buttons an absolute cinch! No hammer or mallet necessary.

Alternatively, you can choose to install snaps instead of buttons! You can also leave off all the decorative buttons on the back tabs, saving you some work.

Kingston vs Stevie Instructions

The instructions are the biggest difference between the two patterns. As mentioned above, one of these is very beginner-friendly and the other is very brief.

The Kingston instructions include a lot of pre-pattern information. This includes finished garment measurements for all sizes, fitting notes, fabric notes, a full description of tools needed, cutting instructions, sewing tips, and full-color photos for each step. The instructions alone run 71 pages!

There is also a single “quick-glance cheat sheet.” This is almost exactly like the Stevie instructions. There is 1 whole page of instructions for the Stevie jacket, a single page of line drawings for the overall construction and a smaller 4-step illustration for the front patch pockets.

If that sounds daunting, don’t worry! My Project Sew My Style co-lead this month, Simone at Intensely Distracted, will have a bunch of resources for putting your Stevie together if that’s the pattern you choose! She has already made her Stevie, so keep your eye on her IG stories for more info throughout the month!

Denim Jacket Patterns: Which one to Choose?

So which pattern do you think you’ll choose? Will you stick with the easier Kingston pattern? Or are you up for a challenge and willing to tackle the Stevie?

Either way, there’s no reason to be intimidated by making a jacket! Check back later in the month when I hope to show off my hot pink version of the Kingston…and I might include a small hack!

Follow the rest of our October Sew My Style team: