I've been catching up on project runway in the last few weeks (i once started watching season 9 when it was on tv in 2011, and actually ran into a couple of the contestants while fabric shopping in new york!) and while watching last weeks episode I had such an "omg" moment when I saw Michelle's Dress:

I love that leather breast plate harness thingy! I personally would prefer normal leather to patent leather, but I really like the quilting detail.  And she used wool for the dress! Like I'm using for my jacket! So weird.

The thing is, I've completed the wearable muslin for my jacket (I'll take photos where I'm wearing it soon), but I'm not satisfied with how my harness thing is turning out.

It just looks too boxy and costumey (seriously, I've been watching way too much PR, when I step back from my dressform to look at what I've made I can hear Michael Kors saying "I don't get it, where is she going? An S&M renaissance fair?") especially in the front, so I've been trying out different ways to manipulate the fabric (if you can call pleather "fabric") . The pleather I'm using to test different versions is somewhat stretchy, which makes it hard to tell what the real leather will behave like

In a way I kind of like all of these, but not for this project, it's not the look I'm going for with this. I want it to be sturdy and armor like, but without looking too costumey and without intricate details. I'm considering leaving more open spaces in the harness, as in, connecting planes of leather with strips of leather, for a "lighter" harness that shows more of the garment underneath. It's inspired by medieval armor, but I want it to be modern, futuristic almost, and just because it's supposed to read "armor", it doesn't have to actually cover up the entire upper body.

What important to me for the harness is that the shoulder and sleeve detail remain. I really like that triangular shape at the side. I originally wanted to piece that part into the sleeve of the jacket, but I was unsure if it would work and I liked the idea of it being removable. But the thing is that it sticks out at the shoulder area now, because it's just free hanging.
And I want the harness to cover up the accentuated bust. I'll see what I can come up with. There's so much harness inspiration out there on the internets, I might post some inspiration in the next few days.

Also, while wearing the jacket alone this weekend, I realized I kind of missed having pockets. I don't want to put pockets in the jacket itself (it would interfere with the design of the leather overlay on the peplum), but maybe I could incorporate some storage into the harness?

More to come!