Velcro was loud. It made a really conspicuous ripping sound, and left icky goo all over the fabric with adhesive. Snaps were a bit unwieldy, and buttons took forever, so I tried magnets.
I started with the lining and a pack of magnets I bought at Joann's in the craft section. I cut little rectangles of the lining fabric to fashion pockets to hold the magnets. 2.5 by 3.5 in.
After stitching the magnet pockets into place, I trimmed up the excess and put on the facings. I ironed down the seam allowance to start. The outer edge had to be hand-stitched because there was not enough room for the machine's foot.
The result was a magnet-closed jacket that can pass for a theatrical rendition of the 1630s and can be removed quickly and silently.
