So you know that suit I made? I totally forgot to post about the pants, eh?
Umm … oops.
So hey! I made a suit! The blazer was the Style Arc Sara, and the pants were the Style Arc Willow.
The fabric is a poly-wool blend from Fabricland. At $12/m it wasn’t exactly cheap, but that’s a very reasonable price for a wool-blend suiting and something I’m much happier about potentially botching than a $30/m proper wool. Plus it is an incredibly vibrant cobalt blue, which struck me as a fun suit, potentially.
I had enough fabric to make two pairs, which was good, because the first had Issues.
First pair:
I cut this up and sewed it as a straight 12. Inside seams were serged. And I added pockets. The Willow pattern is pocket-free, and I have a hard time wearing pants without pockets thanks to the insulin pump. Especially in a slim cut, because then there’s nowhere to put a pump-holder inside the pants (at least, not without an odd and conspicuous leg bump). Same pockets that the Jasmine uses; I just merged the angled pocket line with the outlines of the Willow pattern at top.
Because I added pockets, I changed the order of construction: front darts, then pocket construction, then back darts, then sewing leg seams together. I used an invisible zipper that is less invisible than I’d like because it is black. I inserted the zipper before sewing up the side seams, then put on the waistband and hemmed the bottom with their little vents. Bottom hem is a blind stitch. On the inside, the lower waistband edge is serged and then attached to the front with a stitch-in-the-ditch.
They were a bit too snug for me, especially in the back. I can sit, but sitting takes more preparation than I’d typically like to undertake.
In part this is because of my high waist. My back-waist measurement is about 14″, which is shorter than a standard petite size 4. Am I petite? No, I’m not; I’m tall. Yes, I have the upper torso length of a small child. Anyway. The waistband is supposed to be on the waist here, but it’s not. So the waistband pulled everything up uncomfortably.
Second pair:
Added 1 1/2″ to the crotch rise and about 1/4″ to the seams to add a bit more ease in the hips. Otherwise the same. Nice blue zipper that is more invisible, with a beautifully matching purple-blue button. It’s much more wearable and more comfortable. The legs are also a bit looser in these photos than I would have liked (I’ve since snugged them up a bit, but so sorry so cold; pictures of that will have to wait).
I’ve already started on suit 2 (which you’ll know if you follow me on IG). What do you think, Dear Readers? Is this a pants pattern you would use for suits? Or would you go for something more conservative and less slim? Keep in mind that the blazer will be fairly fitted.
Zoopolis 
Looking good! My first two post-coat projects have been pants, updating my jeans pattern with an absurdly short back rise into something that doesn’t make me feel bisected when I sit down. So, I feel you on the importance of the crotch length! I wholeheartedly support the slim pants as part of your suit. I love how they look. If you had extra fabric like you did this time, you could also make a second pair of pants with a more conservative cut – my tailor friend tells me the pants wear out much more quickly than the jacket.
That’s a good point. I’ll have to lay out the pattern pieces and see how much is left over.
And thanks for the slim-cut vote. 🙂
I still can’t believe you can sew a suit. A suit! Brava!