I wanted loose trousers in light cloth for cooler evenings on holiday. I had spotted some nice ones at Uniqlo and after feeling them... I thought I could easily make them myself given the simplicity of these patterns.
So I set out to find a pattern roughly resembling what I wanted... I had spotted the Fez trouser pattern from La Maison Victor but...
I wanted:
- pockets
- piping along the legs
- a fun elastic waistband.
So it needed some modification.

This is where pattern hacking comes in ;-)
First, a brief definition of pattern hacking: it is the art of transforming an existing sewing pattern to alter the final garment and make it fit your desires.
For example, lengthening a short sleeve to make it long, turning a blouse into a dress, changing a neckline to create a décolletage...
The time saved is real since you use the base of a pattern; you don’t have to draft everything from scratch but simply make the necessary changes. When hacking an existing pattern, it is important to respect the creator’s intellectual property. Hacking a pattern does not allow you to claim ownership of the "new" version.

How did I go about this simple hack?
1. I drew pockets (measure your hand to visualise the depth your pockets should have).
Then I cut them out in a lining of a matching colour.
You should have four pieces; two for each side.
To place them on the front (mark the points) nothing beats trying them on. By holding the front piece against me, I could determine the height of the pocket opening so they would be positioned according to my shape.
2. I sewed my famous contrasting piping along the front leg seam (piece A) on the outside.
3. I replaced the elastic waistband proposed by La Maison Victor with a wide, fancy 4cm elastic.
4. I had to shorten the leg bottoms because the Fez pattern is quite long and I am quite short ;-)

I am quite proud of my two summer trousers which also serve as indoor trousers, as they say ;-)
I think this hacking could be useful for making pyjama trousers to wear with a tee shirt. Why not in soft velvet with elastics at the leg bottoms?

The Fez pattern is offered by La Maison Victor in sizes 30 to 48 with:
- waist circumference between 66 and 94.5cm
- hip circumference between 82 and 122cm
- inseam length between 86 and 111cm
- side seam length (with original LMV waistband) between 63 and 82.5cm.
I cut the pattern in size 34 and it was perfect. No adjustments needed.

The steps are very simple to follow and sewing it really doesn’t take much time. It is a very nice pattern for making a first garment. It is even classified as start to sew by La Maison Victor.
The technical points are:
- sewing the crotch seam
- assembling the waistband (original version) or inserting the elastic waistband
- sewing the piping for the hacked version
- hemming the trouser bottoms.

For my two makes, I used:
blue version:
- a fabric from Mondial Tissus
- a neon pink piping, a pink lurex elastic and lining from Veritas

Beige version:
- a fabric from Tokyo from the Tomato shop in Nippori
- a lurex piping from the Wonderland haberdashery
- a white and gold elastic from Veritas.