Many of you have asked me for advice on how to start making pants, especially your first ones. So I thought it was worth compiling a small (non-exhaustive) list of simple pants patterns, with varied designs, accessible to beginner sewists, available in a wide range of sizes, and whose making will be satisfying!

So let's discover these great patterns and these great designers!

The Philippe pattern by Coralie Bijasson

Philippe is a fluid wide-leg pant, easy to make and wear. It’s a very comfortable model. There’s no zipper to install, making it more accessible to sew. The waist is elasticated, and the pants have side pockets.
It is available from size 34 to 48, which corresponds to a waist measurement between 60 and 88 cm; and a hip measurement between 86 and 114 cm. You can find it on the brand’s website for €8 for the PDF pattern and €12.5 for the printed pattern. For this model, prefer lightweight and fluid fabrics but not transparent ones, such as crepe, viscose or cotton (allow about 220 cm of fabric and a 3/4 cm wide elastic). You will find all the necessary supplies to sew Philippe in the shop.
The seam allowances (1 cm) are included in the pattern as well as the hem values.

Note, the pants are intentionally long to suit all body types. You will need to adjust the leg length if you are petite.

The Pio pants by Ready to sew

Pio is a high-waisted elasticated pant with a slightly tapered shape. It has two large front pockets and two patch pockets at the back. Its finished length falls at the ankle but it can also be worn rolled up.

Pio is available from size 32 to 58, which corresponds to a waist measurement between 61.5 and 124 cm; and a hip measurement between 89 and 151 cm. It is sold for €10.20 in PDF format on the brand’s website.

For the fabric, you will need between 160 and 230 cm of linen toile, cotton/linen blend, cotton poplin, light denim,... and a 3 to 4 cm wide elastic.

The Jumpy pants by Ready to sew

The second pants from Ready to sew that I wanted to introduce to you is Jumpy. It slips on like a sarong over your swimsuit at the beach or with a little summer top. It ties at the front and requires no zipper, elastic, or button installation, making it the ideal pants for sewing beginners.

It is a straight-leg pant that falls at the ankle or a rolled-up short at mid-thigh. It features Italian pockets and two back clips.

Jumpy is available from size 32 to 46, which corresponds to a waist measurement of 58 to 87 cm; and a hip measurement of 82 to 111 cm. It is sold for €10.20 on the brand’s website. The recommended fabrics are cotton poplin, chambray, linen and its blends. For these pants, you cannot use stretchy or too fluid fabrics. You will need about 115 cm of fabric for the short version and 200 cm for the pants.

The Hector pants by Petit Patron

The Hector pants are designed to be your summer holiday ally. They were designed with a loose fit to provide maximum comfort but without being too warm. The waist is elasticated for maximum comfort and it is designed to include a drawstring to ensure the pants always stay in place. Explanatory tutorials also allow you to make the short version.

Hector is available from size 34 to 56, which corresponds to a waist measurement between 64 and 120 cm; and a hip measurement between 88 and 144 cm. It is sold for €8.75 on the brand’s website.

To make your pants, you will need about 200 to 270 cm of fabric depending on your size, some lightweight fusible interfacing, and 4 cm wide elastic. Hector is sewn in a lightweight fabric such as poplin, viscose or crepe. I see it well in a Dashwood Studio viscose or Lise Tailor that you will find in the shop.

The Fez pants by La Maison Victor

Originally published in the 2018 issue 3, Fez is available on the Maison Victor website for €5.85. It is graded from size 30 to 48.

I made two versions of this pattern by modifying it slightly to suit my preferences. I added contrasting piping along the side of the leg and replaced the waistband with a lurex elastic, ... when you love glitter...

You will find a nice selection of piping (lurex, neon, suede...) as well as lurex elastics in the shop.

Find the full article by clicking here. 

The Calder pants by Patronnes

This model is well suited for sewing your first slightly more "chic" pants. Its closure with a loop allows for very simple sewing and a nice pleated look on the sides, on a high waist.

Calder is available from size 34 to 48 (and up to 46 for printed patterns), which corresponds to a waist measurement between 62 and 90 cm; and a hip measurement between 89 and 117 cm. Calder is sold for €8.5 for the PDF pattern and €15.90 for the printed format on the brand’s website.

The recommended fabrics to sew these pants are soft fabrics for a nice drape such as: semi-thick cotton toile, soft gabardine, flannel, velvet, soft jean for which you will need 220 to 230 cm depending on your size. You will also need 4 D-shaped rings to make the closure.

Finally, I couldn’t not talk about Emilie Pouillot-Ferrand’s amazing explanatory booklet for sewing your first tailored pants. Admittedly, this sewing project is not for beginners, but what a joy to follow the explanations in this reference booklet.

The tailored pants by Emilie Pouillot-Ferrand from Laplage editions

It’s the first tailored pants I sewed for myself and I wrote an article about it which you can find by clicking here. Please be kind, it’s one of my very first articles 😊.

I sewed it in a pretty cotton serge toile to which I added a gold piping to highlight the pocket openings. I had fun working on the facings with a pretty contrasting poplin. You will find perfect cotton serge fabrics for this project in the shop.

So now you have a selection of accessible patterns, all that’s left is to choose and dare to start!

Get your needles ready!