Most of the year, trousers or jeans are part of my everyday wardrobe. My favorite style of trousers are a loose fit with a tapered leg. Two of my favorite me-made versions are the Alexandria Trousers and the Arenite Pants. I have worn both of these patterns a ton. So when I saw the Calyer Pants, I knew immediately that they’d be a good fit for me.
The Calyer Pants are designed by French Navy Patterns and they feature an elasticized waistband in the back with a flat front waistband, in-seam pockets and optional pleats. The most interesting feature to me is that the seams are not directly on the side of the pant, but are positioned slightly to the front. I found the instructions very easy to follow with highly detailed illustrations. I wouldn’t do anything differently from what was instructed. The pants came together really easily and quickly. This would be a great project to make over a weekend. This is view B with the front pleats. View A looks the same everywhere except for those pleats.
I made a few adjustments to the pattern and I’m really pleased with how it turned out. I did not make a muslin so I was definitely taking a risk. My measurements are roughly 29" waist and 39” hips and I’m 5’11”. So I cut a size M everywhere except at the top of the waistband, I cut the largest size as a way to add length to the crotch. I also added an additional .5” to the length of the crotch. This pattern does not have a shorten/lengthen line for the rise so I just did it kind of in the middle, making sure to keep the slash line perpendicular to the grain line. I also added 1” to the length of the pant leg and made a 1.5” full calf adjustment. I’m planning a post for later this week with more details on the calf adjustment so stay tuned.
The fabric is a navy linen/viscose slub from Blackbird Fabrics. This fabric has a really nice drape but is totally opaque, making it perfect for pants like these. The fabric behaved itself very well and was very easy to sew with. I bought this fabric during one of the remnant sales and still have about half a yard left over.
I really love how these pants turned out. They look just exactly the way I imagined from the photos that I’d seen on IG and even the cover illustration for the pattern. It’s been too cold for me to wear them in LA yet but I’m pretty sure that once it warms up a little bit, I will be wearing them frequently. I love that they look polished and interesting but are still really comfy due to the elastic waistband. (By the way, here I’m wearing a Lou Box Top in knit fabric in one size smaller than the chart and posing with my favorite houseplant. Don’t tell the other plants though. I don’t want them to be jealous.)
