Wearing the Pants

24 Nov Wearing the Pants

Hubby was about to give his pants away.

He had absolutely no idea that plaid pants are quite in vogue. Even his ….

Have you ever taken apart a pair of men’s pants?  Releasing a single seam gets you nowhere.

It was maddening to discover interfacing, horsehair (or a similar product) AND muslin layered between the fashion fabric and the lining to prevent stretching. The front pockets  are as deep as the Pacific Ocean and neatly sewn into the fly, waistband and side seam. At times I found taking the pants apart was more difficult that putting them back together.

      
The good news is it can be done!

I thought a pair of skinny pants was the way to go and if there is a next time, I’ll provide a tutorial. However refashioning hubby’s 30-year-old slacks was strictly experimental.

Already matching plaids provided piece of mind as I carefully ripped off the waistband and split the crotch through the back of the pants, as well as the inner leg.

Based on my measurements I basted the new seams together only to find nothing fit. The abs were too tight, the waist was too big and the crotch was too high.

As I examined myself in the ill-fitting pants, sympathy flooded my soul thinking about female police officers, TSA agents and every other woman in formerly male-dominated roles. They deserve pants designed for a woman’s body!

Perhaps Project Runway will feature a female uniform challenge next season. 😉

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Adjusting the seams to give more room in the abs, and sewing darts in the front provided a better fit the waist. However, I gave up on the perfectly fitting waist hoping a belt or pullover sweater would solve the issue, and forged ahead.

I also altered the existing darts above the welt pockets in the back before reattaching the waistband.

The zipper broke somewhere along the way forcing me to sew my first fly zip. That meant unstitching part of the pockets…… can you take anymore?

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I whittled the inner leg inch by inch trying to achieve a narrow fit. While studying a pair of plaid skinnies on Polyvore, I read the pants featured a 13” inch leg opening. At last I knew what to do and then tapered from the outer leg to tweak the fit.

And now, aside from cooking I’m ready for Thanksgiving 🙂

While hubby dressed up the pants with a camel hair blazer, I’m kicking them up a notch with a mink collared sweater (blogged here) and suede booties.

Hubby went casual by pairing the pants with a crew neck sweater and I am dressing them down by detaching the collar and wearing flats.

I’m also loving the pants with a favorite pair of boots.

So now it’s time to move from the sewing room to the kitchen for a few days where experimenting takes on a whole new meaning!

Our Thanksgiving traditions are changing and so is the food. After a family run in the annual Turkey Trot, Hubby is cooking his first turkey to serve with lots of new recipes I’m preparing.

Looks like we’ll both wear the pants this holiday 🙂

Sending my best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating!

Until soon 🙂