Nothing strikes fear in a seamstress' heart more than the thought of having to sew a pair of perfectly fitted pair of pants or shorts! Let's face it, unless you have the "ideal" standard body (does this even exist?), you are probably going to need to make a small alteration or two to get a perfect fit. Lucky for you, we created this handy cheat sheet to help you know exactly what alterations you need to do.
Take the pain out of fitting pants or shorts!
There is no shame in needing a small alteration to the pattern. We are all built a little different, and that's what makes each of us awesome. But, what if you think alterations are scary? Or what if you don't know where to start? That's where this handy guide comes in.
Getting Started
We are going to get started with some easy ones and then move on to some harder one. The first thing you need to do is measure yourself and choose your size based on your hip measurement on the measurement chart. It is very important to ignore your ready-to-wear size completely. Just like Old Navy and J. Crew have a completely different size structure, so do sewing patterns. Also, it's important to pick the size you really are, not the size you think you are. I've seen a lot of fitting issues that are easily resolved just by picking the right size.
These first adjustments I generally recommend to do before you sew anything. Every sewing pattern should provide a given height that the pattern is drafted for. For example, our ladies patterns are drafted for a 5'5"-5'7" height. If you are 5'10", you are going to know right out of the bat, that you are going to need some extra length. Another good thing to look at are the finished garment measurements. You can use these measurements along with your own personal measurements to estimate just how much of an alteration you need to do.
Alteration Key
Use the key above when using this guide.
Longer Torso Pants Fitting
If you have a longer torso, you are going to need more rise. To do so, slash the pattern and add however much extra length you need. Then re-blend the curves as indicated by the pink lines.
Shorter Torso Pants Fitting
If you have a shorter torso, you are going to need less rise. To do so, slash the pattern and overlap the pattern in the amount you need to shorten. Then re-blend the curves as indicated by the pink lines.
Longer Legs Pants Fitting
If your inseam is longer than the pattern's, you are going to need more length in the legs. To do so, slash the pattern and add however much extra length you need. Then re-blend the curves as indicated by the pink lines.
Shorter Legs Pants Fitting
If your inseam is longer than the pattern's, you are going to need more length in the legs. To do so, slash the pattern and overlap the pattern in the amount you need to shorten. Then re-blend the curves as indicated by the pink lines.
Smaller Waist Pants Fitting
If your waist is smaller than your hip in the measurement chart, you can adjust the waist by blending to the size you fall in the waist. Keep in mind, if you are sewing a simple elastic waist short/pant, sometimes it is easier to just adjust the elastic width. If your waist is significantly smaller than your hip, you may be better off choosing a Flat Tummy Adjustment below.
Wider Waist Pants Fitting
If your waist is larger than your hip in the measurement chart, you can adjust the waist by blending to the size you fall in the waist. Keep in mind, if you are sewing a simple elastic waist short/pant, sometimes it is easier to just adjust the elastic width. If your waist is significantly larger than your hip, you may be better off choosing a Full Tummy Adjustment below.
Want More? Download Our Pants Fitting Guide!
Now I could list a TON more here in this post. But instead, I created this handy PDF download for you! This way, you don't have to refer back to the page all the time (but still, Pin it for future reference!) Click the link above to download the guide to have even more adjustments (like Sway Back, Buttock Adjustments and many others) sent directly to your email!
So confession time, what pants adjustment do you normally have to do? Are there any we didn't cover here or in the guide that you would like to see? Let me know in the comments!