A while ago I muttered something about some day reporting on the wearability of some of the more unusual designs I’ve made. And as we’ve been unable to photograph any new makes for the blog for a couple of weeks it seems like a good time for that post. I’m going to concentrate on trousers this time around and have picked out three patterns I’ve made in the last 12 months.
The clear winner in the wearability stakes is a surprise: my Burda wrap trousers. This is style 120-112-2013 made up in black satin-backed crepe. I made these in September and they come out at least once a week despite being slightly too large. I think the thing that works so well about these is that they’re unusual enough that they give the impression I’ve made an effort. In practice though they’re just as easy to wear as jeans.
Second place goes to my neoprene Vogue 1378 skinny trousers. The big problem with these is that they lack pockets and so are not a lot of use for wearing to work. In addition the fit is not perfect: I could do with making the back rise higher. But recently these have starting getting a lot of wear because they are warm and almost entirely waterproof. I need to look out for more of the thin neoprene I made them out of! If I’d made these in a doubleknit I doubt they’d be such favourites.
The pair that have barely left the wardrobe are the Apple Peel leggings from Pattern Magic. They’re neither good trousers nor good leggings: too form-fitting to be worn alone, but they don’t work under skirts or dresses either. They also require frequent adjusting! They were a fun experiment but definitely not a wardrobe workhorse.
Catherine Daze's Blog 
Great idea for posts! It is a puzzler for me. I can’t always predict. Love these pants.
Not entirely surprised about the apple peel ones, I took a long look at this pattern, and thought it was probably going to be impractical, though interesting.
Great post, it’s so interesting to see how you feel about something a while after you’ve made it. I had the apple peels on my list but now I’m not so sure…
Three nice looking pairs of pants. Too bad about the Apple Peel ones. They look very cool, but if they need constant adjusting, that’s not good.
Thanks so much for doing this post. So often its the several-months-later view on garments that is the most useful!
Great round up, good to see the result of this. I really like the second pair, I think it looks very fancy 🙂
Wearability is very important, and I am not surprised to see PM didn’t pass the test. Many of her garments are based on geometric shapes rather than the human body. I really like the fold over on the Burda ones – it’s a nice little feature that takes them above ordinary. And the Vogues are practical if pocketless.
Oooh interesting winner! Funny how pockets are so valuable to you. I rarely use pockets but like them for aesthetic reasons. Here’s to you making more awesome trousers in 2015!
It’s interesting & so valuable to hear your reflections on the wearability of your makes, as typically we blog them fresh off the machine, so that part often gets left out – so much more helpful to know what’s actually useful in day to day life! 🙂 So true how fun to make = not fun to wear, much of the time 🙂
A very good idea for a post because things can surprise you. I shied away from the harem trousers and now have to give them a rethink, because as you point out, they give the impression of ‘fashion effort,’ and ‘style icon’ while being comfortable as well. I prefer the neoprene style and would wear them with a funky utility belt if the pockets are an issue! Or a waistcoat. They are cool.
Well done for 2015! Have a great holiday season!