For as long as I can remember, I have worn jeans almost daily, in and out of the office. But recently, the Miami HEAT – the real summer hot burning sweaty heat, not the basketball team – has me considering other options. Now that I have tried light, breezy, and wide linen pants, I cannot go back to skinny jeans. I must add that I love dresses, but I work in a freezing office and need my long trousers and closed shoes. So, I basically dress every day for two opposed climates: the scorching desert outdoors and the North Pole indoors.
This pattern, the Emerson Pants by True Bias, checks all the boxes. In the realm of woven pants, there is nothing more comfortable than wide legs and elasticized waistbands. These pants have that, but also feature a flat front waistband and pleats that turn it into a casual yet elegant outfit. The pattern was originally made for shorts or cropped pants, but I opted to add 5 inches to the bottom and make them long. It is more my style, and it reminds me of those early 2000s flared wide pants I used to wear in high school.
Another thing about me is I hate ironing. Of course, I do iron while sewing. But ironing clothes – mine or anyone else’s clothes, for that matter – only happens once in a blue moon. So, I was a little skeptical about adding linen to my wardrobe, but I have found out two things: 1) I don’t mind wrinkles that much, I guess they are part of linens’ charm and 2) printed linen such as this Robert Kaufman’s blue design hides wrinkles pretty well. For full disclosure: I didn’t iron the fabric after washing it, and I didn’t iron the final product either. I could have made an effort for the photoshoot, but it would have been cheating, so here it is: enjoy my natural wrinkled pants!
As I was sewing linen for the first time, I didn’t know what to expect. But it was surprisingly pleasant, and easier than knit fabric! It is stiff and crisp, so it stays put while you cut through the fabric, and while you are stitching. I chose to finish my seams with the serger to prevent any fraying. The pattern is extremely well made and for once all the notches and darts perfectly matched on the assembled piece (my technical skills are not the best!). As I mentioned, I lengthened the pants by adding a few inches to each leg, and the only other modification was to sew-in the elastic in the waistband, to avoid any bulging. I think it gives a nice finish, and I won’t be feeling I need to constantly check if everything is in place.
I am extremely happy with this new addition to my wardrobe! And I made sure to nicely fold and store the paper pattern for future makes. Who knows if my summer love story with linen pants will turn into a year-round romance? I may see more Emerson pants in my future…
INES | @bynunis
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They're so nice!!! The fabric is really pretty, too, and I think you are right that it hides the wrinkles, although wrinkles are the authentic sign of linen and to me, not a problem.
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! And yes, I can totally live with the wrinkles!
DeleteWell done!!! I tend to stay away from linen only because I have so often read that linen is dry clean only and who has the time (and money) to be running back and forth to the cleaners. The pants look great. Did you have to make any adjustments other than length? They fit you beautifully.
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! No other adjustments needed! I strongly recommend sewing the elastic as I did, it is just one more step that's not in the instructions and it is worth it! The pattern is great, and the fit is forgiving thanks to that back elastic!
DeleteYour pants are so cute and they look super comfy! You did a great job on them.
ReplyDeleteThanks! They are as comfy as they look! I want to try them with a lighter fabric now, maybe lawn!
DeleteThanks for your review. I have vascillated all summer over linen pants and wrinkles and I think I'll give it a try next summer.
ReplyDelete