Dressing Up Some Cozy Pants

I finally broke free of my Peg Legs obsession and branched out to a wider leg. After weeks of staring at my collection of off-the-rack pants and basically hating every pair, I knew it was time to explore more pants patterns. I do own a few already, but two of them are for jeans, and another is for sweats, and I needed something acceptable for work that wouldn’t suck up the time required of jeans. So I landed on Patterns for Pirates: Cozy Pants.

About the Pattern

Cozy Pants // Patterns for Pirates

This is an incredibly easy sew. If you understand the basic construction of a pair of pants, you will be able to fly through this. The instructions are kind of wonky and jump back and forth, so if you’ve never sewn a pair of pants before and all you want is to follow a straightforward step-by-step tutorial for a basic pair of pants—no bells or whistles—this probably isn’t the pattern to choose.

The final product though: loving it. Love the flared legs and how the right fabric can really dress it up. Or if you want a pair of pants to lounge in, some cozier knits will do the trick. You could also whip up a pair of shorts.

The fit is great; very flattering yet comfortable.

Between the quick sew, simple construction, and amazing fit, I couldn’t resist making a ton of these—three of them in one day. I have to say, there’s nothing quite like throwing together a new pair of pants in an evening after work to wear the next day. It totally beats shopping.

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Make #1: Metallic Scuba Knit

About the Fabric

2 yards of Matte Metallic Nude Scuba Knit from Cali Fabrics

• FABRIC CONTENT: Poly/Spandex
• WEIGHT: Midweight
• STRETCH: 2-way 50%

I’m not completely sure what I was thinking when I bought this fabric. I didn’t really want a shiny pair of pants… I think maybe it was the color; something a little different than my usual black/gray/denim motif.

It’s an odd fabric. The face feels like it has some type of coating on it—which I suppose it might in order to achieve that shiny look. Whatever it is, it makes for a bit of an awkward drape. Almost like I’m wearing something that should be protecting a grill or outdoor seating or something. It’s also noisy to move around in. I haven’t worn them for a full day, so I’m not sure how breathable they’ll end up being, but I suspect not very.

Turns out, they are surprisingly breathable. They were very comfortable to wear the whole day at work.

About This Make

• Size M
• High rise
• 31″ inseam

High rise is too high for my comfort and taste. Flipping the waistband down helps.

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Make #2: Polyester Ponte

About the Fabric

2 yards of Charcoal Designer Midweight Stretch Polyester Ponte

• FABRIC CONTENT: Poly/Spandex
• WEIGHT: Midweight
• STRETCH: 2-way 75%

I’m not a huge fan of the texture of this fabric. That’s not to say it wasn’t comfortable to wear all day, because it was. The drape is beautiful and it sewed very nicely.

About This Make

• Size M
• Low rise
• 31″ inseam
• +patch pockets

Low rise is definitely more comfortable, but the rise just isn’t enough on the back. I do like the look of the pockets and would’ve done pockets on the others if they didn’t consume a chunk of time.

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Make #3: Crepe Knit

About the Fabric

2 yards of Dusty Pink, Black, and White Vertical Stripe Crepe Knit from Cali Fabrics

• FABRIC CONTENT: Poly/Spandex
• WEIGHT: Light Midweight
• STRETCH: 2-way 75%

This fabric was a lot more comfortable to wear than I anticipated. These are my favorite pair despite the fit being a bit off around the back waistband. The colors and stripes make me feel so fancy.

This was where I switched from the triple zig-zag for attaching the waistband to a lightning stitch. The stretch was still fine, so that’s the stitch I stuck with for the waistband on the rest of my makes.

About This Make

• Size M
• High rise @ center back
• Mid rise @ sides
• Low rise @ front
• M/L waistband
• 31″ inseam

High rise was just too high in the back. Creates pooling fabric, and the length of the that rise is unnecessary to achieve comfort and pants that stay in place.

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Make #4: Black Midweight Ponte

About the Fabric

2 yards of Black Midweight Stretch Ponte De Roma from Cali Fabrics

• FABRIC CONTENT: Poly/Rayon/Lycra
• STRETCH: 2-way
• WEIGHT: Midweight

At only $5.99/yard, this fabric is pretty incredible for pants. Think about it: less than $12 for a pair of pants made exclusively to fit you and your shape? With as many or as few bells and whistles as you want? Yes, please.

One downside is that it has a more brushed texture than other ponte I’ve worked with and so it will retain whatever dog hair I come in contact with from my precious, loving little white rat terrier.

About This Make

• Size M
• Mid rise @ back and sides
• Low rise @ front
• M/L waistband
• 31″ inseam

This is the fit I like. Stays in place around my hips throughout the day, no awkward sliding when bending down or sitting, and doesn’t dig in around my stomach. I hate the feel of any kind of band around my belly button.

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Make #5: Solid Midnight Polyester/Spandex Jegging

About the Fabric

2 yards of Solid Midnight Jegging Knit from Made of Love Fabrics

• Fiber Content: 94% Polyester, 6% Spandex
• Weight and Thickness: 170gm, 0.4mm
• Stretch: 50% horizontal, 50% vertical
• Softness: ★★★★☆
• Sheerness: ★☆☆☆☆

About This Make

• Size M
• Mid rise @ back and sides
• Low rise @ front
• M/L wasitband
• 31″ inseam

These turned out a bit more snug than the black ponte version (#4). Such is the case when you do the exact same thing but with different fabric. Ideally, I would’ve sized these up to a large had I known the fabric would behave so differently.

On this pair, I switched to a straight stitch for the hem. Being so flared, there’s really no need for a stretch stitch. I thought the straight stitch wouldn’t play well with the stretch of the fabric, but I gave it a try and it turned out just fine. I was actually a bit happier using the straight stitch because there’s less back-and-forth movement of the fabric, which becomes a pain around the bulk of the side seams when hemming.

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Make #6: Houndstooth structured knit

About the Fabric

• 2-way stretch
• structured / stiffer hand

This fabric was a find at Hobby Lobby many moons ago. I’ve used it on a Riot Skirt and Dandelion Tee, but always wanted to use it for a pair of pants.

About This Make

• Size M
• Mid rise @ back and sides
• Low rise @ front
• M/L waistband
• 31″ inseam