I am a notorious pattern repeater. A uniform dresser. A “How many times can I wear this in a row and get away with it?” person. What can I say? I like what I like.
The Fabrics Store’s Sara Trouser is one of these go-to, repeat-pattern garments in my closet. I have made three versions over the past two years, each slightly different than the next. Each to serve a different need in my closet. Across three very different fabrics – a musky green linen, a warm brown wool/silk blend, and cool black tropical wool – the Sara is a staple throughout the seasons, both life and weather.
The Sara Trouser in midweight linen.
My first Sara Trouser came to be in the high heat of summer while preparing for a destination wedding. I realized that although I had several pairs of elastic waist linen pants, I didn’t have a midweight trouser appropriate for occasions calling for something more tailored. Using some light midweight linen I had on hand, weighing at 5.3oz, I cut this pair to pattern in size 4/6. After trying them on I ended up taking the waist in an additional 2.5cm / 1” and hemming them to a finished inseam length of 66cm / 26”. They have worn incredibly well over the past two years, suiting my style in both work environments and out socially.
Front view of the Sara Trouser with an extended inseam, sewn in a silk/wool blend.
For my second pair of Sara’s, I introduced a new modification: extending the hem to the ground instead of hitting at the ankle. To do this, I lengthened the existing inseam and outseams to a finishing hem length of 74cm / 29” from the width at the knee. The fabric is a midweight chocolatey wool/silk blend with a slight stretch. Considering the light extra give from the fabric’s stretch, I cut the pair as size 4/6 but used 1.27cm / 1/2” seam allowance instead of the pattern’s 1cm / 3/8”. This Sara is my style knight-in-shining-armor, especially in those panicked moments when I don’t know what to wear, suddenly hate everything in my closet, and am running late. Somehow they can turn a basic oversized pullover and flats into an effortlessly chic outfit, or take on a supporting role in an evening out with a satin tank and heels.
Back side view of the trouser with an extended inseam.
My third pair of the Sara Trouser is sewn in a lightweight black tropical wool. Since the fabric didn’t have stretch, this time I blended size 0/2 in the waist to 4/6 in the hips. I took notes from men’s tailoring by extending the waistband slightly over the centerfront and hiding the closures underneath it. The waistband is secured by a hidden button in its original location as well as a hook and eye at the very end of the waistband. It’s a small detail, but solidifies the overall business-attire attitude of the trouser.
Inside look at the waistband with men’s tailoring inspired modifications.
For the inseam, I referred back to the length of my linen pair since that suited me well. I don’t wear these Sara’s as often as I would like to mostly due to the fact that I don’t work from a traditional office. I’m starting to think this is a mistake though, as each time I wear them I get at least two compliments from strangers. If anything, this pair has made me realize a good pair of trousers are just as hard to secure as a good pair of jeans.
The Sara Trouser in lightweight tropical wool.
On the topic of fit, I am very pleased with how all three pairs fit along the thigh. Over the years, I’ve tried several other pleated trouser patterns and often find they have either too much volume in the thigh or that the pockets pull along the waistband joining seam. The pleat on the Sara sits in a flattering location, doesn’t pull, and has enough room for my runner’s thighs without drowning my legs in fabric.
Back view of the Sara Trouser.
There is one final modification that I should mention. The pattern is drafted to use the main fabric for the pockets, but since my first pair was being sewn in an already light midweight fabric, I decided to use a slightly lighter voile for the pockets to reduce any potential bulking, so I drafted a pocket facing from the pocket pattern piece. With the work already done and satisfactory, I used this additional pattern for all three pairs of Sara’s. With the green linen and black wool pairs I also added a facing on the leg-side of the pocket opening to improve stability.
A well-worn pair of linen Sara Trousers.
To most people, I don’t think my Sara Trouser trio looks like they came from the same underlying pattern. Not that it’d be a problem or that anyone is paying attention, but I appreciate a pattern that gets mileage in a closet. Something that can be worn and transformed in many ways with ease. This is just one of those patterns that can camouflage itself into different expressions, allowing me to also explore my own style in different ways.
1 Comment
Really nice pattern review google— the fit details and fabric choice are especially helpful. Always appreciate seeing how different sewists interpret the same trousers, it gives a much better sense of how they’ll actually wear in real life.