I have been on somewhat of a quest recently trying to find the most comfortable pair of trousers and I think my search may now well be over. Being a wheelchair user means that I have additional requirements to most people. I need a higher back and longer leg (trousers shorten when you sit down) and I also can’t bear anything tight around my tummy and I don’t want the front waistband to be too low either.
I realise that evening trousers are not the first thing that spring to mind when you think of comfort and it did cross my mind that I was possibly being a little too optimistic when I started this project, thankfully it turns out that you can have your cake and eat it.
I was very kindly gifted the most amazing Ponte Roma fabric by Minerva from their core range.
( I know what you’re all thinking Ponte is better suited to relaxing day wear right? ) Well not this one. This little beauty has a really gorgeous subtle sparkle to it that really elevates it into evening wear territory.
So I set about finding a suitable pattern that I could adapt to my needs.
The Parker pants from Style Arc are designed for Ponte with an elasticated waist, so seemed ideal. They don’t immediately look like an evening trouser pattern, but I knew with a few tweaks they would fit the brief nicely.
I made my usual full tummy and swayback adjustments and then slightly raised the back so that the waistband sat higher. The original pattern had turn ups on the bottom of the trousers and finished at the ankle, I felt this made them look more casual so I omitted the turn ups and doing so left me with enough fabric to achieve the perfect length. I also decided to leave off the back pockets as they wouldn’t be useful and would likely just cause discomfort. I know a lot of people have narrowed the legs with this pattern, (to achieve more of a jegging effect) but I decided that for more formal trousers the width was perfect.
I kept the faux pockets in the front as I felt this was a nice design feature.
I haven’t made trousers using Ponte before and this is definitely going to be my fabric of choice moving forward. It was just a dream to work with and is so comfortable to wear.
Style Arc patterns assume that you already have knowledge of dressmaking and have very limited instructions and diagrams so I don’t think this pattern would suit beginners at the very start of their sewing journey but certainly once you’ve made a pair or two it’s a very easy pattern to make.
As usual hubby cut out my pattern from the fabric using a rotary cutter (even he commented how well it behaved) and then I sewed the majority of the project on my overlocker. I used my cover stitch machine for the topstitching on the faux pockets and then for the bottom hems. You could definitely make these trousers using a conventional sewing machine so don’t worry if that’s what you have.
I can’t begin to tell you just how amazingly comfortable these trousers are, it feels like i’m wearing yoga pants but I’m dressed to go out for the evening. What more could a girl ask for?
As you’ve probably guessed by now I’m very pleased with the results and so will definitely be making more of these in the future. I now have the perfect pattern to adapt to make casual or smart trousers and can alter the leg width and length to suit. I am definitely going to search for more Ponte to work with as it is just perfect for these trousers.
It’s hard to get good photos of trousers when you’re sat in a wheelchair so I hope these can do them justice.
(Image description: There are six images taken from different angles showing Yvonne seated in her wheelchair in her garden surrounded by foliage plants. Yvonne has long salt and pepper grey wavy hair and she is wearing navy trousers with a sleeveless silver sparkle damask top)
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