Stirrup Trousers: How to Draft the Stirrup, Choose Fabric and Fit the Ankle

The stirrup began as functional riding and military wear, where a strap under the boot stopped the trouser leg riding up when the rider was mounted. In the nineteenth century, trousers with straps under the foot, sometimes called strapped trousers, were part of fashionable men's dress.

The best-known version came from skiwear in the mid-twentieth century: slim, stretch ski pants with a stirrup kept the leg smooth inside the boot. Stirrup leggings became a staple of the 1980s and early 1990s, and today's runway versions range from tailored trousers with a fabric strap to fitted knit leggings with a built-in foot band.

An integrated stirrup is cut in one with the leg. The lower edge of the trouser is extended down past the ankle and shaped into a band that runs under the arch of the foot. This is the cleanest version and is typical of knit leggings and ski pants.

A separate strap is a band of fabric or elastic stitched to the inside of the hem at both sides. It is easier to add to an existing trouser and suits woven fabrics, where the hem keeps its normal finish. A button or snap strap can be detached, which makes the trousers more versatile.

Start with a close-fitting leg pattern: leggings or slim stretch trousers with a narrow ankle. On the front and back leg pieces, mark the ankle line and the inside and outside leg seams. Measure your foot around the instep, from the ankle bone on one side under the arch to the ankle bone on the other, with the foot flat on the floor.

Extend the leg below the ankle line by about the height of the ankle bone above the floor. Then shape the lower edge into a U or arch: the sides of the leg continue down to form the strap, while the center of the front and back is cut away so the heel and the top of the foot stay free. Join the two sides under the foot with a seam, or cut the strap as a separate band joined at the inner and outer leg.

The strap must be shorter than the comfortable measurement around the foot so that it pulls the leg down slightly. How much shorter depends on the stretch of the fabric; test it with a toile in the real fabric.

1. 1.Mark the ankle line on a close-fitting leg pattern.
2. 2.Extend the leg seams down to strap length.
3. 3.Shape the heel and instep openings as curves.
4. 4.Make a strap width of about 3 to 5 cm under the arch.
5. 5.Test in the actual fabric and adjust the length before finishing.

Stirrup trousers rely on stretch. The strap pulls the leg downward, so the fabric must stretch lengthwise as well as across. Four-way stretch fabrics such as ponte, scuba, technical jersey, nylon-elastane and stretch velvet suit integrated stirrups. Two-way stretch fabrics that stretch only across the width will pull at the knees and seat when you sit.

Woven stretch fabrics with 2 to 3 percent elastane are suitable for tailored stirrup trousers with a separate strap, but the leg should be slightly looser, so the strap only keeps the hem in place rather than pulling the whole leg taut. Non-stretch wovens can carry a strap only if the trousers are cut with a normal length and ease; the strap then simply anchors the hem.

Recovery is as important as stretch. A fabric that stretches but does not return will bag at the knee and slacken the stirrup within hours. Test by stretching a sample, holding it for a minute and checking how quickly it returns.

The ankle is where stirrup trousers succeed or fail. The leg must narrow enough to lie flat against the ankle, but the opening for the foot must still be large enough to pass over the heel. On knits this is usually not a problem; on woven trousers, add a short zip or slit at the outer ankle.

Try the stirrup on with the shoes you plan to wear. A thick strap under a flat shoe or a boot is comfortable; under a slim pump it may show. The strap should sit at the arch, in front of the heel, and not slide forward to the ball of the foot.

• Strap too tight: the leg pulls down at the knee and the seat sits low when you sit.
• Strap too loose: the leg wrinkles at the ankle and the stirrup slips under the heel.
• Opening too narrow: you cannot get the foot through; add a slit or reduce the curve depth.
• Twisting leg: check that the leg pieces were cut on grain and that the inside and outside seams match.

In knits, sew with a stretch stitch or overlocker and use a ballpoint or stretch needle. Finish the edges of the foot openings with a narrow binding, a turned and twin-needle stitched hem or a band of fold-over elastic. Avoid bulky hems under the foot.

For a separate strap, cut it from a double layer of the trouser fabric or use firm elastic, and stitch it securely at the inside hem, through the seam allowances. A bar tack or a few rows of stitching at each end will take the strain. Leave the strap open at one side with a button or snap if you want to remove it.

Wash and dry the fabric before cutting, because knits can shrink in length, and a stirrup that was the right length before washing may become too tight afterward. Make the first wear a test: walk, sit and climb stairs, then shorten or lengthen the strap if needed before you sew the final finish.

A close-fitting leg is less forgiving than any other trouser silhouette: every difference in calf, knee and thigh shows. A pattern drafted to your measurements gives a leg that fits before you add the stirrup, so the strap only needs to be tested for length.

Minerva Patterns drafts each pattern in garment-industry CAD to your measurements or to standard sizes. You choose the format: PDF for A4, US Letter, A0 or one long sheet, a projector file, PLT for a plotter, or DXF AAMA for pattern software, with or without seam allowances.