Relaxed Fit Trousers
Women's full-length trousers with straight legs, front darts, double-welt front pockets and a zip fly. The waistband is flat at the front and gathered by elastic across the back, with five belt loops.
When To Wear
- For everyday wear and the office, with a blouse, a knit top or a jacket.
- All year round, depending on the fabric chosen.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Relaxed through the hip, straight legs.
Front: Darts at the waist on the front halves; zip fly with cut-on fly facings, topstitched on the right front.
Pockets: Slightly slanted double-welt pockets on the front halves, openings reinforced with interfacing; one pocket bag in lining, one in the main fabric, both caught into the waist and side seams.
Back: No darts; the fullness is drawn in by the elastic in the waistband.
Waist: Interfaced waistband cut in a right and a left part, with an extension and one button at the front. Across the back, from side seam to side seam, the waistband forms a casing for elastic, adjusted to the waist and secured above the side seams. Five belt loops: two at the front darts, two at the side seams and one at the centre back.
Legs: Straight, plain hems.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Double-welt pockets, a zip fly with cut-on facings and a part-elastic waistband with a casing.
Fabric Recommendations
Medium-weight trouser fabrics with some drape: wool crepe, suiting, gabardine, linen or cotton blends.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric for the pocket bags
- Fusible interfacing (waistband, strips for the pocket openings)
- Zipper for the fly
- 1 button
- Elastic for the back waistband
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front Half – 2 pieces
- Back Half – 2 pieces
- Pocket Facing – 4 pieces
- Upper Pocket Bag – 2 pieces
- Left Belt – 1 piece
- Right Belt – 1 piece
- Belt-Loop – 1 piece (strip, cut into 5 belt loops)
- From lining:
- Lower Pocket Bag – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Left Belt – 1 piece
- Right Belt – 1 piece
- Strips for the pocket openings
Sewing Instructions
- Stitch the darts on the front halves.
- On the wrong side, reinforce pocket openings with strips of fusible interfacing.
- On the front halves, make the double-welt pockets: press the pocket facings in half lengthwise and stitch them along the stitching lines 0.5 cm from the cutting line. Cut the fabric between the stitching lines, stopping short of the ends; at the ends of the stitching, slash diagonally, being careful not to cut the pocket facings. Turn the pocket facings to the wrong side and, enclosing the raw edges, smooth them out to form an even frame. Turn the small triangles at the ends of the slit to the wrong side and stitch them to the pocket facings from the end of one stitching line to the end of the other.
- Stitch the lower pocket bag (lining) to the seam allowances of the front pocket facing, and the upper pocket bag (main fabric) to the seam allowances of the side pocket facing. Stitch the pocket bags together and baste them to the upper and side edges of the front halves.
- Stitch the front crotch seam below the zipper opening mark, and the back crotch seam.
- Zipper fly: Press the cut-on fly facings to the wrong side: on the right - along the center front line, on the left - stopping 1 cm short of the center front line (= zipper allowance). Stitch the zipper under the edge of the zipper allowance (left side) close to the edge, positioning the teeth flush with the fold. Pin the opening closed, matching the center front lines. Stitch the free tape of the zipper to the facing of the right side of the closure, without catching the trouser front. Topstitch the right front half along the zipper, catching the facing.
- On the belt-loop strip, press 1 cm along both long edges to the wrong side, fold the strip in half lengthwise, press, stitch the long edges together and topstitch along the fold. Cut the strip into 5 equal parts. Baste the belt loops to the upper edge of the pants: at the front - at the darts, at the side seams, at the back - above the center seam.
- Stitch the right belt and left belt (waistband pieces) to the upper edge of the trousers, leaving the waistband extension projecting beyond the edge of the pant closure allowance. Press the seam allowances towards the waistband. Turn the waistband in half to the right side and neatly stitch the ends.
- Stitch the side seams and inseams.
- Elastic casing in the back waistband: Turn under the lower edge of the inner waistband along the back from side seam to side seam, pin it above the waistband attachment seam, and from the right side of the pants, stitch in the ditch of the waistband attachment seam. Thread a piece of elastic through the back waistband, adjust it to the waist measurement, and stitch the ends of the tape to the waistband above the side seams. Stitch the remaining open lower edge of the waistband along the attachment seam. Topstitch the waistband at the front close to the edge.
- Turn the belt loops upwards, fold under, and topstitch at the upper edge of the waistband.
- Make 1 buttonhole 1 cm from the right end of the waistband and sew the button to the extension.
- Hem the trousers.
