Classic Pants with Zippered Pockets
Women's tapered trousers with pressed creases, slanted zip welt pockets on the fronts, a straight waistband with a button and a zip in the left side seam. The front legs are lined.
When To Wear
- For the office with a jacket or blouse, in autumn, winter and spring.
- For everyday wear with knitwear and flat shoes or boots.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight through the hip, legs tapering towards the hem, with pressed creases.
Length: Ankle length.
Closure: Zip in the left side seam, set so the teeth are hidden; buttonhole on the right end of the waistband, button on the left.
Pockets: Slanted welt pockets with zips on the front legs: the opening is cut between stitching lines, the pocket bag turned through and the zip topstitched in place around the frame. Pocket bags in lining fabric with a pocket underlay piece.
Back: Two darts on each back leg.
Waist: Straight waistband folded in half lengthwise, half its width interfaced, topstitched around its whole edge.
Lining: Front legs lined; the lining has basted tucks at the top and a separately finished hem, and is basted to the fronts along the raw edges.
Finishing: Pocket openings interfaced with strips; hems turned in twice and stitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Zip welt pockets cut into the front legs, a concealed side zip, lined fronts, a topstitched waistband.
Fabric Recommendations
Wool or wool-blend suiting fabrics.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric (front legs, pocket bags)
- Fusible interfacing (half the waistband width, strips for the pocket openings)
- 2 zips for the pockets
- 1 zip for the left side seam
- 1 button
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front Half – 2 pieces
- Back Half – 2 pieces
- Waistband – 1 piece
- Pocket Underlay Piece – 2 pieces
- From lining:
- Front Half – 2 pieces
- Pocket Bag – 4 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Waistband – 1 piece (half the waistband width)
- Strips to reinforce the pocket openings
Sewing Instructions
- Reinforce half the width of the waistband with fusible interfacing (Heat-activated interfacings are pressed onto the wrong side of the fabric with a hot iron).
- Stitch darts, press dart allowances towards the center.
- On the wrong side, reinforce pocket openings with strips of interfacing.
- On the Front Halves, make the zippered welt pockets: place a Pocket Bag on the Front Half, right sides together, and stitch along the marked lines.
- Cut the Front Half lengthwise between the stitching lines, and diagonally towards the ends of the stitching. Be careful not to damage the seams!
- Turn the pocket bag through the opening to the wrong side and baste.
- Insert the zipper into the pocket opening and baste.
- Topstitch around the edge of the welt opening, catching the zipper at the same time.
- Topstitch the Pocket Underlay Piece onto the second Pocket Bag.
- Place the Pocket Bags together, stitch around them, and baste them to the upper and side edges of the Front Halves.
- Fold and baste the tucks on the lining Front Halves, press the lining hem allowance to the inside, turn under the raw edge and stitch.
- Place the lining wrong side to the wrong side of the Front Halves and baste along the raw edges.
- Stitch the side seams, leaving an opening for the zipper at the top of the left seam.
- Stitch the inseams. Press seam allowances open.
- Stitch the center front and center back (crotch) seam in one go. Press the seam allowances open from the top down to where the curve begins.
- Press seam allowances along the edges of the zipper opening to the wrong side.
- Stitch the zipper under the edges of the opening so that the teeth are not visible.
- Fold the waistband in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the ends; turn right side out and press.
- Unfold the waistband and place its interfaced half right sides together with the waist edge of the trousers; stitch.
- Fold the waistband up, press the open edge to the inside and stitch it to the trousers, continuing the decorative stitching around the entire perimeter of the waistband.
- Press the hem of the trousers inwards, turn under the edges, and stitch.
- On the right end of the waistband, make a buttonhole; on the left, sew a button.
