Classic Straight-Leg Trousers
Women's full-length trousers with straight legs, front and back waist darts, a fly zipper and a straight waistband with a button and five belt loops. The front halves are lined.
When To Wear
- For the office in wool suiting, with a blouse, a fine knit or a matching jacket.
- Through autumn and winter as everyday trousers with low heels or loafers.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight legs, close at the waist and hips through darts, falling straight to the hem.
Length: Full length.
Waist: Straight interfaced waistband, folded in half and topstitched around its whole edge; buttonhole on the right end, button on the left. Five belt loops: two at the front darts, two at the back darts and one over the centre back seam.
Front: Fly zipper with cut-on facings, a separate fly shield and a topstitched line on the right front. Waist darts pressed towards the centre.
Back: Waist darts on each back half; the centre back seam is sewn in one run with the lower centre front seam.
Finishing: Seam allowances overlocked and pressed open; hems turned under and sewn by hand.
Lining: The front halves are lined; the lining has basted tucks at the waist and its own hem, and is basted to the fronts along the raw edges.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A fly-front zipper with a fly shield, a topstitched waistband with a buttonhole, belt loops and partly lined fronts.
Fabric Recommendations
Wool or blended suiting fabrics.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric (front halves)
- Fusible interfacing (waistband)
- Zipper
- 1 button
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front Half – 2 pieces
- Back Half – 2 pieces
- Waistband – 1 piece
- Belt-Loop – 1 piece (strip, cut into 5 loops)
- Button Catch – 1 piece
- From lining fabric:
- From fusible interfacing:
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Waistband (fusible interfacing is pressed onto the wrong side of the piece with a hot iron).
- Stitch the darts, press the dart depths towards the center.
- Fold and baste the tucks on the Front Half lining pieces; press the hem allowance of the lining 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 and inseams. Overlock the seam allowances and press them open.
- Stitch the center front seam from the zipper mark downwards and, without breaking the stitching, continue along the center back seam.
- Zipper closure. Press the cut-on closure facings to the wrong side: on the right - along the center front line, on the left - set back 1 cm from the center front line (= closure allowance).
- Stitch the zipper under the edge of the closure allowance (left side) to the edge, positioning the teeth close to the fold. Pin the slit, aligning the center front lines.
- Stitch the free tape of the zipper to the facing of the right side of the closure, without catching the fabric of the Front Half.
- Topstitch the right Front Half along the closure according to the marking, catching the facing.
- On the Belt-Loop strip, press the seam allowances along the 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 trousers: at the front – at the darts; at the back – at the darts and above the center back seam.
- 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 on the waist edge of the trousers, right sides together, and stitch.
- Fold the Waistband up, press the open edge to the inside and stitch it to the trousers, continuing the topstitching around the entire Waistband.
- Turn the belt loops upwards, turn under the ends and topstitch them at the upper edge of the Waistband.
- Press the hem allowance of the trousers to the inside, turn under the raw edge and hem by hand.
- Make a buttonhole on the right end of the Waistband and sew a button on the left end.
