Denim Panelled Pants with Side Slits
Women's full-length wide-leg trousers in stretch denim, with slanted side pockets, flap patch pockets with a box pleat on the front, a chevron-shaped inset panel above the hem of each leg and slits at the side seams.
When To Wear
- For everyday wear with a tucked-in shirt, T-shirt or fitted knit top.
- In spring and autumn with a denim or leather jacket and flat shoes or boots.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Wide, straight legs from hip to hem.
Length: Full length.
Waist: No separate waistband: the top edge is finished with an interfaced shaped facing, with belt loops caught into the facing seam.
Closure: 20 cm zip in the centre front seam, set under a lap so the teeth are hidden.
Pockets: Slanted side pockets with cotton pocket bags, the openings topstitched 0.2 cm from the edge. Patch pockets on the fronts with a box pleat at the centre and a rounded-corner flap topstitched 0.5 cm from the edge.
Legs: Front and back legs are each built from three parts: the main leg, a pointed inset below the knee and a lower panel. Seams pressed towards the upper leg and topstitched 0.5 cm from the seam. Side seams are left open at the hem as slits, topstitched 0.5 cm from the edge.
Back: Plain back with a double-stitched seat seam.
Finishing: Edges overlocked; hems turned up 2 cm and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Pleated patch pockets with flaps, slanted pockets, a concealed zip, a faced waist and pieced legs with even topstitching.
Fabric Recommendations
Denim with elastic fibres. Cotton lining fabric for the pocket bags.
Additional Supplies
- Cotton lining fabric for the pocket bags
- Fusible interfacing (front and back facings)
- Zip, 20 cm
- 2 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Side front – 2 pieces
- Front – 2 pieces
- Front insert – 2 pieces
- Lower front – 2 pieces
- Patch pocket – 1 piece
- Flap – 2 pieces
- Back – 2 pieces
- Back insert – 2 pieces
- Lower back – 2 pieces
- Front facing right – 2 pieces
- Front facing left – 2 pieces
- Back facing – 2 pieces
- Belt loop – 1 piece
- From lining fabric:
- Front pocket bag – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: front facing, back facing.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse fusible interfacing to the front and back facings.
- Stitch and serge the front insert to the front pant half. Press the seam allowances towards the front pant half and topstitch at 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Stitch and serge the lower front to the lower edge of the front half. Press the seam allowances and topstitch at 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Place the flap pieces right sides together and stitch around. Trim the seam allowances of the rounded corners of the flaps and turn right side out. Topstitch along the outer contour of the flaps at 0.5 cm from the edge. Serge the upper edge of the flap.
- Press the box pleats on the pocket. Box pleats are the wrong side of a knife pleat. Secure the pleat with a stitch at 0.5 cm from the upper and lower edges of the pocket. Serge the outer contour of the pocket and press it according to the pattern. Topstitch the upper edge to the pocket, mark the pocket placement on the front pant leg, and topstitch it along the contour at 0.2 cm from the pocket edge. Place the flap to the mark and topstitch it. Turn the flap to the right side and topstitch at 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Place the front pocket bag onto the front pant half, right sides together, and stitch the pocket opening. Topstitch the seam at 0.2 cm onto the front pocket bag and press. Place the front pant half to the mark on the side front, which defines the pocket opening. Secure the side front to the front pant half along the upper and side edges with a 1 cm stitch. Stitch and serge the pocket bag.
- Stitch and serge the back insert to the lower edge of the back pant half. Press the seam allowances towards the back pant half and topstitch at 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Stitch and serge the lower back to the lower edge of the back half. Press the seam allowances and topstitch at 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Serge: the side edge of the back and front halves, the inseam edges of the front and back halves, the front and center edges of the pant halves. Stitch the side edges of the front and back halves up to the notch that defines the slit. Press open the side seams and press the slit. Topstitch the slit seam allowances onto the front and back pant halves, at 0.5 cm from the slit edge.
- Stitch and press open the inseams. Stitch the front edge and center edge up to the notch for the zipper. Stitch a second line along the seat seam next to the stitching line of the front and center seam.
- Press the zipper seam allowances along the edges to the wrong side. Place the zipper under the slit so that the teeth are not visible, and stitch.
- Fold the belt loop lengthwise in half, right sides together, align the edges, and stitch at 0.5-0.7 cm from the edges. Then turn right side out, straighten the seam, placing it on the fold, or create a 0.1-0.2 cm wide piping on the inside and press.
- Cut the belt loops to size and topstitch the belt loops according to the marks on the upper edge of the facings. Stitch the facings to the upper edge of the pants together with the belt loops. Stitch the corners of the facings. Trim the seam allowances at the corners of the facings and turn right side out. Topstitch the lower edge of the facings into the stitching seam.
- Stitch and press open the side edges of the front and back facings. Serge the lower edge of the inner facings. Place the stitched facings right sides together and stitch the upper edge. Topstitch the seams onto the inner facing at 0.2 cm from the stitching seam and press.
- Serge the hem allowance and press to the wrong side. Topstitch the hem allowances onto the pants.
