Cropped Pants with Adjustable Side Tabs with Buckle
Women's cropped straight-leg trousers in stretch denim, with each front leg cut in three parts joined by topstitched curved panel seams, a shaped facing band at the top instead of a waistband, and optional buckled tabs on the side seams near the hem.
When To Wear
- In spring and summer with sandals or flat shoes.
- With T-shirts, tops and short jackets for casual wear.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight legs.
Length: Cropped below the knee; 3 cm hem allowance, overlocked, turned up and topstitched.
Front: Each front half is made of an upper part around the fly, a middle part and a side part. The curved panel seams are overlocked, pressed to one side and topstitched 0.5 cm from the seam. No pockets.
Waist: No separate waistband. The top edge is finished with interfaced facings (front right, front left and back), each cut double: outer and inner layers are stitched along the upper edge and understitched, then joined to the trousers with the side seams matched. Belt loops are caught into the lower edge of the facing band.
Closure: Fly front zip with grown-on fly facings and an interfaced fly shield; two buttons and buttonholes, one above the other, on the facing band.
Back: Darts on the back halves.
Legs: As an option, a tab with a buckle is stitched onto each side seam in the lower part of the leg; it is attached before the inseams are sewn.
Finishing: Side seams and inseams pressed open; a second row of stitching along the crotch seam; topstitching on the facing band and fly.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Curved topstitched panel seams, fly zip with a fly shield, a double facing band with belt loops and buttonholes.
Fabric Recommendations
Denim with elastic fibres (stretch denim).
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (facings, fly shield)
- 1 zip
- 2 buttons
- 2 buckles (for the optional side tabs)
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front Right Facing – 2 pieces
- Front Left Facing – 2 pieces
- Back Facing – 2 pieces
- Upper Front Half – 2 pieces
- Middle Front Half – 2 pieces
- Side Front Half – 2 pieces
- Back Half – 2 pieces
- Belt-Loop – 1 piece
- Button Catch – 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing: Front Right Facing, Front Left Facing, Back Facing, Button Catch.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the back facing, the front right and left facings and the button catch.
- Stitch the upper, middle and side front half pieces together. Overlock the seams and press the allowances to one side. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the panel seams on the front half.
- Mark and stitch the darts on the back half. Stitch the side seams of the front and back facings. Press the seams open.
- Overlock the side edges and inseam edges of the front and back halves and the front and back crotch edges. Stitch the side seams of the front and back halves. Press the side seams open.
- Stitch the inseams and press them open. Stitch the crotch seam (front and centre back) up to the zipper notch. Stitch a second line along the seat seam next to the first stitching line.
- Press the grown-on zipper facings to the wrong side. Stitch the zipper under the folded edge of the left zipper allowance, close to the edge. Stitch the free zipper tape to the grown-on facing of the right half. Fold the button catch (fly shield) in half lengthwise and stitch the short lower end. Stitch the grown-on zipper facing to the button catch on the left pant half. Topstitch the right side of the fly opening, catching the facing.
- Place the facing sets right sides together and stitch the upper edge. Understitch the seam allowance onto the lower (inner) facing 0.2 cm from the seam, stopping 3 cm from the ends. Turn the facings right side out and press.
- Fold the belt-loop strip in half lengthwise, right sides together, align the edges and stitch 0.5–0.7 cm from the edges. Turn it out, place the seam on the fold or roll it 0.1–0.2 cm to the inside, and press.
- Overlock the lower edge of the inner facings. Cut the belt loops to length. Mark the belt loop placement and attach the belt loops to the lower edge of the outer facings. Attach the facings to the upper edge of the pants, matching the side seams. Stitch the ends of the facings. Trim the allowances at the corners, turn out and press. Topstitch the overlocked edge of the inner facing in the attachment seam.
- Overlock the hem allowance and press it to the wrong side. Topstitch the hem. Make buttonholes on the right facing and sew buttons onto the left. Tip: if desired, stitch a tab with a buckle onto each side seam as shown in the technical drawing; do this before stitching the inseams.
