Cropped Pants with Gathered Sides
A women's sewing pattern for versatile cropped pants featuring curved front pockets, a practical flap cargo pocket and stylish drawstring-gathered side seams and inseams at the hem.
When To Wear
These cropped pants offer both comfort and style, making them perfect for a variety of casual settings and activities:
- Casual Everyday Wear: Ideal for daily comfort and effortless style during warmer months or transitional seasons.
- Outdoor Activities & Travel: The functional cargo pocket provides utility for adventures or convenient travel attire.
- Relaxed Weekend Styling: Pair with casual tops for comfortable and chic weekend outings.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: A relaxed, straight-leg silhouette that falls to a stylish cropped length.
Waist: A straight folded waistband with belt loops and a front zipper fly with button closure.
Pockets: Curved front pockets, complemented by one patch cargo pocket with a flap placed over the left side seam.
Hem: The lower legs are gathered with decorative cords threaded through casings along both the side seams and the inseams, allowing adjustable ruching.
Back: Includes shaping darts for an improved fit, with belt loops on the waistband.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires skills in constructing a zipper fly, attaching a waistband with belt loops, making a patch pocket with a flap, and forming drawstring casings in the seams.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose fabrics from natural fibers that offer durability and a good drape for this style:
- Twills
- Denim
- Canvas
- Linen blends
- Gabardine
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing
- 1 zipper
- 1 button
- Pocket lining fabric (cotton preferred)
- Decorative cord
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front Half – 2 pieces
- Side Part – 2 pieces
- Side Pocket – 1 piece
- Side Flap – 2 pieces
- Back Half – 2 pieces
- Button Catch – 1 piece
- Waistband – 1 piece
- Belt-Loop – 1 piece
- From lining fabric:
- Pocket Bag – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Side Flap, Waistband, Button Catch.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Side Flap, Waistband and Button Catch.
- Mark and stitch the darts on the Back Half pieces.
- Place the Pocket Bag on the Front Half, right sides together, and stitch along the pocket opening. Understitch the seam, clipping the allowances, then topstitch along the pocket opening 0.5 cm from the edge and press. Remove the basting threads. Place the Front Half on the Side Part, matching the marking that defines the pocket opening. Baste the Side Part to the Front Half along the top and side edges with a 1 cm seam. Stitch and serge the Pocket Bag.
- Serge the side seams, inseams, center front and fly edges, seat seam and lower edges of the pants.
- Press the hem allowance to the wrong side and topstitch it in place.
- Stitch the side seams and press them open. Topstitch the side seam allowances up to the notch on both sides of the seam, at an equal distance from it (this forms the cord casing).
- Place the Side Flap pieces right sides together and stitch around. Trim the allowances at the corners and turn right side out. Topstitch around the outer edge of the flap 0.5 cm from the edge. Serge the top edge of the flap.
- Serge the outer edge of the Side Pocket and press the allowances under using the pattern. Fold and topstitch the top edge of the pocket. Mark the pocket placement on the front and back of the pants and topstitch the pocket in place 0.2 cm from its edge. Place the flap at the marking and stitch it on. Flip the flap down to the right side and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Fold the Belt-Loop strip lengthwise in half, right sides together, align the edges and stitch 0.5–0.7 cm from the edges. Turn right side out, rolling the seam to the fold or forming a 0.1–0.2 cm wide edge toward the inside, and press.
- Stitch the inseams and press them open. Topstitch the inseam allowances up to the notch on both sides of the seam, at an equal distance from it.
- Stitch the crotch seam (center front and center back) up to the zipper notch. Stitch a second row along the seat seam next to the first stitching.
- Press the grown-on zipper facings to the wrong side. Stitch the zipper under the edge of the fly allowance (left side), close to the edge. Stitch the free zipper tape to the grown-on facing of the right half. Fold the Button Catch lengthwise in half, stitch across the short lower end and turn; serge the long edge. Topstitch the grown-on zipper facing on the left half, catching the Button Catch. Topstitch the right edge of the opening, catching the facing.
- Serge the lower edge of the Waistband. Fold the Waistband lengthwise in half and press.
- Cut the belt-loop strip into belt loops of the required length, mark their positions on the Waistband and stitch them to its lower edge. Stitch the Waistband to the top edge of the pants and stitch across the waistband ends. Trim the corners and turn the Waistband right side out. Topstitch the serged edge in the ditch of the waistband seam. Topstitch the free ends of the belt loops to the top edge of the Waistband.
- Cut the decorative cord to length and thread it through the casings in the side seams and inseams.
