How I Tapered My Pants

Although there is nothing new about the phenomena of up-cycling or “mending” clothing, I think in our consumer based culture we sometimes are quick to toss things out and buy something new without fully thinking it through. I like to save money where I can, I really dislike it when I’m wasteful and I especially dislike throwing out something that is of good quality. If you can relate, then perhaps this post will help get those creative juices on how you too can update some pieces so they serve your needs longer.

I’ve become very used to buying what I need when I need it. Even though there is a part of me that doesn’t always jive with that extravagance and I suffer from the pull and tug of wanting to buy quality, wanting to save money and feeling like I have a hole in my minimalist wardrobe. Negotiating these contrasting feelings is tough, so when I can find a way to recreate something from what I already own, well that just makes me happy. Looking at an upcoming trip we have planned, I realized there were a couple of key pieces that would make minimalist packing doable. And as usual I started down the familiar rabbit hole of online shopping. But…I was already feeling a little less generous about buying something new knowing that I had to pay for my trip, so I started to look at those items I never wear but struggle to give away. We all have those pieces, the ones we fall in love with in the store, pay way more than we normally would and never quite follow through getting that expensive piece into our normal clothing rotation.

Reusing!

With a little bit of creative thinking there are ways we can adjust and adapt what we already have to suit us better. Its more cost effective and easier on the environment!

I decided there were two holes in my wardrobe that really should be filled to make packing a whole lot easier. One item was a comfy travel pant that could easily be slept in on the red eye flight, the other, a medium to light weight beige cardigan. Both are rather essential for the climate, activities and minimalist layering wardrobe I was going to need.

After taking a good second look at the pile of clothes I couldn’t bare to throw away when I culled my closet earlier this year, to my delight, I found just the right pair of pants and cardigan! My Eileen Fisher dressy knit flare pants, which I never wear because they feel a little too dressy and have a little too much flare, but are uber comfy, warm and of very good quality. And my Aritsia duster cardigan which never fit nicely over a pair of jeans (which I wear 95% of the time). I knew the pants would work perfectly as a travel pant. They would be easy to sleep in, look nice on and are a good weight for packing. “Am I capable of changing the fit of these myself, and how?” - It didn’t take much and I was fairly confident I could make it work. Not to mention what did I have to lose, they were just gathering dust anyways. If I ruined them, I would still be in the same position I was now.

I’m pleased to say that yes I did taper the pants and they look great. And it was easy.. Here’s how I did it..

I started with a pair of pants I already owned and liked the fit of. Then I turned them inside out, flattened one leg making the outer leg seam the fold point and ironing into the inside of the pant leg. Sometimes the front pant leg and back pant legs are not cut the same, so I kept the outer seam as the fold point down the length of leg and I allowed any extra material to flow inward (using an iron is helpful) creating a crease where the fabric landed on the interior of the leg. Then I repeated the process with the pants I want to adjust.

Next I laid the template pant on top of the pants I wanted to adjust, carefully lining up the crotch fold lines and side seams allowing some forgiveness in the waist area knowing that waist depth is not necessarily the same for all pants. I knew I wanted to trim the excess fabric from the bottom of the pants anyways, so I wasn’t too concerned with any differences in the waist/hip section. With this in mind I did my best to keep the inner leg seams running together.

this after I cut and sewed the new seams.

Tip 1 :

Do not cut or adjust double seams as seen here. I use them as the straight line guide and make changed to the other side seam (usually the outer)

Keeping the inner pant legs laying on top of each other, I marked a line down the pants I wanted to adjust with a chalk pen, keeping a bit of extra flare at the bottom as I didn’t need it quite as tapered. I tried to keep the line smooth especially where it meets up with the side seam near the hip.

After the pant leg was marked I used a ruler and rotary cutter to cut 1/4” out from the marking.

Then I folded the cut pants in half being sure once again to line the pant legs up the same and I cut the second pant leg to match the first

Tip 3

To avoid puckering on stretchy fabrics, especially when hemming, be sure to baste or pin together really well. Do not pull through the machine, use a larger stitch length, and a ball point needle.

Tip 4

I like to use the scrap cut offs to practice my stitches on before attempting the real thing. There have been many times when I was surprised at how differing fabrics respond to tension, thread and stitch types.

Next I used an overcast stitch to clean up the raw edge and sew the new seam 1/4 from the cut line. This can also be done by sewing a straight stitch on the 1/4” and following up with a zigzag if your machine downs have an overcast stitch.

Here are my completed pants, comfy and ready for a long plane ride. Now that I own a sewing machine I will be looking at all my clothing with ways to make them work for me longer. And perhaps in that vein feel a little less guilty when I buy less but higher quality, confident I will love it for years to come.

For how I adjusted my Cardigan see my next post link below.