In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to adjust a trouser pattern to fit your measurements. As an example, I’ll be using my own measurements and my recently released Inès Trouser Pattern. You can find the link here if you’d like to check it out (CLICK ).
This simple technique works perfectly for any oversized or loose-fitted trousers with darts or pleats.
The idea is to adjust the waistband to match your measurements while keeping the rest of the trouser pattern as it is.
If your waist is slightly smaller than the pattern, you can modify the waistband pattern and distribute the extra fabric into the darts or pleats.
If your waist is slightly larger, adjust the waistband pattern and reduce the amount of fabric taken by the darts or pleats.
How to adjust a trouser pattern to your waist measurement
First, measure your waist.
Mine is 72 cm, and I’m wearing size UK 8 / EU 36 / US 4 / AU 8, which fits me perfectly.
Your trouser waistband pattern is usually divided into three pieces: left panel, right panel, and back panel.
Take your waist measurement (in my case, 72 cm) and divide it in half. This gives you the measurement for the front and back. For me, that’s 36 cm.
For the back waistband, simply add 2 cm for the seam allowance. That gives a total of 38 cm for the back waistband piece.
Next, divide your front measurement (36 cm) in half. That gives you 18 cm per side. Since this pattern has a button fastening, you’ll need to add a few extra centimeters for the waistband overlap. The panel with the button (in this case, the left panel) should be slightly longer.
Here’s how to calculate:
Right panel: take half of your front measurement (18 cm) + 4 cm for overlap + 2 cm for seam allowance = 24 cm total.
Left panel: take half of your front measurement (18 cm) + 8 cm for overlap + 2 cm for seam allowance = 28 cm total.
And that’s it. Your waistband is now adjusted perfectly to your waist measurement.
Do I also need to adjust the trouser pattern?
Not necessarily. When you select the correct size and your waist is only slightly smaller or larger, there’s usually no issue. You can easily add or remove a few millimeters from the darts or pleats on the trousers.
The only time you need to adjust the trouser pattern itself is when your waist measurement is significantly bigger than the one in the pattern. In that case, you’ll need to add a few extra centimeters to the trouser pieces; otherwise, there won’t be enough fabric to form the darts and pleats properly.
Hi, thank you so much, I’ve just bought the Ines pattern and I’m excited to try it. I just wanted to check I’ve understood this correctly. According to the measurements in the pattern, I’m a size 6 waist and size 8 hips. Can I just cut the waistband along the size 6 lines, and the rest of the pattern along the size 8 lines?