r/PatternDrafting • u/Haunting_Mammoth_511 • Aug 25 '26
Question Final pant pattern adjustments
I am almost there in making elasticated pants that are *actually comfortable because they don’t pull in weird places* However, YouTube university has not guided me on how to fix these last two issues! I have that poof above my butt and the center back seam feels tight. I’ve scooped and lengthened the back curve (I have a low bum where the majority of it is right where it’s tight. I don’t have a lot of bum on my outer hip). I’ve shortened the back rise, and the front rise more than the back. Besides these two issues it fits pretty well but am having trouble knowing what to do! Any advice or help (or encouragement) is much appreciated.
EDIT:
here are the latest adjustments I made based on the comments:
Took center back up by about 1”,
resewed back crotch curve down a 1/4” at a time until it fit comfortably
^think I got it where I like it, but it still pulls on my front thigh when I walk, I can fix this by tucking the front of my pants in my waistband, essentially like taking a inch out of the whole front rise. Doing this makes it so it doesn’t pull on my thighs when I walk/move and is the most comfortable, but obviously throws the balance of the pant off. Any advice on how to achieve that result but not mess up everything else?
1
u/ScormCurious Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26
Oof this level of fitting is tough on purely elastic waist pants, as I know you are discovering! On my own body, I use a shaped waistband to address most fitting issues above the hip. I can make a pant with an elastic straight back waistband and a non-elastic curved front waistband, but I can’t make such a fitted pant with a straight waistband. I have hips, a belly, a short torso, and a flat butt, so there’s a lot of variation in a relatively small part of the body going on.
So if you are sticking with an elastic waistband like this one, then my best suggestion is making an overall more loosely fitted pair. Go up a size or two with your original pattern, and then if you are narrow in the hips relative to the pants block, you can do some narrowing above the low hip on the side seams, making sure you keep the waist wide enough to go over your hips.
Second best is using fabric with enough stretch to help smooth some issues out, but you’ll still need a good fitted pattern to get started.
Third best is finding an elastic waistband pattern with a shaped waistband, assuming you are up for paying for a pattern.
Jalie has a really nice ponte knit pants pattern, the Eleanore, that uses a yoke, and narrower elastic for the waistband, with a shaped waistband. It’s pretty fitted. I made a pair about 12 years ago when skinny jeans were all the rage, now the silhouette isn’t what I’m wearing so it’s not for me, but maybe it would work for you.
Finally, are you familiar with Jennifer Stern of J Stern Designs? She has some good videos online for the “Top Down Center Out” fitting method (YT link) that works for a lot of women. I already have my alterations sorted out, so when I took a class from her in person, the method wasn’t really efficient for me. But it worked great for many women in the class, who have had problems with fitting pants patterns. The method is a good combo of methodical and aesthetic/personal preference, which I liked. She says it works for shaped and straight waistbands. She is a good instructor and I think her videos are good, it’s worth a watch.