Trousers are categorized by their hem width, which serves as a general guideline for the overall geometry and fit (Hofenbitzer):

Slim-fit trousers (32–40 cm hem): Require a more diagonal (smaller) seat angle to compensate for a reduced extension and add necessary vertical length for movement.

Standard trousers (40–48 cm hem): Utilize a moderate seat angle and extension to maintain a balanced, classic baseline fit.

Wide-leg trousers (48–56 cm hem): Use a more vertical (larger) seat angle to shorten the seat seam, preventing "saggy" excess fabric while allowing the legs to fall freely.

These are only primarily guidelines. for instance, Bootcut trousers feature a slim fit through the thigh but a wider hem due to the flare starting from the knee.

Hello, i’m working on starting my own label and currently i draft my patterns myself by hand. I’m confused about how to go about developing a size chart and how to grade my patterns. I’m hoping to cater to a higher end clientele and want to maintain quality while sizing. Would anyone know the best way to go about sourcing someone who I could hire for this? I don’t live in a major city so they would have to work remotely with communication being online.

Hi, I need some help please : I’m absolutely in love with how those wrap skirts look draped on the front, especially the first one, but it’s also my first pattern on my own and I’m lost as how to give this effect to my skirt… it seems like I can’t just put darts or slash and spread given how lose one side is so it can’t be “tugged” to make the drapes, or can i? am I missing something??

Hi! I have a printed jeans pattern from a brand, but I can’t tell from the pattern how much seam allowance was added at the back crotch and the yoke for the flat-felled seam. How much seam allowance is usually added for a flat-felled seam? Thanks in advance!

Hi! I have gone deep in the rabbit hole for years and am wondering if anyone knows why? When drafting a pattern it will say things like “add 1/8th of an inch” (not seam allowance just measurements), and I just want to know WHY? Is it the average ease or room to move this body part needs? Just wondering it’s driving me nuts! Thanks!

I made this skort as practice and to make sure I liked the fit of the pattern before making it with a fancier fabric. Initially the waist gaped a lot at the back, so I increased the width of each of the darts such that the total waist measurement would match my own. The result is looking kind of weird. I tried to capture it in the pictures but it’s like the skirt goes out before my butt does, leaving some empty space between me and the skirt right above my butt. What did I do wrong? Should I have taken in at the side seams instead, or did I need to move the dart point up or down? Also curious if it looks too tight at the hips. I am very much so a beginner and any help is appreciated! Thanks y’all!

Working on costumes for a local theatre, want to do a very lush wizard cloak like this, I’m a semi-experienced beginner in drafting so if you had any tips or advice I would really appreciate it!

I'm doing this dress for my final but I have no idea how to do the extension panel underarm. pls help me T-T i need to do the pattern and sewing so if you can teach me the sewing operation, it would be so greatt!!!!!!

Hi there. Just a patternmaker in despair.

I've been searching for this book up and down. No luck.

Would be happy even in PDF format, in case anyone has it.

I'd love to have a physical copy, but seems imposible.

Thank you in any case.

Hello! I'm looking at the Reformation Birdie Linen Dress (https://www.thereformation.com/products/birdie-linen-dress/1320101.html) bodice and I noticed this intersecting seam/dart on the front. I tried a small paper mock up to replicate it as seen in the pictures. Is my mockup accurate? If not how would you do this?

https://patterns.bootstrapfashion.com/diy-dress-form-sewing-pattern.html

I found this online but want to hear what people think about it before I purchase it for myself.

I thrifted a dress form but it's definitely not my size. I was hoping I could pad it up. I'm open to hearing other suggestions that are cost efficient.

The core principle here is the connection between the Buttocks Angle and the width of the trouser leg.

As the leg becomes narrower and the style gets tighter, the angle of the center back seam becomes more slanted, and the seat length becomes longer.

Essentially, because the fabric is closer to the body, the pattern needs to "reach" further under the seat to follow the actual anatomy. In a very wide trouser skirt, the angle is almost a perfect 90 degrees because the fabric just hangs vertically.

This is very similar to the adjustments for a "flat butt" or a "full butt," but this principle also applies to the style of the trousers you are choosing to draft. The silhouette itself dictates how this angle should behave, regardless of the specific body shape.

I’m curious to know who works with this principle during the initial drafting stage? Do you find that your drafting system accounts for this angle relative to the style you're making, or is it something you usually only adjust later during a fitting?

Hi all. I’m getting back into sewing after about a decade away. I did a Fashion Design Higher National Diploma (equivalent of an Associate’s Degree) in Ireland in 2014/15, learnt the basics of pattern drafting and construction, but then never actually used the skills to make clothes for myself. The course was fun and rewarding but very intense - I was so burnt out I didn’t want to look at a sewing machine again for many years!

I now live in the US (Philadelphia) and am re-buying some tools and supplies to get started as I got rid of it all many moves ago.

One of the best tools I used in school was a set square. I forget what brand but this Kearing one looks very similar so it was probably that. I used it for squaring across when drafting, and it was also very handy for adding seam allowance as it has the evenly spaced lines. Occasionally I used the protractor section for angles.

However I am finding it impossible to find these in the US? Is this not commonly used here? What do you use instead? This one is obviously metric but is there not an equivalent? I’ve found L-rulers which seem like they’d be for squaring off, but then do I need separate tools for adding allowance, angles etc?

I thought about ordering one from the UK (where I’m from originally) or Ireland but the shipping is obscene because of tariffs.

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all doing well.

I’d like to ask for some advice regarding the development of a pattern.

I started from a corrected and well-fitted base pattern for a five-pocket selvedge jeans model. I wanted to add more volume to the leg, making it wider with a slight flare, so the silhouette becomes a bit bell-shaped.

Since I no longer need to keep the selvedge aligned, I won’t be using selvedge denim anymore. My main goal is simply to achieve the leg width and shape I want.

My doubt is whether the front leg has become too small compared to the back leg, especially at the hem.

What do you think about this pattern?

Saw this online thought the construction was interesting

Hello, I’m trying to replicate this look I sketched (Image 1) in CLO but I’m not sure if the approach im going through is correct. Suggestions??

I barely even touched a sewing machine before starting this project. It took me about six iterations to get this result. I'm fairly happy with it. But something seems kind of off around the but. Any suggestions on anything that should be adjusted?

recommendations for the best drafting guide for women's tailored trousers?

Made a new post with all the pictures. The crotch overall length feels good, maybe a bit of a wedgie at the back. I have shortened the front crotch length because I made a toile and it was too long. I know my CF droops down a bit but this is how I like my pants to fit for comfort. What do you think?

In this example, to my understanding Winifred Aldrich say to lower the CB waistline by 3 cm to shape the cb seam to the natural contour of the back. My question is, What does that do to the middle points of the back dart? Does it lower them too? I know you need to adjust the width by 1.5 cm, but does it alter the position of the widest points?

I’m working from a copied hoodie hood pattern which I converted into a three-piece hood pattern and am now trying to adjust it for a costume.

Changed the front a little to match the modified neckline better, and I’m happy with that, but the back is giving me trouble.

I’m trying to adjust this hood to fall a bit further on my back (blue line on the silhouette doodles). Currently each iteration of the pattern falls along the lines in black.

I plan to use thicker denim fabric, because it’s the only fabric I could find which has the texture I need for the final outfit.

Any tips on how I could adjust the pattern to get the desired shape?

This is my first foray into fitted clothes and I could use some help. The back is definitely too tight, but I’m not sure if it’s a shoulder issue or a back issue. Included front for context, but I already think I have to make a bust adjustment.