PANTS F IT TING BAS ICS

Simple adjustments for beautifull y

fitting pants & trousers
tab l e o f c o nt e nts

Pants Fitting Worksheet page 3

How to Assess Pants Fit page 4

Shorten Crotch page 5

Lengthen Crotch page 6

Round Pubis page 7

Flat Pubis page 8

Full Tummy page 9

Full Seat page 10

Flat Seat page 11

Low Seat page 12

Gaping Waistband page 13

Gaping Back page 14

Swayback page 15

Thin Thigh page 15

Full Thigh page 16

Thin Thigh page 17

Full Calf page 18

Knock Kneed page 19

Bowlegged page 20

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pants fitting w o r k s h e e t
fitting o bse rvati ons details
Try on your pants and draw any drag lines or fit issues you seee on the pants
below to help you diagnose the source of the problem. Pattern:
Size:

fit adjustments
Front Adjustments

Crotch too long

Crotch too short
Round pubis
Flat pubis
Full tummy

Back Adjustments

Full seat
Flat seat
PAT T ERN MODIFICAT IONS Low seat
Draw and note any necessary adjustments here before adjusting pattern pieces. Swayback
Gaping
Waistband

Leg Adjustments
CB
Full thigh
Thin thigh
Back leg
Front leg Full calf
Knock-kneed
Bow-legged

Other / Notes

Pants Fitting Guide | C l o s e t cO R e p a t t e r n s 3

h o w t o ass e ss pants fit

1. Print the Pants Fitting Worksheet.

2. Assemble your basted pants. Make sure the waistband and facing are
basted together and sewn to the waist of the pants. This ensures you
are studying the fit of the waistband, and also not stretching out the
waist opening of your pants.
3. Stand in front of a full-length mirror in good lighting, feet hip-width
apart. Look at the front first. Are there any drag lines along the abdo-
men, crotch, thighs or knees? Does anything feel tight or uncomfortable
anywhere?
4. Bend over and squat down. Is the rise high enough for you?
5. Look at the back with a hand mirror, or better yet, have someone take a
picture of you. Note any drag lines or feelings of tightness or looseness.
6. Take pictures of the front, side and back with your crotch more or less
at eye level.
7. Using the worksheet, draw any drag lines you see on the drawing of the
pants, however minor. Make notes to capture any initial observations
you have.
8. Study the following diagrams to see what fit issues you may be having.
9. Check off the corresponding adjustment on the worksheet and draw the
adjustment you will make to the mini pattern pieces.
10. Make corresponding adjustments to actual paper pattern pieces.
11. Adjust muslin or fashion fabric you’ve cut out; many adjustments can
be made to the original fabric, but anything involving a wedge added or
removed (ie. a full tummy or flat seat adjustment) will require new pat-
tern pieces to be cut out.
12. Re-baste and try on. Take more photos so you can study the improve-
ments.
13. Repeat as needed, or take a breath and say “Good enough!”, and get
cracking on your final pants.

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Front adjustments
s h o r t e n c r o tc h
SYM PTOM:
Drag lines radiating downwards from front
crotch, resembling a frown.
solution:
Remove width from the inseam (or front thigh)
to shorten front crotch curve. Work in 1/4”
increments since small adjustments make a big
difference. Smoothly join your new inseam line
into mid thigh with a french curve or ruler.
Pants Fitting Guide | C l o s e t cO R e p a t t e r n s 5
Front adjustments
LE N G T HE N c r o tc h

SYM PTOM: solution:

Drag lines radiating upwards from front
crotch, resembling a smile. Crotch will feel
tight.
Add width off to inseam (or front thigh) to
lengthen front crotch curve. Work in 1/4”
increments since small adjustments make a big
difference. Smoothly join your new inseam line
into mid thigh with a french curve or ruler.

Pants Fitting Guide | C l o s e t cO R e p a t t e r n s 6

Front adjustments
r o u n d p u bis ( a k a ca m e l t o e )

SYM PTOM: solution:

Vertical drag lines around the front crotch Scoop out front crotch curve. This deepens the
seam. Seam digs into pubic area. curve and creates room for the pubis. Work in
1/4” increments since small adjustments make
a big difference.

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Front adjustments
f l at p u bis

SYM PTOM: solution:

Horizontal wrinkles at the front crotch may Draw in a shallower front crotch curve; this
indicate that your pubic bone is a little flatter flattens the curve. A 1/4” or 1/8” adjustment
than what is drafted for. Many horizontal can make a big difference.
lines spanning the width of the hip indicate
that pants are too tight at the hip, so if it feels
too snug try letting out the hip first before
attempting this adjustment.
Pants Fitting Guide | C l o s e t cO R e p a t t e r n s 8
Front adjustments
full tummy
SYM PTOM:
A full tummy may create diagonal drag lines
radiating from your stomach. The side seams
may also come forward around the stomach,
along with a little tightness in the crotch.
solution:
To correct, slash along the center front to the
hip and rotate along a “hinge” to add length
and width through the abdomen area. You
may also find you need to add a little length to
the crotch curve by letting out the inseam.
Pants Fitting Guide | C l o s e t cO R e p a t t e r n s 9
Back adjustments
f u l l s e at
SYM PTOM:
If you have a fuller bottom, you may notice
drag lines all pointing to the back crotch seam.
The back waistline may also be tugged down
so it sits too low at the small of your back -
this is very common with rounder bums.
solution:
Option #1: You need to add length to the back
seat curve to make room. The proper method
is to cut through the center back seam to the
hip and rotate along a “hinge” to add length
and width through the seat.
Option #2: A quicker method is to add a little
to the inseam and top seam as indicated above.
You may also find that you need a deeper seat
curve – if you scoop out that curve more, please
note you will have to add a little to the hip since
you are removing width across the hip with this
adjustment.
Pants Fitting Guide | C l o s e t cO R e p a t t e r n s 10
Back adjustments
f l at s e at an d / o r t h in t h ig h
SYM PTOM:
Bagginess under the bum with diagonal drag
lines pointing up to the hip indicate either a)
the upper thigh of the pant is too roomy or
b) the seat is flatter than what the pattern was
drafted for.
solution:
Fast method: Remove length from the back
seat curve. Start by taking in the inseam.
Proper method: Cut through the center back
seam to the hip and rotate down along a
“hinge” to remove length and width through
the seat.
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Back adjustments
l o w s e at

SYM PTOM: solution:

If the curve of your bum sits a little lower
than the pant has been drafted for, you’ll find
horizontal drag lines under your seat and
excess fabric at the crease of your bum and
legs.
To remove drag lines, scoop out the seat curve
so it makes more of an “L” shape. This will
make room for the lower curve of your seat.

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Back adjustments
gaping WA I S T B A N D

Waistband adjustment

SYM PTOM: solution:

Waistband (and possibly the yoke) gape
against lower back. Pinch out excess with a
pinned dart so you know how much you need
to remove.
You must remove length from the top
waistband edge so it sits closer to the body.
Note the width of the dart you made and cut
and hinge your waistband between side seam
and center back to remove width to top seam
only. Your waistband will now have a more
pronounced curve.

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Back adjustments
GAPING BACK

SYM PTOM: solution:

Pant gapes against lower back, below
waistband. Pinch out excess with a pinned
dart so you know how much you need to
remove.
Option #1: Try to correct gaping by sewing a
deeper dart. If more width needs to be removed,
take from center back seam, changing angle of
back crotch seam.
Option #2: cut from back crotch seam to hip
and leave a hinge. Rotate in top of back leg
at hip hinge. Redraw center back crotch seam
so the angle is the same before you rotated it.
This method removes width at hip and height
at the small of the back.
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Back adjustments
S WAY B A C K
SYM PTOM:
Pants pool with horizontal lines below
waistband and above seat. This indicates a
hollow at the small of the back, with a shorter
depth between hip and waist.
solution:
Option #1: Remove height along top of pant,
grading to nothing at hip.
Option #2: Cut through the center back seam
to the hip and rotate down along a “hinge” to
remove length through the seat.
Option #3: Try sewing deeper darts.
Pants Fitting Guide | C l o s e t cO R e p a t t e r n s 15
Back adjustments
f u l l t h ig h

SYM PTOM: solution:

If you need more room in the thigh, your Extend your back crotch at the inner thigh to
pants will tell you with diagonal drag lines give yourself more room.
or wrinkles pointing towards your crotch
inseam.

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Front and back adjustments
t h in t h ig h

SYM PTOM: solution:

If the thighs are too roomy, you may see
vertical drag lines along the back of your
thigh. Sometimes a thin thigh adjustment
resembles a flat seat adjustment with diagonal
drag lines pointing up to the hip.
Taking width off the back inseam will help; you
may also need to remove a little from the front
inseam as well.

Pants Fitting Guide | C l o s e t cO R e p a t t e r n s 17

Leg adjustments
f u l l ca l f
SYM PTOM:
Horizontal drag lines above the back of your
knees along with a snug fit through the calf
indicate the need for a full calf adjustment.
If the calf does not feel too tight, try a
low seat adjustment first - sometimes scooping
out the seat curve can eliminate horizontal
lines above knee.
solution:
Cut your pattern as indicated above, and hinge
seams along the lower leg to create more width
along the back of the calf. This will widen the
ankle opening. If you prefer a skinnier fit, you
may want to try taking in the side seams below
your calf to taper the ankle opening.
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Leg adjustments
knock kneed
SYM PTOM:
If you’re a little knock kneed you may find
that the fabric is tight along your inseam and
looser at your side seam. You’ll see diagonal
drag lines radiating from along the side seam
above and below the knee.
solution:
You need a little more length at the inseam and
a little less at the side seam. To achieve this,
slash to a center point in the center of the thigh
on either side and rotate the entire upper pant
so that you are reducing the length along the
side seam while slightly adding to the inseam.
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Leg adjustments
b o w l e gg e d

SYM PTOM: solution:

You’ll notice drag lines radiating out from the
inseam around your knee and calf.
The exact opposite adjustment we made for
the knock kneed; you need more length on the
side seam and less on the inseam. To achieve
this, slash to a center point in the center of the
thigh on either side and rotate the entire upper
pant so that you are adding to the length of
the side seam while reducing the length of the
inseam.
Pants Fitting Guide | C l o s e t cO R e p a t t e r n s 20