Ninni Culottes from Named Clothing: so nice I made them twice!
Ninni is a simple, elegant, wide leg, elastic waist culottes pattern. Now, to be honest, I will say that this pattern is not rocket science. Front and back legs and a separate waistband (plus in-seam pockets if that's your jam), with not much, if any, shaping.
And they are delightful for exactly those reasons! So speedy, so comfy! If you're a beginner and are looking for the most forgiving pair of pants possible, the Ninni pattern is for you.
You've might have already spied me wearing both pairs in my Me Made May photos on Instagram. I can't get enough of them.
You've might have already spied me wearing both pairs in my Me Made May photos on Instagram. I can't get enough of them.
These are size 48, which is what matched my measurements on the chart. The pattern has a ton of ease, though, so the sizing is pretty flexible. I probably could have gone down a size or two if I wanted and still been fine.
The pattern calls for "a light or medium weight stretch fabric with drape," but these pants are so loose fitting, there is no way you need the stretch. After confirming that others (Jess and Erin) had made the Ninni culottes in a non-stretch woven, I perused my stash for a suitably drapey woven.
For my first pair, the fabric I chose is a batik rayon challis that I bought when I lived in Indonesia. The birds on the batik are Garuda, I believe, a bird-like creature from Hindu and Buddhist mythology. It's also the national symbol of Indonesia.
This length of batik has a small border along one of the selvages and the print is oriented on the cross grain (many batiks are this way since they're meant to be worn as a sarong), so that's the way I cut my culottes. Since the bottom edge of the culottes is straight, it's perfect for a border print.
The pattern includes a 1.25" hem, but I decided not to hem these. I wanted to leave that border print complete. So they're a little bit longer than intended. Also, Named patterns are drafted for a pretty tall woman so they're quite long on me. For reference, I'm 5'7.5", but my legs are short.
I adore these culottes! Pretty much the most comfortable pants I own, for obvious reasons (in case they're not obvious: rayon challis, wide leg, wide elastic waistband). I paired them here with my cropped black Liesl + Co Bento Tee.
I immediately cut another pair in this awesome, drapey linen (maybe a linen/rayon blend?) in solid black. A bit more useful than Garuda culottes, methinks!
These are a little bit less sleek at the elastic waist than the rayon challis version, but still quite drapey through the leg!
They go well with my stretched-out-from-hang-drying, but still awesome Hey June Union St. Tee:
I think I will get a ton of wear out of these... black goes with everything, right? I think once I move to cooler climate, too, it'll be easy to layer them and wear them with booties and tights if need be!
And here is where I insert the obligatory "Hey, look how wide my culottes are!!" photos.
Hey! Look how wide my culottes are!
Hey! Look how wide my culottes are!
