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Saturday, October 24, 2020

Olive Arden Pants

 I've been on a bit of a pantscapade recently... an elastic waist odyssey, if you will.


Today's is the Helen's Closet Arden Pants pattern, a "classic elastic-waist pant" with front slash pockets, back patch pockets, and options jogger-style cuffs in two different widths. 


Note: I received a copy of the Arden Pants for free from Helen's Closet. I was not obligated to make the pattern or write about it.

Because of some fabric constraints, I opted for Arden View B with the more narrow cuff, suited to 1.5" elastic. I think I would have preferred the elastic-less hems, but I didn't have enough length in my fabric. 


The fabric is olive stretch twill left over from this pencil skirt I made a few years back (it never really fit how I wanted it to...). I love the color. It's perhaps a bit thick for the Arden pattern, but not the end of the world.


I didn't have quite enough of the main olive fabric for the pocket bags, so I used some scraps of batik from my stash, with a little triangle of the main fabric at the hip (same idea as what I did for these Glebe pants earlier in the year). I just did one patch pocket on the back.


I cut a size 20, which worked out well! I wish the rise was a little bit higher. The pattern describes it as a high rise, but for me it's firmly in the medium-rise camp (to be fair, I think most of my height is in my torso). 


I went for a clean finish on the cuffs and waistband so I didn't have a serged seam scratching my belly and legs. I find my skin is really sensitive in winter to stuff like that.

In the end, after wearing them around and looking at my initial round of photo, I ultimately took the elastic out of the cuffs and just sewed them back up empty for more of a regular cuff look:


The pants were too short to wear with boots without showing a lot of sock, I actually found the elastic to be uncomfortable on my legs, and I think the look was a little clumsy in my thicker fabric. 

Much better for me! I like how they hang a bit better without the elastic:


I also like how the Arden pattern has instructions for lots of double topstitching details throughout. It gives the seams extra strength and a cool look (which you definitely can't see in these photos, sorry!).


Pretty happy with these! I am definitely pushing it a bit with this weight fabric, but the Arden pattern is a great basic pant for lighter weight fabric!