Hammy Versus the Decades of Style Empire Pants

Whaaaaaaaaats up, gorgeous people. I hope you are all doing ok in the midst of the continuing madness. I honestly wonder what is next. If Donald Trump suddenly announced that Taco's were a fruit, I would not even be shocked at this point. Let's hope the world returns back to us soon.

I have a fascination with vintage style lines, especially from the 1930's to 1960's.

These eras really established modern dress styles and they continue to be the foundation of our modern clothes. I love the mix of form and function. I am particularly intrigued with history bounding from earlier eras too. If you are not familiar with the term, I would recommend a YT video that Morgan Donner posted explaining it but, essentially, its taking an aspect of historical dress and incorporating it into modern dress, it can be overt, like shortening a victorian walking skirt, or subtle like a print from a renaissance era dress.

Some of these 20th century classic features regularly influence in patterns such as Sew Over it, Jennifer Lauren Handmade and Victory Patterns and I love them all.

I have peered at other makers with the vintage style with a mixture of curiosity and envy but not yet attempted a distinctly vintage inspired such as the pattern companies mentioned above. Sizing and also price point with these companies has previously made me hesitate in pulling the trigger. I have purchased the Trina dress by Victory Patterns, attempted resizing adjustments, and I have the fabric ready to go, but that thing is a beast and I feel tired looking at all the fabric I would have to control. I also have to acknowledge that all three companies have begun to expand their size ranges. In fact, I have just signed up as a pattern tester for one of these companies. The pattern is so cute, I can't wait for my fabric to arrive so I can get started.

By the way, if you are looking for particular inspiration for vlogs/makers that have a really vintage inspired foundation to their wardrobes, I can recommend Rosysewsmodernvintage, The Closet Historian, and Rachel Maksey to name only a few. The two latter makers have a particular interest in thrifting and styling modern clothes into new pieces. Rachel Maksey is also hilarious. The Closet Historian is a more technical blogger and does regularly pattern drafting as well. These two ladies specialise in 1920's to 1950's. Rosy is sweetest soul and her outfits are nearly always drool-worthy with a particular 1940's/1950's style.

I decided that a pant was probably a relatively safe dip into creating the 1940's office wardrobe of my dreams. Cue Decades of Style. I haven't yet seen a bad review of them and their kaftan is particularly popular at the moment made me press the button. I have been drooling over their patterns for an absolute age but as the hip size is only 49 inches, I am still slightly out of size range but only slightly and they are a bit more economical that the previous pattern companies I have mentioned. When I re-clapped my eyes on those pants...

I am particularly keen on patterns that fit and flare at the waist. I also had high hopes that the longer length would do things for my posterior, drawing the eye to the waist and making my stubby legs look longer. As my bf is 6" 4' to my 5"4', any illusion of additional height is welcome. When we were younger, he would use my head as a lean post while we waited for the bus. I feel like Danny Devito in Twins. Also, I think it is particularly unfair that celebrities like Kim Kashdashian have made literally billions on having an arse that your park your bike in and rest a pint on, with no discernible talents otherwise. Where are my billions, people? I have the arse, I have the arse! I can pout and seem dumb. I really can! *Coughs and looks uncomfortable *

However, to return to the subject at hand, 1940's inspired pants. The first thing that comes to mind is the no nonsense trail blazer Katherine Hepburn. When asked:

Hepburn: “I have not lived as a woman. I have lived as a man…I’ve just done what I damn well wanted to and I made enough money to support myself. And I ain’t afraid of being alone.”

Walters: “Is that why also you wear pants?”

Hepburn: “No, I just wore pants because they’re comfortable.”

Walters: “Do you ever wear a skirt, by the way?”

Hepburn: “I have one.”

Walters: “You have one.”

Hepburn: “I’ll wear it to your funeral.”

Frickin legend! I can think of no finer inspiration for trousers that the unsquashable KH.

You can clearly see the ghost of KH in the Decades of Style pattern with these trousers, particularly the cuff, although the waist is much higher on the pattern than these images.

These pants require just over 2 METRES fabric. Most of my trouser weight fabric was 2 YARDS and I had to run to the market to find some suitable fabric, for which I was most pleased with my find and choice. £2.50 a metre and it had weight yet good movement.

I added 13mm onto each of the the sides at the hips by holding the pattern against myself and marking the hip, so it was an easy adjustment. I added this 13mm to the leg width as well to keep the proportions true. I also scooped out the pant rise by keeping the proportions in line and adapting to one more size larger. This is a standard adjustment for me.

In terms of instructions, well, I completely ignored them and sewed them my way. I have nearly always found that pants patterns don't have much variety to them However, my impatience.....

This has resulted in not an exact replica of the pattern. Instead of a facing piece, I inadvertently created a waistband and I have skipped a pleating step, as shown in the sample image, but I did not see any markings on the pattern itself. However, I did flick through the instructions and they seemed concise, the drawings clear so this is not a failing on their part but purely on mine.

In the interests of showing my "wonky" see 'The Cult of Sewing Perfect", I also negated to read the cuff instructions which make a heck of a lot more sense that the concertina method I formed them but ssshhh you can't tell. I also did not use a matching invisible zip for the back closing. The fabric is navy-grey and I used a black zip. The pattern stated 14 inches, I used 16 inches and left the extra bit dangling in the guts of the pant and, you know what, the earth continued to turn.I guarantee no-one is looking that closely and if they are....

However, I'm not unpleased with my efforts. The pants are incredibly comfy, if only slightly too generous in the waist and a little long on the leg but I love them. I often have a gaping small back and the shapes beautifully on the small of the back, I don't think I look any taller but the fit on the buttocks

I do miss pockets however and my hand is reaching for them constantly. Yet I can see that pockets would pull the shape of these out of wack

Mission accomplished.... I think