speaking of pants...

[keryx]

I got these Flying Skirts pantaloons for late X-mas, and I think everyone needs to start wearing them immediately. I wore them under a long skirt to pick up laaaate dinner last night. They resolve all ill-fitting pants issues and are abundantly movement-friendly and practical.

Seriously, who says you can't wear bloomers to the office? No one would, if we all started wearing them.

Comments

[peregrin8.livejournal.com]

those are awesome! what color did you buy? I'm bookmarking this for future shopping... I have my eye on the emerald green. And purple... and one must have black...

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I have purple ones. They're a really odd (pretty odd, not freaky) shade, actually - somewhere between a true purple and a deep magenta.

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

Nice! Where does the bottom of the leg sit? I make pantaloons out of 45 inch wide fabric, three yards worth. That means I can wear them low on my hips, and I pull the bottom of the leg up to my knees, and blouse the leg over for super foofy 'loons! I'm only 5 foot 3-ish. I plan on pairing these with cute tightish tank tops this summer.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

These aren't so much about the foofy, cause they don't blouse out so much as down (although they're all pleaty-like around the hip). The bottoms are just right for me - I got small/short ones that I wear at mid-hip, and if the elastic's at my ankles, there's about a 6-inch foof that hits just right on the foot.

[firecat]

Sure, "everyone" can start wearing them as soon as they make them big enough for "everyone."

point taken!

[keryx.livejournal.com]

Though, actually, they do make them big enough for "everyone" (although I suspect, as nearly always, that there are limits to that) - but it's not even remotely obvious from the website, as they have to be custom-ordered, probably at some additional cost.

Flying Skirts, however, is one of few BD vendors who offer things in any remotely large size, so I have to give her props for that.

Re: point taken!

[firecat]

I wasn't faulting Flying Skirts, I'm afraid I was just being cranky at your choice of words, especially because I like pantaloons and haven't been able to find any in my size for quite a while.

If Flying Skirts would put somewhere on their web site that they also do custom sizing, I bet they would get more business! (On the other hand, it looks like they may already have more business than they can handle.)

Re: point taken!

[keryx.livejournal.com]

You were right, my choice of words should inspire crankiness. I forget that just cause I'm overjoyed something will fit me that I'm not the be-all and end-all of fatness.

Do you sew at all? One of the bellydance groups does a pantaloon pattern/diagram that's supposed to fit up to a size 32, I think. That'd be cheaper and more customizable than paying someone to make them for you.

Re: point taken!

[firecat]

I am delighted that you found happy pantaloons!

I don't sew very well yet, but I'm trying to learn, and I'd love to know where I can order the pattern.

Re: point taken!

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure it's in the print catalog from FCBD. And there are links to really simple diagrams of pantaloon patterns all over the place (there are 3 or 4 in this article). The basic patterns usually assume you're narrow enough to use a standard width fabric, but you could either use a wider width (costume & home fabrics come in wider bolts) or sew the fabric together first. I haven't tried any of the patterns, but they look really simple.

Re: point taken!

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

The way I make them, they start out at 90 inches around - I put in a drawstring, so they are adjustable. They are "silly pants" with the sides sewn up (go here http://www.durdemarion.com/handbook/handbook1.htm and scroll down).

The "U" that you cut out is as deep as you want the waist(or hip) to sit. So measure yourself from where it'll sit on your waist to where it'll hang, add a few inches to fold over for the elastic or drawstring casing, and that's how deep it'll be. I make the "U" about 4 or so inches from each side of the center line.

I've made them out of fun printed cotton, cotton gauze, dupioni silk, just about anything comfy. I think about 2.5 yards will make pants for shorter people (under 5 foot 5); I'd go with more fabric for blousier pants. Since each leg is constructed of 45 inches of material (usually - you can buy 60 inch material, too), the pants can run many many sizes.

Warning, pantaloons are addictive!