Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please! It’s time for a Pattern Throwdown. Three pants patterns will enter the ring, but only one will emerge victorious!
Your referee tonight is Jennifer W. from We Bought a Manor. Weighing in at “none of your business,” she is a rectangle from the front, an apple from the side and all party in the back. Her measurements are:
- Bust: 48 inches
- Waist: 43 inches
- Hips: 53 inches
- Bra Size: 42DD
- RTW: Size 20-22
- Usual Sewing Size: 20-24
Our contenders tonight are:
- Style Arc Barb’s Stretch Pants, sewn at size 24 ($13 PDF, free if you join the Style Arc mailing list)
- Love Notions Sabrina Slims Pants, sewn at size 24 ($10, PDF)
- Jalie Eleonore Pull-On Jeans, sewn at size FF (CAD $12, PDF)
A few important notes from the referee before we begin:
- Confidence Level: While I’m a fairly accomplished garment sewist, I had never tackled pants before this throwdown. I was extremely nervous about sewing pants – I have a hard time finding well-fitting pants in RTW due to my shape – I have a “shelf” on my high butt that forms my biggest hip measurement (4-5 inches above where most patterns’ hip measurements hit) and a sagging lower belly that is my fitting nemesis. Add that to relatively skinny (but short) legs and I often feel like a lollipop on a stick.
- Fabric Choices: I made the Barb from a thick ponte with nice 4-way stretch. The Sabrina Slims were made from a stretch cotton twill, with moderate 2-way stretch. (Because it’s incredibly hard to photograph black pants, I’ve overexposed the photos to make it easier to see the wrinkles.) And the Eleonore Jeans were made with stretch denim with moderate 2-way stretch. Theoretically, you could make all three patterns with a stable knit (like ponte), although you might want to size down. I would not make the Barb pant from a stretch woven – it doesn’t have the shaping to support a closer fit.
- Pickiness — while I was super satisfied with all three pants when I made them, I have to admit that seeing these photos gave me serious “dramatic pause” — look at that belly! Look at those wrinkles! How on earth can I post this review and call any of them a winner?! But you know what? These pants all fit better than RTW, they are comfortable and practical, and I’m pretty sure no one except for another sewist would notice that they are less-than-perfect. So I’m going with it.
- Fitting/Adjustments: I did a couple of “on the fly” adjustments while sewing these pants – primarily adjusting the crotch curve on both the Barb pants and the Sabrina Slims (more on that adjustment below). I also skipped the welt pockets on the Sabrina Slims – if I can’t fit my iPhone in that back pocket, I’m not interested. I also adjusted the length of all three pants legs – on the Barb and Sabrina Slims, I took off 2-3 inches from the bottom, whereas I got smart and removed the same length on the Eleonore pants from the middle of the leg pattern piece before I began.
- Goal: For this round of Pattern Throwdown, I focused on finding the best dressy casual “pull-on” pattern – something I can make and wear 100 times over the next few years. I can play with the details (pockets, cuffs, pant leg width) indefinitely – what I wanted to find here is the basic block that fits the best through my waist, crotch, butt and legs.
Let the throwdown commence!
Round 1: Pattern Quality and Instructions
Winner: Sabrina Slims
There are several criteria I use to judge the value of a pattern’s quality and instructions, so let’s get to it:
Does the pattern come with more than one look?
The Barb pants are a 1-and-done pattern with no frills.
The Sabrina Slims is a cigarette style pants pattern with two looks – one basic pattern and one with front and back seams for visual interest. It has petite, regular, and tall inseam lengths marked on the pattern, and a maternity version.
The Eleonore Jeans have one look, but two lengths (full and capri), along with a pictorial guide to turning them into skinnies. One huge positive for the Eleonore – it comes in 27 sizes (from little girl to curvy lady). If you sew for little ones, this pattern can be great for them from kid to grown-up. This is standard for Jalie, and makes me love them, even if I’m irritated about their lack of large-format printing.
Does it have a large-format printing option, so I don’t waste time assembling a PDF from a billion sheets of paper?
The Barb and Sabrina Slims both come in wide-format printing, but the Eleonore pants only come in standard A4 letter size, which adds time for assembly that I’d rather skip over.
Somewhat problematically, the Barb comes in 3 separate files, one for each size. Once you know your size in the Style Arc block, this likely won’t be an issue, but since it was my first experience with them, it was hard to choose which file to print – I wanted nested sizes, dammit! Ultimately, I went with 24 (which most closely matched my measurements) and it worked okay, but if you need to grade significantly between sizes, you will likely find yourself screaming into the night at the Style Arc pattern approach.
Are the instructions clear and accurate?
The Barb pants, per usual Style Arc approach, have minimal directions. In fact, there is no separate directions booklet – just a handful of written directions on the pattern itself. For such a simple pattern, that’s not a problem – but something to consider if you are a sewing newbie.
The Sabrina Slims have the most detailed instructions, with a mix of photo and line drawings. The pattern also includes a multi-page fit guide that walks through common pants fitting problems (with photos from real testers). Bonus: I love how Love Notions’s website shows a wide variety of people wearing the Sabrina Slims – skinny, fat, curvy, short, young, old, etc. It’s so refreshing to be able to scroll through the patterns store page and find someone who looks like you to consider before you purchase the pattern.
The Eleonore Jeans have solid instructions with clear and detailed line drawings – just the right amount of hand-holding for a confident beginner.
I chose the Sabrina Slims as the winner because…
I like that it had the large format printing, two looks, detailed instructions, and a fit guide with common alterations.
Round 2: Waist and Hips
Winner: Eleonore Jeans
The waist and hips of all three patterns were pretty spot on – with a pull-on pant there is necessarily a little bit of give which helps with fitting. I found the Barb pants had the most curve through the hips, so it might work best of a pear-shaped booty. I found the Sabrina Slims to have moderate curve through the hips, and the Eleonore had the straightest fit through the hip – the best for my apple-shaped belly with rapidly diminishing hips.
On the topic of rise – I often find that I need to add length to the front and back rise of my pants. With an apple belly and a top-curvy (but no lower hip) butt, the best defense against sagging pants is to have the waistband hit high at my natural waist. I did raise the Sabrina Slims an inch, but probably didn’t need to – the waistband for the larger end of the plus sizes uses a 3-inch waistband instead of the regular 2-inch waistband and that gives an extra level of confidence. You can see that all three of the pants hit about 1-2 inches above my belly button – right where I like them.
Round 3: Crotch (front)
Winner: Eleonore Jeans
Ugh – crotch fit. It is surely the nemesis of most pants sewists. I find that I have an L-shaped crotch, which I’m guessing may be common for other ladies with a sagging belly. Basically, since the belly hangs over the top of the pubis, pants have extra fabric right at the crotch point that needs to be removed. But remove too much and you draw the fabric snug across the lower belly – highlighting the line of the lower belly. It’s a no-win situation. In practice, that means I often need to scoop out the front crotch piece, aiming for a sharper L-shaped angle from the pubis up to the stomach area. I did a DRAMATIC alteration on the Sabrina Slims – removing a full 4 inches of fabric from the crotch curve (2 inches on each side). I did a more modest adjustment on the Barb pants, removing about 2 inches total from the front crotch curve. The Eleonore Jeans were perfect as is, which is why I’m declaring them the winner for this round. While the Barb probably looks the smoothest in the photos, I think this has a LOT to do with fabric choice.
Note: if you have a rounded public (e.g. camel toe), you will likely find that you have the direct opposite problems and may prefer the Barb the best!
Round 4: Butt/Crotch (back)
Winner: Eleonore Jeans
Here is where I should have taken photos of my derriere during the original sewing process – until I saw these photos below, I had no idea that I had crazy pulling at the back crotch point in the Barb and Sabrina Slims. My trusty pants-diagnostics guide from Closet Case Files indicates this pulling is because I need a large inner thigh adjustment. We’ll see if that works in future iterations. Clearly, the winner here is the Eleonore Jeans, although I will note that after wearing both the Sabrina Slims and the Eleonore Jeans for a couple of hours, they gently stretched out and all pulling at the front and back disappeared.
And the Champion is…
Duh, it’s the Eleonore Jeans! I made them straight out of the envelope (except for shortening the legs for my dwarf-like appendages) and they fit the best across all categories. I love that they have phone-worthy back pockets, and I was delighted to discover during the writing of this review that there are two tutorials (1, 2) for turning the faux pockets into real pockets. Huzzah!
To be honest, all three pairs of pants are in regular rotation here at The Manor, although I do give the Barb pants a little stretch through the thighs before I put them on to preempt the back crotch pulling. I may try to mash the back welt pockets from the Sabrina Slims onto the Eleonore Jeans to make them a little more business-casual, but I think the Eleonore can be dressed up or down a lot depending on fabric choice. And it feels great to know that I can churn out multiple pairs without fussing over alterations. The holy grail of pants!
Up Next…
I’m still on the lookout for a good woven pencil skirt pattern, but I’ve lost confidence in that process. The one I tried – the Colette Selene – was a horrible disaster. Instead, I’m turning my attention this spring to trying my hand at a Capsule Wardrobe – a small collection of clothes that all work together. It promises to make getting dressed in the morning faster, and results in a more “put together” look. We’ll see. Once I get it underway, I may share my results on the CSC blog.
In the meantime, tell me: what are your favorite pants patterns? And have you tried a capsule wardrobe? Was it all it’s cracked up to be?
Dear Jennifer,
NEVER, EVER question yourself about whether or not your posts will be liked. They are loved. I will even attempt to imitate your announcers tone ; they are legendary! I think it’s safe to say everyone appreciates all the work that goes into not one, but three reviews.
As always your honesty and humour shine through! Consequently when a Throwdown appears it’s my first read.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! !! 🙂
Yours, Merry
I normally avoid pull on pants that don’t have a yoga wide waist band and a high waist on the grounds that every single pair of RTW pull on pants I’ve tried will fit great when I put them on and then as the elastic relaxes, they’ll creep down and eventually I’m hiking my pants up every five minutes. I’ve put this at the alter of my fat hourglass shape and moved on to only non pull up pants, but this post is giving me Ideas. Would this be a fit issue to be corrected for, possibly?
Very interesting post! My favorite pants pattern is Eureka! Pants that Fit!, from Fit for Art patterns. Three different rear ends to choose from.
I am surprised that they aren’t more fit choices within pants patterns. For woven blouse patterns I have come to expect cup sizes, but I have rarely seen a “flat butt” or “curvy booty” option included as a standard feature.
Not sure I read this thoroughly enough (twice) to know which was which, but imho in every picture the Frey pants at far left fit you best.
Grey
Such a fun comparison that I went back and read your others. I agree that your Eleonores are the best fitting and most flattering. I also agree with Elaine that you need a knock knee/full inner thigh adjustment. The best review of techniques for this alteration that I’ve found is Debbie Cook’s at Stitches & Seams, January 15, 2008. (Yes, it’s still posted.) It appears that I have a lower body like yours: high/full butt, straight outer thighs, fuller inner thighs, and a backward hip tilt. I’ve found the Jan Minot technique that Debbie has posted works best for me. If you have any inseam on your current Eleonore pants, even a quarter inch to let out, you will see and feel the difference immediately. Once you’ve done a full pattern alteration on your next pair, you won’t believe the improvement in comfort and fit. It may seem like lots of work, but once your pants echo the curves of your body without pulling or gaping, it will feel like pure luxury and make you share that gorgeous smile more often.
Your comments echo several others below — and I agree that the “full inner thigh” adjustment will do wonders for the fit (and will likely fix the knock-knee problem too). I’m almost done with my next pair or Eleonore pants with an extra 1/2 inch on the front and back inner thigh pieces and am excited to see the finished result!
Great review ? I am putting the eleanore pants on my to-buy list.
I wonder if you could comment about sizing…I am 39″/40″ waist and 44″ hips. So very much an apple shape. Would you cut a straight size based on hip measurement ? Or on waist? (There’s like a 3 size difference) or would you grade between sizes? Such a newbie question…’cause I’m a newbie, lol.
Hmm. I think you would be okay cutting a straight size, but you might grade up 1 size at the waist just for a little more wiggle room. Definitely adjust the elastic to your comfort level!
Thanks for the great reviews. Since you aren’t getting feed back on capsule wardrobe I will expand on my thoughts there. I find capsule wardrobes, work well. When going to Europe for 3 weeks last winter I was able to pack everything in a carryon suitcase and one small bag. Everything worked together and there were so many choices and looks in that small case. It did take a fair amount of planning and nothing went in if it could not be used in several ways. I’ve since grown out of that size and miss that versatility with fewer pieces. I’m back to the jeans/polar fleece/jogging pants and t shirt. look. It isn’t nearly as flattering and polished looking as the capsule wardrobe was/is. I could go anywhere with the capsule wardrobe from comfy casual to dinner out. The biggest problem is finding the right fabrics that work together in a capsule wardrobe and not choosing something that doesn’t work with most other fabrics. I easily get distracted by fabric I love but isn’t the right mix either color or type that is needed. Overall if you do try a capsule wardrobe you put more money into few quality pieces but save $$ and have a less crowded closet. The less crowded closet actually has you use your clothing better as you can see all the possibilities.
Thanks for your feedback! I’ve got about half of my pieces cut, and will begin sewing them up later this week!
My favorite pants are Jalie 2908 (jeans), Simplicity 2860 (trousers) and Kwik Sew 2960 (trousers). I’ve made each of them a few times (jeans the most) and can get a decent fit with minimal adjustments.
I’ve tried capsule wardrobes before and have had the most success with the 6PAC concept (discussed regularly on Stitcher’s Guild). Wardrobe plans that are too involved with multiple garments eventually bore me. The 6PAC is small enough to get a few good coordinated basics whilst simultaneously keeping my interest. =)
Ooh, I’m not familiar with the 6PAC system, but I do love the 4X4 concept (4 core in 1 color, 4 more core in a second color, 4 more tops, 4 extras to round everything out).
The Eleonore looks great on you! Thanks for the thorough comparison, it is both interesting and useful. We are on the complete opposite side shape wise I guess. Barb fit me pretty much perfect out of the printer, crotch curve and all, and I had great results in woven, a stretch twill. I suppose this means the Eleanor will be a bad choice for me :p
For a good pencil skirt, have you tried Bluegingerdoll Betsy? It’s available on Craftsy right now, and she’s reviving the company properly these days.
I’ll have to add the Bluegingerdoll Betsy to my list!
AWesome. I have the same figure type and picked up the Eleanor last year. Hadn’t gotten around to them, but I can see I need to this spring. Thanks for the tip about the L shape in front.
Do it! I bet you will love them. I’ve already got three more on the cutting table.
Thank you so much! We have a similar shape & size & ive been looking for a good pull-on pant pattern! I recently got the Barb pattern for signing up. I agree, I hate the thought of printing all 3 patterns to find the right size!
I think I should give the other two a try as well! Thank you for doing the grunt work for me! lol ?
You’re very welcome — let us know how it goes!
For someone with limited pants fitting experience, you did an amazing job on both getting the fit right and assessing your future adjustments.
Thanks! Now that I have the general process down, I have more patience for the small tweaks necessary to get a good fit. 🙂
Sorry about that typo! THANKS is what I meant!
We are shaped a lot alike! My issue with getting the right fit in pants is the extra baggies I always have right below my rear end/top of back thigh. Is there a standard fix for eliminating this problem? Tanks for your in depth reporting!!
Have you looked at https://closetcasepatterns.com/14-common-jeans-pants-fitting-adjustments/ for adjustment ideas? That’s my starting place for all pants fitting advice.
I just LOVE your throwdowns and I’ve so been hoping you’d do one on pull up pants! Our measurements/shape are so alike. Where I live there are very little choices in fabric shops so when I find a perfect fabric I hesitate cutting into it incase the pattern is utterly wrong for me!!
Love the throwdowns!! I agree with you on the Eleanores, and they are definitely on my list to sew.
Just FYI to you and other readers … you can see 92 (and counting) reviews of these on Pattern Review, Here.
THANK YOU for explaining the front crotch fit!!! Now I understand!!!!!
It took me forever to figure out — lots of “pinning away the excess fabric on my body, and then later going back to compare what I’d sewn to a list of common alterations.”
Loved this comparison. I made the Sabrina Slims and they looked pretty much like they do on you. We have very similar measurements. Very nice to know what the Eleanore’s look before I attempt them. I’m an apple and have very similar measurements but I have very flat bum. Thank you for your hard work!
Thanks Katrina — the Eleonore’s are a pretty quick sew, so once you get the fit right, it will be easy to make a bunch to fill up your closet!
I love your Throwdowns! They are funny and extremely helpful, especially for someone who practically matches your shape and measurements. Thanks so much for the three great reviews! I haven’t tackled pants yet, but the Eleonore looks like a contender with the optional front pockets!
I used the tutorial (linked above) for the real front pockets this week, and they worked a treat!
Great article Jennifer! Fun to read and inspiring 🙂 I have the Eleanore pattern and several lots of sateen in my stash including one in an olive that I think would make nice pants! Seeing yours has spurred me on 🙂
I LOVE STRETCH SATEEN!! Do share your results once you’ve got a couple made!
I LOVE the pattern throwdown series. Great information, lots of good photos, honest opinions, and none of it taken too seriously. Keep these up! Now I’m off to go buy the Eleanore jeans pattern… 🙂
Thanks! These pattern throwdowns are a labor of love, but it’s incredibly satisfying to be able to do a direct head to head comparison. And the camera doesn’t lie!
What a great review! I appreciate your time and effort….. I found your fitting information very interesting, particularly. I have made quite a few Eleanor pants with functional front pockets and pocket stays like the Ginger tutorial and love them. I wonder how you would like the right angle crotch curve of the hot patterns patterns? I made the weekender Jean (not a pull on, but could be converted) and was so dubious when I pulled out the pattern piece but I love the fit!
I have never tried Hot Patterns — I’ve heard their pattern drafting is hit-or-miss. But now I’ll have to go back and take another look. 🙂
Love this review! They all look great, but just from looking at the pics I liked the Elonore best on you.
I have a bit of a hard time imagining your crotch adjustment. Which of the Closet Case File fit issues did it relate to?
My “L shaped” crotch correction isn’t covered in the Close Case File fit issues (although it’s the opposite of the Rounded Pubis Adjustment). Instead, it’s covered here: http://www.mariadenmark.com/2012/11/trousers-crotch-curves. If you look at her photos (with the red, yellow and green crotch curve lines, the green lines — the ones at closest to a right angle) fit me the best.
Nice review and I appreciate all your details but you don’t say anything about my hardest fit area, the waist! Is there elastic? How is that band measured, sized, and attached? I need info?
The waist bands are basically all applied the same way — sew the band together, tuck the elastic into the fold (the Eleonore has you sew it in place first, but I skipped this option), and sew it to the waist of the pants. Easy peasy. I always measure the elastic around myself, then cut at a comfortable tightness — I find that to be a much better approach then following a pre-determined length of elastic in the directions. (Plus, elastic varies in stretch just like fabric, so you really want to try it on your own body before committing.)
Nice review and I appreciate all your details but you don’t say anything about my hardest fit area, the waist! Is there elastic? How is that band measured, sized, and attached? I need info?
Hi Ellen, I’ve blogged about the Eleonore pant extensively, feel free to drop in at http://www.sewwhatyvette.com and search “Eleonore” when you get there.
Thanks for a very detailed review 😀 You might want to consider the Style Arc April pants, which have two additional seam lines for visual interest or colour blocking, but can also be made plain. They are designed for Ponte. I have made four or five Aprils, some plain, some colour blocked and find they fit well pretty much out of the packet, apart from I need to add about two inches to the rear rise to accomodate my ‘squat butt’ .
I’ll check it out!
I was just looking at the Eleanor pants yesterday. Your review helped me decide to order them. Especially since I am in Canada, no exchange. Hope mine turn out as nice as yours. I really like the Barb from the photos. Thanks for the review.
You are very welcome — good luck!
What a fantastic throw-down. The photos and detailed narrative will help all of us to get a better fit! Thanks.
Glad you liked it! It’s a ton of work, but I definitely get a better result since I’m constantly thinking “what kind of details will I share in the blog post — what lessons and tricks can I focus on?”
Thank you for the great review! I too made the Jalie Éléonore pull-on jeans and I fell in love with this pattern straight out of the envelope. The only mods I made to my second pair were lenghtening the center back seam and slimming the legs a bit (starting at the knee). My next pair will be with stretch leather with 20% stretch. After reading your review, I might attempt to make the pear-shape friendly Barb pants.
I am equally intrigued and dubious of the stretch leather pants option — seems like I would be too sweaty! I can just imagine myself in a public restroom trying to pull them back up over my sweaty knees. I think it could be worse than a wet bathing suit!
The wrong side of the fabric is very soft. I don’t see an issue with going to the washroom. However, I did not think about the fact that the fabric lacks breathability. Since I’m always hot, I might not enjoy my new pants for more than a few hours at a time. Anyway, a few hours is more than enough for date night with my hubby! 🙂
Excellent throwdown! The Eleonore pattern is not in my stash but I think it’s high time I tackle the Sabrinas. Thanks for the reviews.
Thanks! Enjoy your Sabrina Slims — honestly, if you get the fit right on ANY of these patterns, they could all be wardrobe workhorses.
Sorry for the double post – no idea why that happened!
Thanks for your detailed reviews of these patterns, they are very helpful, especially the details of the differences in crotch fit.
You mention that you have short legs, but only needed to remove a couple of inches from the leg lengths. May I ask how tall you are, and what is your in-seam length? I have had to remove up to 18″ from patterns before now, and although I am short, have never cconsiderec any part of me to be ‘dwarf-like’.
Sorry, I always forget to include my height in the upfront measurements! I’m 5’6″ with a 27-29 inch inseam, depending on the location of the crotch.
Thanks for your detailed reviews of these patterns, they are very helpful, especially the details of the differences in crotch fit.
You mention that you have short legs, but only needed to remove a couple of inches from the leg lengths. May I ask how tall you are, and what is your in-seam length? I have had to remove up to 18″ from patterns before now, and although I am short, have never cconsiderec any part of me to be ‘dwarf-like’.
I love your throwdowns! Your review has given me the courage to pick up a neglected pair of Sabrina Slim’s from my UFO pile and tackle pants for real, so I may never have to enter a flourescently-lit dressing room in search of jeans ever again. Thank you! Also, capsule wardrobes = heaven for this lazy girl who does not want to think about coordinating outfits at 6 am. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it, and please do blog about it!
Thanks! I will confess that I have a pair of Sabrina Slims in my UFO — I didn’t pay attention to the fact that my stretch woven was a tiny bit less stretchy than my previous versions and WOW they are a little snug through my thighs. They had to go in “time out” for a while until I figured out if they are salvageable. And then… out of sight, out of mind!
Morning Jennifer. Fun post as always! The inner thigh adjustment. It is one that I do regularly. Usually a 1/2 ” added to the inner thigh on the front and back of my pattern. I would suggest adding that ?1/2″ all the way to the bottom of the pattern. That will correct what I see from the back views that you also need a slight knock knee adjustment. In my case it is a fat pad at my knee and not actual knock knees!
Then when sewing up the pattern you can take that 1/2″ out at the bottom of the outer thigh. You can take it out on the pattern instead if you like but I just sew it out as I finesse the legs at the end. ??
THAT IS GENIUS! I’ve read that most curvy women with knock-knee fit issues don’t actually have knock knee at all — but that it is a secondary fit sign showing that there needs to be a large inner thigh adjustment — they seem to go together and I bet that your solution will fix them both!
Thanks for the review. The last time I made jeans, I used a pattern from a brand I know (Diana magazine) and hacked it so much that I now say it is self drafted. For the next pants, I want to try the Pattern4Pirates SOS Pants.
I made a capsule wardrobe 2 years ago during the wardrobe contest of patternreview.com. A lot of work, but so happy I’ve done it ! And I confirm it saves a lot of time in the morning ! Plus no more need to associate a brand new item with a throw-it-away-asap-please one, and I can use only self-made clothes every day because this contest forced me to go out of my comfort zone making items I thought I would never make.
I’m super excited to try the capsule wardrobe challenge — and I’m hoping to use ONLY my fabric stash. Two birds with one stone!
Your Pattern Throwdown stretch pants review is great! Love your sense of humor and down to Earth descriptions. Keep going girl. I love reading your blogs
Thanks — I cross my fingers each time one of these posts, and I’m so worried that people will be critical since I am a self-proclaimed lazy sewist. Your kind comments make it all worthwhile!
I enjoyed reading your reviews Jennifer. As a real fan of the Eleonor pant, (I’ve made more than a dozen pairs), it was interesting to read your take on the other 2. I’ve not made either, and now probably won’t. Thanks for saving my time and my fabric.
I’m definitely on the Eleonore bandwagon. Two more are on the cutting table for this weekend!