fabric and styling inspiration for the parachute sweatpants

Yesterday we covered the polo shirt from the Parachute Polo + Sweatpants sewing pattern in all its many variations, including dresses and rompers. Now let’s have a look at the sweatpants, shall we?

First of all there are the boys, who get to play with color and pattern. But they can also get a few extra details to make their clothes special too. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: boys clothes are all about the little details you can add to elevate them a bit. Think about adding a little pop of color or a special detail to make the clothing really unique and thoughtful. Those details will stretch your design imagination a bit, too!

1. Taxi yellow sweatpants! I really like the contrast striped waistband here, which makes these sweatpants feel special. If your local fabric stores carries rib knit, you might be able to do something similar. A regular striped jersey would work, too.
2. Basic black. Or basic navy. Or whatever basic color you need. Sweatpants don’t necessarily need to call attention to themselves.
3. But if they do (call attention to themselves, that is), they might as well do it with printed stars, a striped waistband, and a contrast drawstring!
4. I think almost any boy would love sweatpants with cargo pockets, don’t you? Just borrow them from our Field Trip Cargo Pants and you’ll be all set. The construction and location of the pockets will even be the same!

But sweatpants don’t have to be just for boys. The girls can get a pair or two too!

1. I know these are jeans, but I love the heart-shaped knee patches, which would be a really cute addition to the pattern.
2. Or you could add heart-shaped back pockets!
3. So cute in a printed floral fabric.
4. The subtle floral print on these sweatpants is really sweat, and I like the white at the waistband. You could use white at the side stripe instead, if you wanted, or add a little flat piping when you attach the waistband instead.
5. Love the neon side stripe!
6. This is really cute, too, with the peach-colored heathered fabric. I especially love the lace stripes at the sides, which would be a fun addition.

I’m actually thinking that S would love the cargo pockets for herself, too. I’ll be showing you how to add front pockets to the sweatpants soon as well, so stay tuned for that.

All of these photos are available with links to their sources in the Customizing with Oliver + S Pinterest board if you want to examine the photos more closely.

Who’s ready for a sew-along for these styles? Rachel will be organizing them, and we’ll be back shortly with details and dates for you. Start gathering your materials. It’s going to be a fun party!