We have a good friend here in Madrid who wears shorts almost every day. In fact, Rita even wears shorts to her very corporate job! When she put in a special request for a shorts pattern a little over a year ago, I must admit that I hadn’t really given shorts much thought. I never thought about shorts as being a grown-up style, but once I saw how Rita wore hers I realized that they’re both practical and versatile! In fact, they can be worn year-round depending on your fabric choices and styling. And once I had drafted a pair I liked, I also discovered that I could include a pleated skirt in the same pattern, using most of the same techniques. (I’ve been wanting to do a pleated skirt for a long time.) So here you have the new Liesl + Co. SoHo Shorts + Skirt pattern.
One of the things I think you’ll like about this pattern is that it is incredibly versatile. Depending on your fabric selection and what you pair it with, you can create items that are ready for going to work, for a sporty weekend outdoors, or for a fancy night out. Take a look at all the different personalities this pattern can assume.
Here are the shorts from all angles. I kept the pleats to a minimum in the back, but the front looks almost like a skirt, which will work to your advantage if you want to wear them to work or if you want something that looks just a little fancier than standards shorts.
So what makes this pattern a basic, or core, item for your wardrobe? Both the shorts and the skirt included in the pattern are the sorts of items that don’t go out of style. They’re versatile and classic, both of which are helpful for a core wardrobe. They’re definitely part of Rita’s core wardrobe, and I think they might become part of mine as well. They can easily be paired with dressy items or with casual pieces depending on your needs and mood, and when you play with the length of the patterns you can change them up for a variety of purposes as well.
Here are a few of the features of this pattern:
- Pleated shorts and skirt both in one pattern.
- Both styles include a contour waistband with construction details that you’ve probably never sewn before. This method helps the waistband keep its shape so it doesn’t stretch out after a few wearings. After you’ve sewn this waistband, there’s a good likelihood that you’ll include some of these techniques in future waistbands as well.
- Front pockets. Because everyone needs pockets, right?
- A lengthen and shorten line so you can sew lots of different styles with the same pattern. Pleated midi skirt? Absolutely.
- An invisible side zipper and our much-loved sewing instructions for inserting it with ease.
- Forthcoming tutorials and blog posts to help you further personalize the pattern:
- An upcoming sew-along to guide you with photos. It’s always fun to join the community for these projects, and if you prefer to sew while referring to photos instead of illustrations we’ll help you out.
- Upcoming tutorials to add belt loops. Because sometimes you just want to add a belt. (I’m that way, too.)
- Fabric ideas and suggestions. You can use everything from rayon to wool for this pattern, and I’ll guide you through lots of ideas for your own sewing.
- Styling ideas and suggestions. This one is really fun because both pieces are so versatile.
- Both styles have a straight hem so you can feature a border print, a stripe, or a plaid without fear.
The pattern will be available for sale on our website next Tuesday morning in both a paper version and a digital version. In the meantime, you can view the website pages for the pattern to see the sizing information and fabric requirements so you can start your planning. Leave your email address, if you like, on the page for the version you want, and we’ll email you just as soon as it’s available to purchase!