[Jen]

My son is a skinny 5 year old. I’m wanting to make the art museum trouser and he has a 19 inch waist and 22 in hip with a height of 40 inches. I’m guessing I should make the 2T size, but where would be the best place to lengthen the pants? Should I cut out the 2T size and just add an extra few inches at the bottom hem?

[Lightning McStitch]

From memory they’re a straight-ish leg so you would get away with length added to the hem.
I’d be nervous about sizing down 3 sizes from his age. The spot where these pants are the slimmest is the lower hips / upper thigh area and they would have the potential to really pull across the crotch/upper thigh if you went too small.
My son had very similar measurements when I made his. I made a size 4 with added length. They were generous but not baggy then and he still wears them now and he’s 6&1/2

[Nicole]

I concur
I over altered the Field Trip cargoes for my daughter and lost a lot of hip room , they are okay but it did spoil the patten some what
I did lengthen the Art Museum trousers for my tall skinny girl very successfully adding length to the waist and the ankle
( I just checked , size 7 with a length of 12)
I guess as long as the hips are taking into allowance these DO lengthen well
( apologies for the convoluted answer, I am on my phone )

[Jen]

Thank you so much for your input. So even if his hip size fits into the 2T range, I should still go up to a size 3 or even 4 plus lengthen them? I guess I should just dive in and make them. At least I have 2 younger sons to get some use out of them later on should they not turn out too well. (Although they’re all skinny!!)

[Cat75]

I would be concerned that even though your son is thin his torso is not the same length as a 2 year old. So if you went straight 2t then just added length in the leg the fit might be wonky around the seat. What size pants do you usually make for him?

[Lightning McStitch]

Good point by Cat75 and who wants to go mucking around with altering crotch rises and seat length, not me.

[Justine J]

Nicole posted about her lengthened trousers here:

http://fiveandcounting-motherof5.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/art.html?m=1

And agree with Cat75 – good point about crotch length

[Masha Richart]

My daughter has similar measurements to your son. I have in the past successfully made pants her pants where the width was significant smaller than the rise and length. If I recall correctly I think I did a size 12-18 month width Afterschool pant with a 2T rise and length and it worked well.

I haven’t tried this with Art Museum though.

[Masha Richart]

Upon further thought, I’ve done this with the Sailboat Pant too – an 18-24 month width with a 3T length and rise. Here are photos of both pants:

Afterschool:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557464@N03/6856722696/in/album-72157632881185382/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557464@N03/7002836563/in/album-72157632881185382/

Sailboat:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557464@N03/7117764155/in/set-72157632881185382
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557464@N03/7117709481/in/album-72157632881185382/

[Reeni]

from another mom of a skinny skinny boy for whom I have made many many pairs of pants: measure him in the rise and compare that to a pair of pants that fit well (according to both him and you!). DS is 10 and all this year I wondered why his pants were not getting shorter even though I knew he was getting taller. Turns out he was wearing them lower and lower in the waist/practically on the hip because he needed more room in the crotch/rise but didn’t want to give up the broken-in pants!
If I’m not mistaken the Art Museum pants are a pleat-front but straight-leg trouser, so having the elastic waist and adding length to a 4 would probably be your best bet for good fit now as well as longevity.

[needlewoman]

Such really useful info, ladies. I don’t have much experience sewing pants, but I do know that kids’ widths are various points on their bodies commonly differ radically from their lengths. Thank you.

[Jen]

I really appreciate all the input! I haven’t made many pants that are supposed to “fit”, mainly just elastic waist ones, so they weren’t too bad before! I think I’ll measure up some of the pattern pieces and compare them to his current size and see what looks like it will fit the best!