[meleliza]

For once, I’m planning to sew for the boys so I measured them. No surprise, they are total rectangles, not figuratively, literally. I think this is a pretty normal shape for boys. They can slide their pants off without ever unbuttoning. In other words, the difference between their waist, hip and chest measurements is almost non existent. Again, isn’t this normal for boys?

The O+S body charts, however, are pretty curvy in comparison. This seems to work fine for my daughter, who even at 2 1/2, has a girly shaped body. She measures pretty similarly to the body charts. Also, I mostly make her dresses in which the chest and height are really the only thing that matters.

So, if i make these shorts for my boys, will they be girly shaped or boy shaped? i just don’t know enough about flat pattern drafting to be able to understand what the finished product will look like, but I don’t want them to be swimming on the boys in the hips. I made the sleepover pjs recently and graded the hips down one size. Because of the way sketchbook is laid out, I can’t so easily do that here.

I might just split the difference and make the size in between their waist and hip measurements -except that i don’t have the size 4 pattern and it seems crazy to get it for a nearly 6 year old who’s pretty tall for his age.

I wonder whether ready to wear clothes also use a unisex size chart for children or are they do have boy and girl sizes?

[lifeinoz]

I made the sketchbook shorts, in a size 10, for my 12 year old son based on his waist measurement. They fit almost perfectly. They are pretty roomy but he wears them for PJs so we like that. I would not get the size 4 if he is tall. Good luck.

[Nicole]

The Sketchbook is my go to for little boy gifts.

Logan was 6 when I made him the size 4 as his waist put him in that size. He was average height for his age.

I think boys can have flatter (or no) bottoms but I didn’t find the Sketchbook shorts overly baggy. I f I had a little boy I would wear this pattern out!

[with love Heidi]

I find the kids l sew for lend to be rectangles. I tend to do pants /shorts by the hip measurement as this is where the all wear them and so for me the waist dose not matter much. so far this gives a good fit but I haven’t yet made the sketchbook.

[beachmom]

I’ve made the Sketchbook shorts for both girls and boys and as long as I followed the measurement chart, the fit turned out fine. My little girls both have blocky figures…the curves don’t start appearing until the beginning of puberty as my 14 year old daughter can attest to. Along those lines, I’ve noticed than my son’s (12) shape is changing…he’s losing the “rectangular” body and has a wide chest with narrow hips. All part of growing up!

[Mama_Knowles]

I have not had any issues with this sizing in the sketchbook either. The only pattern I can see a difference is the sailboat pants. My boys don’t seem to have a bum so pants fit in a smaller size on them verse on my 3 year daughter who has a curvy bum already. But on hers I size up and add a wee bit more elastic to keep the pants around her waist.

[meleliza]

OK, thanks! So do I use waist or hip? I suppose if waist and hip are nearly the same, it doesn’t matter?

Oldest is 10 in the waist, 7 in the hips and 8 for height. Middle is 5 in the waist, 3 in the hips and 6 for height, which of course takes him across two patterns and I only have the 5-12 size anyway. Since there’s that mistake with the seam allowances and the pieces aren’t nested, it makes it difficult for me to shave them in a little at the hips. I’m tempted to simply split the difference and make the 8 for oldest and the 5 (since that’s all I’ve got) for middle. After all, as I said in the other thread, the boys don’t really care all that much about fit. 🙂 I just want them to be comfortable.

[Nicole]

Its super easy to adjust the fullness before you put the waist band on Melanie. That what I did when making them as ‘skinny jeans’ for the Twins.

You could take more from the back to adjust for a flat bottom. I sewed the crotch and inner leg seam first.

[beachmom]

I’m probably not the best person to chime in on choosing the size as I never did sew up a pair of Sketchbook shorts with out making changes (ribbing waistband or zipper fly) BUT I think you would be okay doing the 8 and 5. Having elastic in the back gives you a bit of room. Good luck! Can’t wait to see them!

C

[cybele727]

You all made me go look at my son’s bum/fanny. And wonder… is that a flat one, or is that a curvy one? LOL

[Tamara]

I have always found the bigger size is more of a match for my children’s waist measurements than anything. It seems to be their waist and height measurements correlate that way. They are also rectangles and I doubt there will be much change as they develop, especially Imogen as she develops her figure. It will just have to be something that we will have to be aware of that some styles will create a waist and others won’t. But as far as sizes, they have always been a size bigger than the norm.

[meleliza]

Thanks! I’m not too worried about it, as they’re only boy shorts. I’d want a better fit if they were for me. I was just sort of curious how unisex work when boys and girl are so very differently shaped.