{"id":76705,"date":"2021-03-08T07:43:32","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T12:43:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/?p=76705"},"modified":"2021-03-07T19:52:18","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T00:52:18","slug":"asmitas-hollywood-trousers-getting-the-perfect-fit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2021\/03\/asmitas-hollywood-trousers-getting-the-perfect-fit.html","title":{"rendered":"asmita’s hollywood trousers: getting the perfect fit"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are so proud of Asmita<\/a>, who overcame her trepidation to sew a beautifully fitting pair of classic trousers from the Hollywood Trousers<\/a> pattern. Settle in to read about her fitting and muslining process, and prepare to be inspired!<\/em><\/p>\n

When I applied to be a member of the Advisors Circle<\/a>, I knew that one of the things that I really wanted to focus on this year was getting the right fit. I have long admired the Hollywood Trousers<\/a> pattern that Liesl brought out a couple of years ago. So, at the end of last year I volunteered to sew one for myself for a blog post, even though I knew that it was a three-star pattern and that I was only at the beginning of my own sewing journey.<\/p>\n

If I am honest, I will tell you that I almost gave up. As the date came closer, the whole thing, from buying the right fabric to getting through the instructions, felt too daunting. But I am glad I persisted, and today I have trousers to show you.<\/p>\n

\"Asmita<\/a><\/p>\n

I decided to do a post with the notes of my journey. I hope this will help other beginners like me tackle a complex pattern which ultimately yielded incredible rewards.<\/p>\n

Measurements, sizing and adjustments<\/h2>\n

Having never even sewn a fly zipper, and given my general dread of zippers, I knew right away that I knew I needed to make a muslin or two. Liesl has a general post on making muslins<\/a>, as well as a specific one for these trousers<\/a>. I did not find this post until after I made the muslin. By that time, I had made my first muslin including \u00a0the pocket piece and the fly zipper.<\/p>\n

My waist is 30\u201d, my hips are 39\u201d, and I am 5\u20194\u201d. Based on the finished measurements, I cut a straight size 8, although I spent a lot of time thinking about whether I should cut a 10 at waist. But I have a tendency to make large toiles and so I decided to stick to an 8 for both measurements. Based on my measurements, I also reduced the front and back rise by 1\/2\u201d and reduced the pant length by 1 1\/2.\u201d<\/p>\n

The muslin stage<\/h2>\n

You can see the result of these changes in the muslin photos. I think it is clear that I totally messed up the zipper, although at this point I could not figure out why. The pants also felt too snug around the waist, but I was still convinced that moving up a size was not going to give me the fit I wanted.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Though a muslin does not require pockets or the waist band, I was glad that I made these, because the construction became clearer to me. I also learned exactly where the pant was going to sit. Another issue was that the pants billowed out too much below my hip line. So I narrowed the entire inseam by 1\/2″. I also narrowed the outseam 1\/2″ from the hem, tapering back to zero at the hip notch. I ended up undoing most of this adjustment in my final version, though.<\/p>\n

Muslin 2 was very short shorts in which I figured out the zip problem. I finally got it! The clue for me was to pay careful attention to the diagrams, especially items 8 and 9 under \u201cSew a zipper fly.”<\/p>\n

I also decided to deal with the snug waist problem by making the following changes to my final trousers:<\/p>\n

1. Reducing the width of the back dart by bringing in each foot by 1\/8\u201d.
\n2. Reducing the outseam seam allowance to 3\/8″ from the waist to the hip notch. (This also required adjustment while sewing the pockets, so I was glad I had sewn the pockets on the muslin.)
\n3. Reducing the seam allowance on the back rise just by a smidge (i.e. not even by 1\/8″ but just under).<\/p>\n

You can see these changes to the pattern in the photo below.<\/p>\n

\"Trouser<\/a><\/p>\n

All this gave me about 1\u201d extra waist circumference, so I increased the length of the waistband correspondingly. I did not transfer this changes to my pattern pieces, though, and that turned out to be a good thing.<\/p>\n

Final version<\/h2>\n

Armed with all these changes, and feeling a little bit more confident, I was ready to cut into my fabric. And ta-da! Here are my pants! The final version is in size 8, with the above alterations to increase the waist circumference, and a 2\u201d hem. Here I am wearing them with my favorite ready-to-wear silk blouse.<\/p>\n

\"Asmita<\/a><\/p>\n

I am particularly happy with how the zipper worked out in the final version. All the techniques that I have learned in this bit of sewing definitely represent the high point of the learning curve.<\/p>\n

\"Pants<\/a><\/p>\n

A short word on the fabric: The cloth I have used here is cotton linen mix from H.P. Singh (from Nehru place, Delhi). Truth be told, having never made pants, I was obsessing a little over the fabric suggestions on the back of the envelope. A very knowledgeable saleswoman gently steered me in the direction of fabrics that would work better in the Delhi heat.<\/p>\n

I was initially hesitant because this fabric seemed way lighter than the suggested fabric choices, but after sewing these trousers, I realize that she was right. Not only are they just the right weight for the long summer to come, but I also found that, in this fabric, I didn’t need to take out the width from the legs as I had done in my muslin.<\/p>\n

The pants worn here have a 3\/8\u201d outseam seam allowance above the hip notch. Below the hip notch, I tapered it in to a 5\/8\u201d allowance. Similarly, for the inseam I started from the hem with the given 1\/2\u201d allowance and sewed a 5\/8″ allowance at the crotch.<\/p>\n

Finding the right color in the zipper was yet another struggle. I learned in the course of this journey that 9\u201d pant zippers come basically only in two colors and will need to be dyed to the correct shade.<\/p>\n

\"Trouser<\/a><\/p>\n

And with that, I come to the end of the trouser sewing saga for now. I feel like I have learned something entirely new, and so if there is anyone else out there like me sitting on the fence, I hope this offers some encouragement. The Oliver + S blog has a whole range of helpful posts offering some valuable handholding, and there is also a trouser sew-along for novices like me.<\/p>\n

As for me, this is not the last pair of Hollywood Trousers I will sew. This is just the beginning. I still have a few minor issues that I can\u2019t figure out (the waistband at the back stands out but only sometimes, and I might still try the size 10 waist to figure out how it fits), but for now I am really happy with the outcome. Thank you Liesl for this absolutely fabulous pattern and the very best instructions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Who would have guessed that Asmita was intimidated before sewing up this pair of Hollywood Trousers? They certainly look like the work of a pro. She’s got all the details in today’s blog post.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6023,"featured_media":76716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20687],"tags":[20783,20798],"class_list":["post-76705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-advisors-circle","tag-hollywood-trousers"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/asmita-hero-2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5jZS5-jXb","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":80506,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2023\/02\/asmitas-peckham-trousers.html","url_meta":{"origin":76705,"position":0},"title":"asmita’s peckham trousers","author":"Lyndsey Stanfill","date":"February 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Asmita has joined us to share her new Peckham Trousers. Click over to read about her learnings from the fitting process and fabric choice.","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Liesl-Co-Hero-Template-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":67922,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2018\/12\/sew-tell-tuxedo-stripe-hollywood-trousers.html","url_meta":{"origin":76705,"position":1},"title":"sew + tell: tuxedo stripe hollywood trousers","author":"Rachel Le Grand","date":"December 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"As part of our Advisors Circle, Erica is here to share her sporty tuxedo stripe Liesl + Co. Hollywood Trousers that she made for herself.","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tuxedoF.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":67216,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2018\/10\/getting-ready-for-the-hollywood-trousers-sew-along.html","url_meta":{"origin":76705,"position":2},"title":"getting ready for the hollywood trousers sew-along","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"October 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you ready for our Hollywood Trousers sew-along? 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She's got fitting and alteration details in this post.","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/asmita-pjs-hero.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":84137,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2026\/01\/want-to-get-better-at-fitting-here-is-a-collection-of-resources.html","url_meta":{"origin":76705,"position":4},"title":"want to get better at fitting? here is a collection of resources","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"January 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"If you're new to sewing or want to improve your skills, especially to get a good fit, we're here to help with an extensive list of resources to guide you along the way.","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/thread-hero.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":75416,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2020\/08\/sew-tell-maryams-hollywood-trousers-and-shorts.html","url_meta":{"origin":76705,"position":5},"title":"sew + tell: maryam’s hollywood trousers (and shorts!)","author":"Masha Richart","date":"August 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Maryam had the clever idea to make a shorts suit using the Hollywood Trousers pattern for the bottoms. 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Read on for details about the polished, sophisticated garments she ended up with.","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/maryam-hero-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6023"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76705"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76705\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76719,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76705\/revisions\/76719"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}