Made by a Fabricista: Wide Leg Cropped Pants

Made by a Fabricista: Wide Leg Cropped Pants

I am still loving the wide leg cropped pant silhouette- and I have no idea if they're still fashionable- but for my part I'm going to wear the heck out of them this spring and summer! I had some moments of wondering what tops and shoes would look the best with them so I took pictures of a lot of (mostly handmade) tops with my new pants to see how they paired.

The fabric I chose for my pants was PERFECT, it has no stretch (I prefer pants with no stretch but they're hard to find) and it is a nice crisp cotton. There are lots of wrinkles in a few pictures from sitting in them a large part of the day but I just love the feel and fit. There's still some available here, and you should notice that its 68 inches wide so your getting a lot of bang for your buck.

This pattern is from designer Melissa Watson for McCall's (7445) and I have said over and over that I love the Palmer Pletsch patterns and I'll say it again, the alteration lines are already on the pattern...its wonderful! I am in the process of accepting the fact that I need to scoop out the back of the crotch using the provided lines to accommodate my back proportions. It really improves the entire back fit for me. I also really prefer a pocket stay that makes everything look nice and smooth in the front of the pant, so I used the Palmer Pletsch Pants fitting book to figure out how to make a pocket piece with a stay and love the resulting fit.




So this is the parade of varying tops, and I tried on three different pairs of flats (accidentally cutting my feet of in some pictures with the animal print shoes- whoops!) to see what I liked the best.
I don't know that I feel strongly about any one pairing, but I feel confident enough to wear any of these combinations to work.


The dark brown top is The Sewing Worshop Eureka Top pattern which I recently purchased in a kit from Fabric Mart. I love this top, its made from a dark brown sparkle knit I received in a Fabric Mart mystery bundle a few years back.


The blush top and the seafoam green were both made from rayon jersey precuts. When I first received these precuts I was a little stumped as to what to make with them, they are somewhat thin, slinky and very stretchy. I researched a lot of knit patterns trying to find patterns specifically for this type of knit. The Hey June Santa Fe was in my possession and was perfect. I LOVE these tops, love them, and can't wait to make more. Another contender for this fabric was the Grainline Penny raglan, its specifically drafted for this type of stretchy knit.



This final top is from a few years ago and its Simplicity 1690. Its a great little woven top that is very straightforward to sew. I think its a great match for my new pants.

All of these pairings are pretty basic but will go great with my cute jewelry and jackets, plus it will make getting dressed in the morning easier! So what about you, have you ever though of giving the Wide Leg Cropped Pant a try? Also, do you like your pants to have stretch or no stretch? Do you have any secrets to styling this type of pant? I'd love to know how others style them.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!
Elizabeth
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10 comments

  • Author image
    Joyree: April 09, 2018

    Much prefer the pants longer. Cropped pants always look like a hemming mishap to me. Love the last blue top best!

  • Author image
    Linda (ACraftyScrivener): April 09, 2018

    I love your tops and pants! So versatile-I also am experimenting with different lengths of cropped wide legged pant and shoes – I think it will be easier when I get my spring/summer shoes out, as trying them with boots didn't work as well I think. Can't beat the comfort factor of woven stretch fabrics, though i do like the stability of a woven pant. There is room for both in my closet!!!!

  • Author image
    bpatricia74: April 09, 2018

    I love your cropped pant! A comfortable look is always in style. The different tops pair well, and look great with your low heeled shoes. If you wanted to wear a higher heel for a dressed up, date night look i think it would look good too. You look fantastic! I just added the 68 inch fabric into my shopping cart, lol!

  • Author image
    Masha: April 09, 2018

    Love them! I am firmly in camp stretch pants. My middle section is prone to widely varying proportions over a day or a week or a month so stretch is very necessary. I love that last top!

  • Author image
    Elizabeth: April 09, 2018

    Thank you and Yes :) cropped pants can look that way, there’s definitely a sweet spot in the hem length! The last top is a really easy make too!

  • Author image
    Elizabeth: April 09, 2018

    Thank you and how fun that you’re experimenting with this look too, I definitely felt better about them after trying a lot of tops and shoes on with them. Also I love my more fitted, skinny type pants to have some stretch too so I guess there’s room in my closet for both too!

  • Author image
    Elizabeth: April 09, 2018

    Thank you so much!! Such kind words! A heel would look sooo cute, I am sorta clumsy in them so I have to be strategic about how high and how long I wear heels-haha! This fabric is such a generous width, have fun sewing with it!

  • Author image
    Elizabeth: April 09, 2018

    Thanks Masha, it’s such an easy top to make, I highly recommend it. My tummy does some of the same so that’s why I love a pocket stay and no stretch- it holds it all in ;)

  • Author image
    Ann Brodsky: April 10, 2018

    What a great versatile pair of pants! It really looks good with all of your tops. I am very interested in making a pair of wide legged crops for summer- should be much cooler than skinny pants and more covered up than shorts. Love the pastel tops on you!

  • Author image
    Elizabeth: April 11, 2018

    Thanks Ann for your kind words and they’re definitely more comfy than skinny pants IMHO. I can’t wait to make another pair.

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