I have used a self-drafted trousers pattern for Ryan for some time because I’ve never found a pattern that does him justice. Ryan is 6 feet 5 inches. His inseam is 37 inches. He currently has a 32-inch natural waist and 42-inch hips. He’s like a piece of paper, broad from the front and back and barely visible from the side. I could never get pants to fit his hips and waist simultaneously. The answer came when I stumbled upon a website that shows all the trousers ever worn by anyone playing James Bond have front darts! Front darts are a miracle.
Accessing the Pattern
I’ve made Ryan’s trousers pattern available as a download.
Click the colorful button above, and a new tab should open with the Gumroad link. I’ve only included the basics: front, back, and waistband. The pattern does NOT include seam allowances.
Dart Components
Darts have four (4) important components: two (2) dart legs, a dart fold line (center line), and a vanishing point, also known as the apex. Darts not only remove excess fabric but help shape the garment around curves. The dart added to the front of Ryan’s trousers is big. The dart legs are ~4 inches long, and the dart width is ~1.25 inches wide. That means with two darts (one on each side), I am removing 2.5 inches from the overall waist circumference.
I have tried to remove the 2.5 inches from either the side seam, the center front, or both. Removing the excess fabric from these areas doesn’t work, and instead of getting esoteric as to why I’ll just show you examples in the next section.
Before I found that I could use a dart in the front, I just left Ryan with a waistband that was too big. He hid the excess 2.5 inches under a belt. The belt was needed to hold the pants up. It wasn’t a great look, but it was better than wearing too-tight trousers.
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