GreenStyle Simpatico Leggings Update

At the start of the year, I began working on the Simpatico leggings by GreenStyle. In February, I was hospitalized due to PE/DVT, which delayed my work until March. Once I was able to resume sewing, I was eager to finish these leggings, as exercise became a key part of my recovery.  I wrote a post about how I determined my size and adjusted the pattern.

Since March, my body has changed, and my old shorts no longer fit well. This post is about my adjustments to the pattern to accommodate these changes.

Figuring Out My Size

My measurements have changed: my natural waist went from 37 to 34 inches, torso from 47 to 44 inches, mid-thigh from 24.5 to 23 inches, and calf from 16.5 to 15.5 inches.

When I initially tried the pattern, the negative ease was too tight when I selected a size based on the size chart. I had to go up 1-2 sizes and blend between sizes in order to get my preferred 18% negative ease.

I measured all the pattern pieces for this post to see how the negative ease varied across sizes since I never did that for the original post. It turns out, it’s inconsistent, so it’s important to compare your body measurements with your preferred ease and the final garment measurements.

Waistband

When I made the pattern in January, my natural waistline measured 37 inches, and I wanted about 18% negative ease, so my final garment waistband needed to be 30 inches. Size J has a 30-inch waistband, so that’s the size I used.

Now, with my waist measuring 34 inches, I decided to reduce the negative ease to 15% because my torso is super sensitive to compression after my PE/DVT. This brings my final waistband to 29 inches, which still says I need to make a size J. It was great that I could reuse the waistband.

Hip

I always pick a size based on my lower torso measurement, not just my hip measurement. In January, my lower torso measured 47 inches, so I needed a garment measuring 39 inches at the hip with 18% negative ease. Size J was the size I went with.

Now, with my lower torso at 44 inches, I still wanted 18% negative ease, so I aimed for a 36-inch garment. This time, the size I fit best for the hip. Even though the top of my leggings was based on the size I, I was able to sew the larger size J waistband on just fine. The pattern requires you to stretch the waistband to fit the circumference of the top of the leggings, but with the larger waistband, the circumference fits nearly perfectly. No stretching necessary.

Mid-Thigh

In January, my mid-thigh measured 24.5 inches, and at 18% negative ease, I needed it to be 20 inches. Size K was the closest match.

With my mid-thigh now at 23 inches, I again went for 18% negative ease, meaning the garment should measure 18.9 inches. Size J was the closest match this time.

Calf

Back in January, I reduced the negative ease for my calves to 15%, as any more caused the fabric to bunch around my knees. My calves measured 16.5 inches, so the pattern needed to be 14 inches, and size K worked for that.

Now, my calves measure 15.5 inches, and with the same 15% negative ease, the garment should be 13.2 inches. Size J was the closest fit for this area.