Last month I made a toile for the Alexandria Peg Trouser. The pattern was in a post on Pattern Review, highlighted as one of the top trouser patterns for 2017. It appealed to me for the couple of reasons. Firstly, the lack a fabric flopping around the calves. I’m a pear shape, and most style guru’s will recommend a boot cut to ‘even out my hips’ and give the appearance of height. Have you ever been caught out wearing a boot-cut trouser on a wet day. They are dirt and water collectors, and are terrifically uncomfortable once damp. Secondly, I love the look of this relaxed peg style on other people. Comfortable, casual and sporty. I’ve tried quite a few ready to wear trousers in similar styles, without success – mainly because there’s either too much or too little fabric in all the wrong places. Finally, it just irritates me that my style choices are supposed to be driven from a desire to look taller and thinner.
So I duly made up a toil using an old brushed cotton duvet cover. The fit was okay, and they were beautifully comfortable. The most obvious fit problem was the wrinkling down the back of the legs. This is caused by an excess of fabric over the bottom, so I installed a couple of horizontal darts across the bottom to smooth it out. (Sorry about the truly rotten photo’s here. It’s been raining for the last few days, and my usual light source is out of commission.)
Having lounged about the house in my toile, I’ve decided not to precede. Comfy as they are, these trousers are not for me. They just don’t fit in with my tidy casual sort of style. I’d feel like I was going out of the house in my pyjamas. Having made the toile I realised that I don’t actually own any trousers with an elasticated waist. There is nothing wrong with the pattern. The trousers just aren’t my style. I’m moving on.
louleigh 