Helen's Closet Arden Pants

Welcome to the latest instalment in my ongoing quest to gradually add more trousers to my wardrobe! Today's project came about at least partly thanks to my mum, who saw some photos of the pattern when I was scrolling through Instagram and rather unsubtly encouraged me to buy it so I could try it out for myself and then make a version for her (I wouldn't listen to most people telling me to do that, but my mum's allowed to!). Here are my Helen's Closet Arden pants....

The Arden pants (which I will henceforth refer to as trousers because to me pants are undergarments!) are everyday high-waisted trousers with a classic elastic waist, as well as front and back pockets. The pattern also features views with an elasticated jogger style cuff in two different widths, and the option to topstitch the waistband and add a drawstring. 

I really enjoyed sewing my Arden trousers. The instructions are extremely thorough and easy to follow. They include lots of helpful tips such as pre-pressing the hems before sewing up the side seams of the legs - as the pattern itself points out, it's much easier to do this with a flat piece of fabric than a tube. 

The instructions also have you sew a double line of topstitching at the pocket opening, along the crotch seam and the inside leg, and add bar tacks at the stress points of the pockets. These are fairly simple steps, but aren't included in a lot of patterns and I think they really help to make the finished trousers look more professional.

I debated a bit about what size to use for this pattern. The instructions recommend that you pick a size based on your hip measurement - mine is slightly over 42" (a 14 for this pattern), but definitely below 44" (16). I looked at the finished garment measurements and thought that the hips might end up a bit snugger than I would like if I made a 14 so I went for the 16. I made a toile that turned out so wearable that I finished it off properly to use as pyjama shorts (above) - bonus! The only alteration I needed to make was to lengthen the legs by 2" (I'm about 5'9"). 

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out - I possibly could have them slightly slimmer through the legs, but I'm not sure that I want to. They're really comfy as they are and look nice in the flesh, although you might have to take my word for that because I don't think they photograph particularly well.

That's possibly partly due to my fabric. Don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the fabric itself - it's a lovely quality cotton twill from Cloth Spot (sadly it no longer seems to be in stock) - but it has a very slight sheen in some lights that my camera seems to have emphasized. It's also on the crisper side of the recommended fabrics for this pattern so wrinkles more, and more prominently, than a drapier fabric would.

How they look in real life is more important than photos though, so that doesn't bother me. It also feels like the fabric will soften up quite a bit with wear. I'm happy with how my Arden trousers turned out, and it's just as well I enjoyed sewing them because my mum has already put in her request for a pair of her own!