Goldfinch Textile Studio's Jones Trousers have everything I've learned I like in pants: a front fly, loose leg, high waist, and a slightly dropped crotch. And, they fill a missing niche in my wardrobe by having a comfortable half-elasticized waist. They're business in the front, post-lunch bloat in the back. Well, that's not unique design element in itself, as many pattern releases have incorporated this, knowing that this is the average post-pandemic person's ideal trouser build.
What drew me to the Jones Trousers over other patterns was the zero-waste cutting layout. Somewhat shamefully, this is where I admit that I don't feel a strong sense of personal responsibility as if I were reducing my sewing waste for the sake of the environment. I just thought the cutting style would be a fun change of pace for me. I don't typically follow any pattern's given cutting layout, but the principle of ZW patterns demands that you follow the layout to a T. And after doing so, I've found that for me, the actual benefit of ZW cutting is not having to clean up the scraps after cutting. I have never been so heartened by the sight of a clean floor. This is a high I may continue to chase. Anyway, onward to the pants themselves:
For once I didn't have to grade between sizes. The size chart puts me at an exact size D. However, the fit is intentionally generous so I sized down to a C, but I let out the front pleats a total of 1" to make up for the difference in the waist measurements. When I sewed the pleats at their original width, the front became too narrow and the side seams extended too far forward. I appreciate that such in-the-moment fit adjustments are made convenient. Clearly I've been making things harder for myself by only selecting fitted pants whose flat front can only be adjusted by reducing the side seam allowance. The instructions point out that you can adjust the back waist by taking in/letting out the darts, but left that area alone for the elastic to do the rest of the waist cinching. I shortened the legs 1.5" and made no other fit adjustments.
My favorite design element is the inseam gusset, which increases the crotch length and adds some room to the leg. It cleverly takes the triangular-shaped negative space between the tapered leg pieces and turns it into additional real estate. I can't even really see the gusset on the finished pants because the inseam on any pants is normally hidden from most angles, which is why I photographed it from the inside. The busy floral print is too good at disguising the seam lines.
I would change just a few things for my next pair. To start, the zip fly is too short for my liking. It's not that I can't fit the pants over my hips, because the back elastic helps. It's purely a matter of preference (and muscle memory). In the future, I'll need to lengthen both the fly extension and the shield. I figure I can do this by repurposing pieces. There's an interior pocket, within the front pocket, intended for the wearer's phone (like a coin pocket in jeans, but big) that I don't use at all. I can take the spare pieces and patchwork them to expand the extension and shield. It's very in the spirit of Jones' design because most of the pattern's small parts are just two even smaller pieces patchworked together. They're hidden on the inside of the pants so you can't tell, anyway.
The zipper itself needs some adjustment because I find the required lengths listed in the notions to be longer than what is actually needed. I always shorten my zippers 2-3 teeth shorter than whatever length any pattern calls for so the zipper never extends into a seam, and I never run the risk of sewing over and breaking my needle. Well, the zipper measurement is inclusive of the 1/2" seam allowance, meaning the zipper has a extra 1/2" extending into the waistband. 3 teeth shorter didn't make a difference with more teeth still inside the waistband. I had to remove even more after I had already applied the replacement zipper stop, and yes I was a bit irritated by it. It also means that in practice, the zipper is actually 1/2" shorter than indicated, looping back to my previous issue about the too-short front fly.
The opening for the front pocket is just slightly too narrow and should be widened. This is an easy fix because the instructions call for you to draw a straight line connecting two notches, and that's your seamline for the slash pocket. I just have to draw a parallel line below the original. Not a big deal, but I thought it was strange because GTS's owner and designer noted that the opening was too narrow according to testers, and fixed it in the final version. Maybe it's just an issue in the smaller sizes.
I think the instructions are good! Nothing stood out to me as glaringly wrong or confusing, aside from a minor visual error where the image doesn't match the instructions (Step 3a). The instructions are correct telling you to serge the left side, and not right as indicated by the figure. Although I ended up serging every side so it truly did not actually matter in the end.
This pattern is approachable in the sense that it almost anticipates imprecision. Let's say a certain piece might not be perfectly straight after cutting; the instructions acknowledge that this could happen and then tells you to straighten it out simply by cutting some off. What if you shortened the legs by cutting off excess length after trying the pants on, even though it's recommended you shorten the paper pattern first/make a muslin to check and finalize the length beforehand? Your leg opening now may be wider than your leg cuff, but that's fine, just bring in the extra fabric with pleats. That the instructions give you these contingency plans is refreshingly anti-perfectionist. These solutions may come easily and independently to an experienced sewist, but acknowledging them in the actual pattern is reassuring for those with less practice. I appreciate how forgiving the construction is, even if I don't necessarily need the extra advice.
The fabric is a mid-heavyweight floral print cotton canvas. It's from one of those collaboration collections between Rifle Paper Co. and Cotton + Steel, and something I've been coveting for ages. Floral prints designed by RPC just appeal to me; there's something about the layout, scale, and variety of the flowers that is so signature to the company. I've always liked these designs. It's not totally inaccurate to say I made Jones as an excuse to finally own a RPC print; when I saw that the canvas was 44" wide, I remembered that Jones in my size range calls for 44" wide fabric and nothing wider. Wanting to honor the zero waste design, this is what finalized the project for me.
Summary/Notes:
- Size C, added 1" waist circumference by letting out front pleats
- Shortened legs 1.5"
Additional photos:
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