Adams pants

Design and Draft

Adams Pant design intent

In the last post, I mentioned that, IMO, the Adams pants pattern is not a beginner pants pattern. This does not mean that a beginner could not make the pants and be very happy with the outcome. I think this because there is a lot of scope within the pattern for making fit decisions which impact the overall style. The intended fit is roomy and relaxed in the crotch with a wide fly which Stacey has discussed on her blog.

If you are used to the physical feel of stretch wovens and a particular crotch fit it can be very challenging to assess a fit that produces a different sensation on the body. The designer shows the photographs of models in the Adams pants made from stiff denim (twill) and fluid trouser fabric (plainweave). Different fabrics also vary the sensation and fit. Even a ½ inch difference in hem width can fit and feel differently depending on fabric properties. The Adams pant personality is split between jeans and trousers, Stacey, @thecrookedhem has coined a term, the “demijean” which is very apt.

I am drawn to the Adams pants because of the cool pockets. The front pockets have a great modern swoop to them and the back pockets are so distinctive with their crumpled corners. They look like the type of pockets you have permanently stuffed with a classic Penguin paperback ready to pull out the minute you get a chance to read in your hammock on a summer’s day. The vibe in my mind is Rachel Comey-esque.

Rachel Comey Presley Pant (image from Hampden Clothing)

I also like the cropped length and hem. They could be the type of pant you would wear with an impractical white high-heeled boot if you were a Real Housewife of New York City as oppose to a Notreal Housewife of Ithaca, New York (quite another world).

from the Rachel Comey website as an example of a cropped leg + boot

The Adams pant draft

When you search #AdamsPants online, you can see people have used this pattern to make a variety of looks from tight fitting jeans, to slouchy pants. I think some of this variation comes from both the design as discussed above, but also from the draft.

This diagram shows the patterns for size 16 in the DD and JJ range.

These patterns are for an individual with about the same hip size, the JJ range is for an individual who is “rounder” in the torso which is reflected in the body waist measurements. This is conventional fashion sizing with the draft is adjusted to reflect the body specifications of a standardized chart.