Dissecting the pattern

Fitting Darts and Pleats

I realize it sounds a little weird, but what if you took a pattern apart?

It is a sort of classic scientific approach—understand something by taking it apart, study the elements, and put it back together again.

I started talking about this approach in a previous post.

Basically the idea is you take a multi-sized pattern:

Here I am using the Peppermint Wide Leg Pants from designer InTheFolds, not size inclusive but a great wardrobe basic

And then you break the pattern down into its component parts which you can arrange somewhat like a menu:

Bear with me here! One of the things you can do with this array is to superimpose each component across the size range, which results in this:

What I found surprising when I first started doing this type of analysis was just how little variation there is for most of the seams. The dart is exactly the same for all sizes. The biggest difference is happening at the crotch seam and hem.

Now let’s run this exercise on the #OLOlivePants, here I have arrayed all the elements from largest to smallest sizes:

And here are the elements superimposed:

Again, note, no changes to the pleats or darts (over 20 sizes in the pattern). The #OLOlivePants have more shaping on the inseam and side seams. This helps us understand what is contributing to the inseam distortion we are seeing in the toile.

Adjusting Pleats and Darts

Like me, you might find surprising is that the pleat and dart dimensions stay the same. The only difference between the different sizes for the darts is the position around the waistline. The pleats are graded in the same position relative to the center of the body.

#OLOlivePants pattern pleats and darts (close up view from the multisized pattern to show position along waistline seam)

Some of us may want to make the darts larger or longer, or reposition them to be further apart, closer together or at a different distance from the center front/back.

Next up

Playing around with the pattern components like this is just another way of becoming familiar with the transition from fabric to garment.

Next up is to identify which are the elements that are key to the look we are aiming for.

(Spoiler alert, it’s not the inseam)