Bespoke Cutter And Tailor

I know I am good at making shirts and at fitting shirts, even on myself. However, I have had years of difficulty at this point in fitting trousers on myself. I've made endless muslins, alterations to drafts, redrafts but cannot get the fit right. Maybe it's that I'm fitting myself, maybe I'm just very bad at drafting, or maybe just have no eye for making the right alterations.

I have a wife/partner who could help pin, etc...in theory. God bless her, and she is good at many things, but she doesn't for the life of her have any clue what she's doing re: basic pinning and smoothing. This leaves me to do it all myself and I think I have to throw in the towel.

I could use some self-fitting advice that might change the game for me...otherwise, I think I'm stuck with off the rack...

If I were you Chanterelle, I'd seriously consider the 'Top Down Centre Out' approach to fitting trousers/pants. It's designed for people who struggle on their own. I watched the following series of vids last year - mostly at double the speed, the pace can be frustratingly slow! - and it all makes sense:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0YteZsVGUw12ACD_vdnCFNDYFON2tJgI

There's a remarkable difference between the simple adjustments made with the TDCO system vs what she would have to do to with a pattern according to conventional wisdom.

If you do a general search on the subject on youtube, you can probably find a quick overview, which you should watch before committing to the above (there's a lot to get through).

Have you posted any pictures here? Do you have inlays, and where?

Oh, I fogot; try using something like a light canvas instead of a light toile and like Greger said use lots of inlay. A light canvas can actually be pressed and is less flimsy. Because it is heavier the creases will point aesier to faults and defects.

Cheers, Hendrick

Quote from: Chanterelle on February 09, 2025, 04:43:14 AMI know I am good at making shirts and at fitting shirts, even on myself. However, I have had years of difficulty at this point in fitting trousers on myself.

Same. I think one of the worse problems is a false inside leg measure.

Quote from: Hendrick on February 14, 2025, 06:33:01 AMh, I fogot; try using something like a light canvas instead of a light toile and like Greger said use lots of inlay. A light canvas can actually be pressed and is less flimsy. Because it is heavier the creases will point aesier to faults and defects.

That's a great idea Hendrick

How you stand makes a difference in how the pattern fits. For example where are your feet? Close together? Far apart? How about the knees? Bumping each other? Far apart? Do you sway your hips forward? Or, does your seat jut out? The belly? Hollow? Out there a ways? Belly extra go around the side some? The seat flat? Or, jut out? One leg shorter? These are some of the problems. The pattern can be adjusted for all.
Some tailors use proportionate measurements to make the basic pattern. From that they make all the adjustments they think will do. Before they cut the cloth they add inlays incase their guessing is wrong. No pockets are put in until they are sure the garment fits. Press in the front creases. Bast up according to the adjusted pattern. Slip it on. Fold up the bottom plenty high. Where you put the hem is determined later. The fit above is far more important now. Poulin has a little bit about fitting in his book. He might have a better pattern system, too.

It is not easy to draft patterns and fit yourself.
As Greger says, you could have figure issues that need pattern adjustments and it is a challenge to both identify them and correct them especially on oneself.

Here's my list of things to consider.
What style of trousers do you want. Jeans? Suit trousers?
What draft should you use? If you want a modern trouser fit, don't start with a 1930's draft.

Find a draft and draft it to the measurements given a couple of times so you can see if you are following and understand the process.

Take basic photos of yourself to assess figuration. Front, profile and back.
Triple check your own measurements. Have someone else take them.

Compare your measurements to the ones used in the draft. Look at the proportions of waist to hip that they use as a basis to draft.

Measurements do not convey shape-  Are your numbers similar or different? Do you have figuration that needs accommodation? Full seat? Wide hips, bow legs, full belly.

If you have figuration that needs modifications to the pattern, then you need to understand what is needed and how to accomplish that.

There is a lot to absorb, but I think that incorrect measurements and not being aware of how to modify for figuration are the biggest issues in this process.

Quote from: TTailor on February 17, 2025, 01:18:50 AMThere is a lot to absorb, but I think that incorrect measurements and not being aware of how to modify for figuration are the biggest issues in this process.

The latter is my biggest issue. Not being able to smooth and pin fabric on myself makes modifying, even knowing what to modify, a big problem.

Currently struggling with denim but also have a trouser draft in the works too. I've tried many systems at this point...just have significant trouble moving from initial toile to properly fitted sample. Some how the fitting never progresses past a certain point.

Quote from: Gerry on February 09, 2025, 07:36:41 AMIf I were you Chanterelle, I'd seriously consider the 'Top Down Centre Out' approach to fitting trousers/pants. It's designed for people who struggle on their own. I watched the following series of vids last year - mostly at double the speed, the pace can be frustratingly slow! - and it all makes sense:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0YteZsVGUw12ACD_vdnCFNDYFON2tJgI

There's a remarkable difference between the simple adjustments made with the TDCO system vs what she would have to do to with a pattern according to conventional wisdom.

If you do a general search on the subject on youtube, you can probably find a quick overview, which you should watch before committing to the above (there's a lot to get through).

I think I will have to give this a try. Perhaps it is something my partner could be effective in helping with, even with her relatively poor intuition/skills when it comes to this sort of thing...then again, who am I to talk!

Quote from: Chanterelle link=msg=13079 date=quote author=Chanterelle link=msg=13079 date=1739793642]

I've tried many systems at this point...just have significant trouble moving from initial toile to properly fitted sample. Some how the fitting never progresses past a certain point.

Maybe this is part of the problem?  If there is one personal draft that fits you best, then any system that's about the right size can work as a starting point (although some will be less work than others).  None of these systems were drafted with your figure peculiarities in mind, so it's unlikely that any of them will fit well "out of the box".

Maybe you have a figure problem that isn't accounted for by any of these systems, and that's why you're hitting a wall with all of them?

Pick one system and stick with it until you have an acceptable fit.  Preferably a neutral style, like the Mansie draft on this site, or a Runschau draft that is well understood by our German contributors. 

Have patience.  My own marathon trouser fitting thread went on for over a dozen pages.

Don't expect absolute perfection.  Trousers only have four panels to fit a very complex shape.  Materials behave differently.  There probably isn't a perfect draft out there which will give you a flawless fit every time.

That said, there's no reason why given enough persistence you can't come up with a draft that fits well enough to make you happy.  A looser style, that doesn't have to exactly follow the leg shape is going to be easier than tight fitting.

I'd encourage you not to give up, because you will most likely come back to it later, say in a year or so, and and have lost that time/momentum.

I think pant fitting/making is a journey and not something that can be quickly done. Often I feel like Gene Hackman during the last scene of "The Conversation" where he's gone crazy tearing up all his walls and floors trying to find something that doesn't exist.

I think the advice of not expecting perfection in pants is sound, there's too many variables. I think one should still pursue perfection, but not expect it. A lot of the tailoring books I've read say there is always a balance/compromise between fit and comfort (especially when walking and sitting) with pants.  I think pants also conform to your body as you wear and wash them so hard to really know how their going to look and feel from an initial try on.

Regarding self fitting advice- pictures and videos help a lot- you can get a cheap tripod and a remote for your phone.  Be prepared to try on, take off ALOT.  Use fabric that is similar to your final fabric.  Make all your seam allowances at least 1", even the rises, but you will eventually need to trim curves for the fabric to lay naturally.  You can use a piece of elastic to hold up the pant and adjust rise depths. I'd prioritize wearability first and make something you can wear around.  From there I think you can fine tune the look/fit.

PM if you want a hand fitting.  I'm not in BK, but not too far away.

Quote from: Bifurcator on February 20, 2025, 02:31:53 AMI think the advice of not expecting perfection in pants is sound, there's too many variables. I think one should still pursue perfection, but not expect it.

I think "perfection" in tailoring is like the mathematical concept of "infinity".  You can go as far as you like, but you'll have to go a LOOOONG way to get there - and you will never fully arrive.  At some point, one has to be practical.