I’ve been meaning to make another pair of Base trousers for a long time, but somehow it took a while to get to it. Yesterday I finally faced my fear of welt pockets and zip flies and went to work.

The Base trouser is part of the pattern collection in the book SY by Ann Ringstrand. I’ve already made several shirts, jackets and trousers from the book, and I think this is the best pattern book I’ve bought so far. If you’ve read my other posts about it, you already know that I’m a long time fan of the fashion brand Hope which was started and designed by Ann. No wonder, then, that I love the designs in her book.

The design I chose for this version is heavily influenced by the model pictured in the book. I love the white topstitching on black and wanted a copy. It is definitely the most Hope-esque pair I’ve made so far.

But there is more to it than the designs. I think the patterns are exceptionally well drafted, and the fit is so good, every time! The drafter is Cina Haas, a long time contributor to several well known fashion brands including Hope. I think her participation in the book project is crucial to its success. Her company’s motto is “a good fit cannot be felt, but a bad one can”, and I completely agree. The fit of the patterns in this book set them apart, they are of the very best quality.

These pants were instant love. I restrained myself from overdoing the topstitching, and the result is a classic black trouser with a twist, just how I like it. If anything, I think the waistband is a little too wide, but that’s a simple alteration if I decide to change it later. For now, I enjoy the comfort of being able to sit down without restraints.

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Is it okay to be proud of these? Because I really am. After hesitating for weeks after cutting the pattern pieces, worried that I wouldn’t achieve the result I wanted, I am so pleased with how these trousers turned out. It took the best part of a day with concentrated work to get it done, and I made no shortcuts this time.

I took my time with the back pockets and measured everything at least twice. I marked absolutely everything and finally managed to sew a pair of welt pockets that I’m proud of. The extra effort was definitely necessary. Most of the inner seams are band stitched: Waistband, back pockets, the fly and the back crotch seam. I changed between white and black sewing thread (I have two sewing machines and threaded them with one color each).

The fabric is a viscose/poly blend with stretch which I initially felt insecure about, worrying it would be too spongy and hard to work with for a sharp result. It turned out to take press quite well, and it is light enough for a summer version of black pants. I hope it will stand up to the test of time.

I topstitched around the back pockets, along the hem (4 cm fold), and made white bartacks to secure the pockets. Sewing bartacks with topstitching thread was risky business, but it worked just. The button is sewn on with white thread for a subtle effect.

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I think there will be more Base trousers in my life, and frankly, I am so happy with the design that I’m not sure if there is any need to hack it at all. Time will show I guess.

You can see more of my makes from the book and read my review of it here: SyAnnRingstrand

Pattern: Base trouser from the book SY by Ann Ringstrand
Size: M
Fabric: 1.4 m poly/viscose with stretch
Time: 1-2 days