DIY Black Ribbed Flares

 

Having avoided wearing flared trousers for a long time I now can't seem to make enough! I recently made a pair of corduroy flares and also own a denim pair, but I've seen a lot of jersey flares around too. Unlike those made in more structured fabrics, knit flares don't have any classic jeans features (so no fly, pockets etc) meaning that they're comfy to wear and really easy to make. I like how the same design can be made from lots of different fabrics with each fabric structure changing how the trousers look.

I've seen an emergence of black ribbed flares especially and the thought of making a pair has been at the back of my mind for a while. So when I saw this fabric from Minerva I knew immediately that I wanted to make a pair of black flares out of it. With trousers made from stretch fabrics it's important to ensure that a thicker knit has been used, and when it came to using a rib fabric it needed to have some drape. A top like this one works well in a small rib but the fabric wouldn't hang correctly as trousers.  

This particular fabric is a medium-weight velvet rib, it feels so soft and hangs perfectly. It's nice to have the rib pattern to add a bit of interest to plain black trousers and the stretch makes them comfortable to wear. I wanted to keep these trousers as simple as possible so they're made from two front and back pieces and a waistband - only three pattern pieces altogether! 

These trousers have such a simple shape and were really quick to make. I copied a pair of RTW jeans to make them, but you could easily hack a trouser pattern. The actual flare is quite subtle but the contrast between the tighter legs and wider base gives the trousers their shape. These are possibly the most comfortable trousers I own - I think more so than my joggers thanks to the relaxed waistband and soft fabric. I like that they seem a bit more put together than joggers but remain very comfy.

I always like to add a couple of interesting details to my makes and for these trousers a split in the side-seam was the perfect finish. I stopped sewing the side-seam about 15cm from the end, pressed the seam allowance inwards and sewed around it. As a result the split kicks open when I walk, a nice additional touch. 

[This fabric was given to me by Minerva in exchange for a blog post]