When fall rolls around and the inevitable day arrives to zip up a pair of rigid, unforgiving jeans, it is a full-on existential crisis. Did my body change over the summer, or are my cooler-weather clothes just plotting against me? The real plot twist is that most of our breezy summer favorites—shout out to elastic-waist Greenpoint shorts—treat us with comfort and kindness, giving us room to breathe and actually enjoy the season. So why should comfort have an expiration date just because the temperature drops?
I thought about this a lot, because honestly, I do not want to live in athleisure. For me, that is a slippery slope to giving up jeans forever. But sometimes the dress code demands something more. That is why the Wynwood pants and shorts came to be. They give you a classic, tailored silhouette in the front so you look effortlessly put-together, but feature a subtle elasticized back waistband.
Subtle is definitely the magic word here. For years, elastic-backed pants gave major 90s petite department store vibes—no shade to grannies, but those were generic bottom coverings. The Wynwood pants and shorts are designed to avoid that bunchy look entirely, giving you just a couple of extra inches so your waist can fluctuate up and down comfortably all day long.
The trend of high rises is still going strong and the Wynwood pants and shorts are following suit. Yes, they are high rise, but they are petite high rise, so no worries about waistband that hit below the bust. Nope, these are designed to hit at the natural waist. SBCC patterns are based on 5ft 1” height. So if you are shorter you may want to grade down the rises a size. But instead of guessing, check the finished garment measurement rises and compare against a pair of pants that you know and love in your wardrobe to make an informed decision.
When it comes to the fit, the Wynwood pants bring a, wide, flowy leg shape, while the shorts keep things classic and relaxed. The pants feature a standard petite inseam of 29 inches. But I want to talk about the shorts, because finding the right length as a petite can be a struggle.
I designed the shorts with a 5.5 to 6-inch inseam, and trust me, there is a method to the madness! Longer shorts can sometimes have a way of making us shorties look even shorter if they hit at the wrong spot. The goal with the Wynwood shorts was simply to find that sweet spot, giving you a slightly longer look without swallowing you whole or chopping up your legs.
We all love a good deep pocket on our pants and shorts and the Wynwood delivers. They feature roomy front and back patch pockets. However, the great thing is that if you want to redesign the pocket shapes or even go without the Wynwood allows for a lot of options. Basically the body is solid to use to create your own TNT pants pattern to your liking. Feel free to hack away!
Let’s talk fabric because these were specifically designed for summer linen. But that’s not to say that you can’t make them in heavier fabric. It’s all about the drape. You more than likely want to make these in fabrics that are not super stiff like heavy denim, canvas, or stiff corduroy. Instead, opt for lighter options like Tencel twill or light weight denim or chambray. I recently whipped up a railroad denim stripe pair and I love them!
To ensure you get the fit spot on I made these in numeric sizing, which offers a lot more specificity in the fitting. You’ll find sizes 00-32W. And if you aren’t petite, but still love the Wynwoods, there are lengthen/shorten lines to make adjustments. My recommendation for non-petites is to add 2- 3” to the inseam length and 3/4- 1” to the rises. But regardless of adjustments, I always advise to make up a toile to check the fit on your body. Fabric is pricey and precious these days so make sure you get the fit you want make testing these out with something cheap and/or readily available before cutting into your prized yardage.
As per the usual SBCC standards, the Wynwood pants and shorts are available as copy shop, tiled print at home PDF’s and projector files.
So what do you think? Are you making these for spring or fall? And what are you making them in? Make sure to share your makes. I love to see them all!
