Leopard Print Clover Capri Pants

I know, I know, with my wedding dress not yet complete and the actual wedding only two weeks away, I probably shouldn't have been making capri pants. And yet... I now have LEOPARD CAPRI PANTS (or clam diggers/pedal pushers/cropped trousers/whatever you prefer). I did say in my post-wedding sewing plans post that I may not be able to wait to get these babies made. 

Source: theniftyfifties.tumblr.com via Zoe on Pinterest

After the success of my navy cropped trousers and the incredibly fortuitous acquisition of some second hand leopard print sateen, my desire to create a version of the above style was just too strong. I love this kitschy retro-y Rockabilly look. When my version are teamed with my plain black batwing jersey top (as shown in these photos), I think it's a wearable day or evening look that references the original inspiration whilst being a little more modest and comfortable. I must also mention that Suzy also created a kick-ass pair of Rock Chick trousers using the same Colette Patterns Clover style. Check them out, hers are truly awesome.

As for the pattern, I did a fair bit of tweaking to get a good fit. I'd already made quite a few changes to the pattern for my original navy pair, but that pair had come out quite big and had required a chunk taking out of the side seams. I love those navy ones, they are very comfortable and I wear them all the time, but I knew I wanted a tighter silhouette for this pair. So I went back to the original pattern, traced a size smaller this time, and then made the same adjustments. Those adjustments, if memory serves, included increasing the back rise by about 2cms, increasing the front rise by about 1.5cms and widening the waist measurement and reshaping the top side seams and waistbands to accommodate that new measurement.   

The fit of these is great. The one issue that a perfectionist (or my former employer when I used to pattern cut for him) would have a problem with, is that the top of the waistband sits lower on my waist at the back than at the front. It's not a massive discrepancy but I did clock it. But personally, I feel life is too short to worry about that.  

The tighter fit and slightly less stretchy fabric means that I doubt they'll get as much wear as the navy ones. However, I'm excited about donning them with some heels and red lipstick and hunting down a cocktail or two, maybe even on our honeymoon in a couple of weeks!