What Are Trousers?
Whether you’re in the office or heading out to a casual event, our trousers are designed to look great. They’re breathable to keep you comfortable throughout the day.
Trousers (British English) or pants (American English) are garments covering the lower part of the body, including both legs separately (unlike a skirt or dress). They may be held up by buttons, elastic, a belt or suspenders/braces.
Waist
Trousers are worn on the lower portion of the body and are distinguished from shorts in that they are close-fitting, usually with a fly, which is a mechanism for opening and closing the pants to allow a man to urinate. Traditionally, trousers are held up by suspenders which fasten to the trousers and to a belt around the waist. This type of clothing is often not suitable for athletic activity, because it restricts movement and impedes agility.
Several different styles of trouser suspenders exist. U.S. Patent No. 6,308,338 issued on Oct. 30, 2001 to A. H. Caldwell describes a trouser suspender that includes a waist strap designed to extend around the waist of a wearer and a first extender attached thereto. The first extender has a fastener designed to attach directly thereto. The second extender has a fastener designed for attachment to the trousers.
The invention also discloses a trousers supporting waist belt comprising an elastic band adapted to wrap around the waist of the wearer and a pouch affixed at or adjacent to a lower edge of the elastic band. The pouch is a plastic strip having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion with teeth that are configured to grasp or abut the interior surface of the trousers when the strip is applied thereover.
Regardless of the style of trousers, it is important to determine your figure variations and compare them to the measurements on the pattern. Taking these measurements over the undergarments you will be wearing with your trouser pants can help ensure that your finished project fits well.
Hips
Trousers are worn by men to cover their lower part. This lower part is the waist part, hips part and leg part. Trousers are also called slacks in America. In other parts of the world, trousers are known as pants. Despite the difference, both are the same type of clothing.
The shape of the hips affects where a trouser sits on the body. If the torso is more narrow, the front of the trouser will sit higher than the back. A more slender figure will have the opposite effect. The greatest circumference measurement is taken 7-9 inches below the waist.
The back seat curve, however, can be a different story. If it’s too deep, you’ll find yourself slipping down in the trouser. This is a common problem. A solution is to add more room to the back seat curve. This can be done by cutting the back seam and scooping out more of a curve at the seat of the trouser.
Thighs
The thighs are the largest and strongest part of the leg. They support the knee and shin, provide a base for the lower body, and allow the legs to move freely during walking or running. The femur bone, the longest and strongest in the body, and the quadriceps and hamstring muscles are the primary thigh muscles.
Thigh muscle strains most often occur as the result of sudden or forceful movement, such as jumping or falling. Muscle imbalance and fatigue are also contributing factors, as overworked muscles are more susceptible to injury than properly exercised ones.
A well-fitting pair of trousers can help to prevent trouser these issues. To ensure that the crotch is comfortably positioned, try on the pants with a string around the waistline and redraw the cutting lines for the side seams and inseams based on the length of the string (Figure 7).
Some patterns are designed for standard figure types; because everyone’s figures vary, you should always fit your pattern before you cut it. Take hip, inner and outer leg measurements, and measure the height of your crotch from a surface to the fullest point at its bottom (7-9 inches below the waist). You may find it useful to mark the locations of the front pocket openings, darts and belt loops on each leg. Pleats at the front of the leg, which open toward the pockets or the fly, typify many styles of formal and casual trousers, including suit trousers and khakis.
Legs
The legs are the lower limbs of bipedal tetrapods. They are part of the lower extremity and consist of the femur (thigh bone), tibia, and fibula, all of which are long bones. The leg is a weight-bearing structure, and when in motion it is used to support the body. The leg can also be extended to aid in locomotion.
In the case of trousers, the legs are usually finished with a hem to prevent fraying. Depending on the style, the leg may have one or two pleats which can face in either direction; when they open toward the pockets they are known as forward pleats and when they open toward the fly they are called reverse pleats.
When it comes to wearing trousers, legs can make or break an outfit. When the legs are too short, a trouser will look frumpy; when they’re too long they can cause you to look lopsided. To lengthen the legs of a trouser, pin or tape tissue paper to the pattern and spread out the desired amount. Mark the amount needed inside the cutting line on front and back inner leg seams. Redraw the new crotch curve from the marks and new sewing lines. Repeat if necessary to achieve the desired length. To add width to the hips, pin or tape tissue paper under the front and back pattern pieces and spread out the desired amount. Mark the addition inside the cutting line on both front and back outer seams and redraw the new seam lines.