Harem Pants!

Say, what? Yep, I did it. I totally jumped on the harem pant bandwagon...BUT I went with a more modified version. So, the question is, can I really call them harem pants, or not? I guess maybe they'll just be pants. Plain and simple ;).

Here's where I started. I posted this picture yesterday on my FB page asking for suggestions on what to do with this lovely number.

The first response was harem pants...now, I had been pondering the same idea, but I guess I lacked the confidence because I wasn't sure I'd like the outcome.  A couple of other ideas were for an infinity scarf (great because I wasn't sure how I felt having this as an overall print and as an accessory it would be much more manageable) and shorts/pajama shorts (also a possibility if I didn't like how the pants turned out).

My first step was to determine how and how much I would take in the legs of the pants. I did a little research on harem pant styles and landed on this as my inspiration pair. Seriously, she hit all the nails on the head: I don't love the dropped crotch, too much give in the legs...I wanted something more streamlined!

I ended up taking in the legs, and changing the waistband by taking out the elastic in the front, creating two pleats and then sewing the elastic back onto the front for contrast.

Here's how they look on (without having pressed my seams....I know!!! I just reaaaally don't like ironing, but I promise I'll do it):

I just rolled up the hems a couple of times in these shots, but I've considered adding an elastic band to the hems for a couple of reasons: It allows for adjusting the length and creating a little more of the "harem" look, and it would tie in with the black waistband. BUT I got another amazing idea from the same person who said "harem pants"...zippers at each leg hem! Hello! It allows for the taper, and I can get them on and off over my feet :) So, I'll post that update once I've found two zippers to use (I have a current shortage and will have to scour the thrift store for more).

Here's one last look at the before and after:

So, now I need to hear from you! What do you think about harem pants in general, and these in particular? I'd love to hear from you :-) As always, you can get more detail on how I did this here...

Peace,
Andrea