For anyone that has worn a jumpsuit, you know that this solves some very real struggles with this style, namely, having to completely undress whenever you use the bathroom. I also find that the torso-crotch region never fits quite right in a one-piece — always too baggy or too tight — with two separate pieces, I can fit and adjust that area easily. And if you're on the fence about whether you're even a jumpsuit-wearing kind of woman, it's a great way to try it out and still have two wearable garments if you don't like it. But I think you will. We're talking pyjamas you can wear to dinner, here. You can't really go wrong with that. Let's all get on the faux jumpsuit train, ladies!
I have to give credit to Sarah, who first blew my mind with this idea a year ago. I've been dying to replicate it ever since. I didn't have either of the patterns that Sarah used, but since I'm getting more confident with pattern drafting, I decided to try tweaking some of the patterns I already own: the kimono bodice from the Sallie Jumpsuit and the Hudson Pants. Both of these are knit patterns, and I was set on making this in rayon, so there were quite a few adjustments to be made.
Get ready to nerd-out on some serious pattern-hacking!
Let's start with the top.
Like I said, I used the kimono bodice from the Sallie Jumpsuit pattern. To account for my woven fabric, I cut out a size 12, which was two sizes up from my regular size 8. And since it's just a bodice block, I lengthened it by 6 inches and extended the side seams out slightly (3/4" at hem) to account for my hips.
The back and front of the original pattern are identical. This wasn't an issue in knits, but in woven , this made the back gape quite a bit. I found that my standard 1/2" forward shoulder adjustment fixed that quite nicely. However, because it's an all-in-one kimono sleeve, you'll want to make sure you only apply it to the shoulder and not the sleeve portion or it will flare out. I found a slightly curved shoulder seam helped with this as well and easy to do after-the-fact if you forget.
I raised the front v-neck by 1", which is perfect when the shirt is sitting properly. The neck looks high in some of these photos -- that's because it is being pulled to the back. I think the ties are weighing it down, to be honest. I may remove them yet.
In terms of finishing, I drafted an all-in-one neck and sleeve facing, but didn't have enough fabric for it, so I made only a neck facing and simply turned under the sleeves.
Finally, I lowered the armhole by 1/2" for a little more movement.
This illustration isn't to scale, but maybe it will help you visualize everything that I did.
Now for the pants.
These are way more straightforward because the Hudson Pants work really well in a woven and there is already a great tutorial on how to do it on the True Bias blog. Basically, if you've already made a pair of knit Hudson pants that you love, just go two sizes up from there for the woven. Kelli says to extend the length if you're not using cuffs, but I didn't need to. She also says to extend the pocket length, which I did, but didn't find really necessary in the end. (Insert deep-pocket joke here.)
I only made two more very slight adjustments: I took a 1/4" sliver from the center back, because I liked these to sit a bit higher on my waist and therefore had to account for my sway-back; and I made the waistband slightly narrower (by 1/2" total), because I can only find 1-1/2" elastic around here, and I just prefer the look on me.
My husband wanted a pair and I was on the fence myself, so I figured I'd save a few bucks and just make the smallest size (28) of the men's pattern. It was worth a shot for a roomier fit. My husband's pants turned out perfect the first time. Naturally, mine took quite a few "feminine" adjustments: 1" shortened front crotch, 1/2" full-seat adjustment, 1/4" tapered leg, and 3" shortened length. That's a lot more work than a typical knit project requires, and probably not worth the money saved, but it was a good learning experience for me. I'm really curious about how my changes measure up to the women's pattern and may still buy it just to see. That's how nerdy I'm getting about pattern drafting, guys. LOL!
Hopefully all these pattern-hacking details don't intimidate you. They sound like a lot when they're all listed out, but are really not that difficult to execute. And also not at all necessary, if you have no interest in that sort of thing. Any woven tee or tank pattern would work just as well, like the Scout Tee, Onyx Shirt, or Coram Top, to name a few. The Alexandria Peg Trousers and the Luna Pants are similar elastic-waisted style that are already designed for woven fabric.
The key takeaway here is to embrace the faux jumpsuit, OK? Because we all deserve to wear pyjamas to dinner and feel like a million bucks doing it!
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