Pattern Review: The Alexis Pants by Marsha Style
For those of you who have read my blog posts before, it will come as no surprise to see me reviewing another of Taree, the designer behind Marsha Style’s patterns.
Taree has a great style. Her patterns are relaxed and cool yet always with a polished feel. The same is very true for the Alexis Pant pattern, the first non-dress pattern for the Marsha Style Range.
Aside from it being a Marsha Style pattern, I was instantly taken by a few things about this one as Taree started to sneak images out onto Instagram.
First of all, it was not a high waisted pattern. Hallelujah! So many patterns these days are high waisted and my short torso’d little body just can’t take them! It was really refreshing to see something with this silhouette.
Then I spotted the amazing pocket detail. The front pockets (there are none on the rear) have a really cool pocket flap and pleating feature which I think really elevates the potential of these.
Mostly I just loved that they are a bit different. These are not a me too pattern, the style is uniquely Marsha Style!
The pants are described as mid-rise, sitting on your low waist to high hip. They have a slouchy style when made true to size, or can be sized down for a sleeker fit.
They fasten with a front fly and a button at the waist band. The pockets are slanted with the detail I mentioned before. You can see this in the image above. There is also a belt with a d-ring slider in the pattern, but I didn’t make this.
The pattern is good for a whole range of fabrics and you can see throughout the images below that different fabrics will give really different vibes. I chose to make mine in a cotton twill – essentially denim, because well, denim forever right! I have really been inspired though by some of the drapier versions I have seen from the testing and am pondering my next Alexis move.
I should add before we move on, I was a part of Taree’s testing team for this and so got early access to the pattern.
Pattern & INSTRUCTIONS
Being the first pant pattern from Marsha Style, I wasn’t sure what to expect with the fit. Out of the ‘packet’ the fit for me was great and this is the first pants pattern I have ever made where the crotch has not needed significant adjustments. For me, that in itself is huge!
The pattern is available in sizes 0 – 22, which is a size 36″/93cm – 58″/148cm hip. I know that Taree wanted to be able to take the sizes higher, but for now is focused on being confident of a good fit – she explains this in her own launch blog.
I am usually a size 16 in Marsha Style dresses, but having a rotund torso and double c-section tum, I knew that a 16 waist wasn’t going to cut it, despite the description of a slouchy fit.
Using the finished garment chart, I made a muslin which was a 20 at the waist, grading down to a 14 on the hip, This was too big, so I took it down to an 18. At first it pulled a little across the fullest part of my tummy so I played with the grading, just lowering my grade points and quickly got what I thought was a really great fit,
Sewing Process
Once my fit was sorted I moved onto the project for real. I have had this deep black cotton twill, essentially a denim, in my stash for a long while now. At this point, none of Taree’s makes had suggested a denim, but this isn’t a super heavy fabric and I have the general rule of thumb that denim works for everything!
It turned out just as good as I hoped, helped along by always awesome sewing instructions. Marsha Style patterns are always supplied with a really thorough guide, clear images and steps easily broken down.
The front construction on these pants is a little different to anything else I have sewn with a front yoke and a darted pleat that runs down one side of the pocket flap. The instructions walk through this seamlessly (no pun intended lol) and the result is a really tailored look… I sat back and felt quite proud!
Versatile pants for dressing up or down
I know that I made these in black and it’s next to impossible to get a decent photo to show off the details of something made in black, so with her permission, I’ve included some of Taree’s makes below. You can see just how versatile this pattern is. My version are casual, Taree’s are sleek and cool. I’m thinking these would be amazing as a smart work pant made in a suiting/wool fabric.
In an age where our style has become more relaxed and comfy, it’s been really refreshing to make something that feels a bit more put together, even if they are really just a pair of black denim pants!
Taree has very kindly given all my blog readers a discount code for the pattern. Click on the link below and use ALEXIS20 to receive a 20% discount. Please note, I do not receive a commission for this. All of my opinions here are my own honest views.
– Marsha Style Alexis Pant Pattern
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