I first saw the Untitled Thoughts Chandler Trousers on sandi204. It was May 2020. It took until May 2021’s Me Made May seeing Sandi AGAIN in her Chandlers to think, They look so good! I’m going to make those pants.

I made a straight size D1, with regular hem, belt loops, and faux fly. I skipped some of the top stitching because I didn’t have thread that matched with the shot linen I chose, which I think was from Mood Fabrics and is black and chocolate brown. The pattern instructions stated there was a ton of ease in the thighs of the trousers, so I felt comfortable finishing the inside seam on the legs with French seam, which ate up a little more seam allowance than was called for. The outer leg seams, I used snug hug seam binding tape, and then flat felled it a little ways up from the bottom so I could cuff them if I wanted to.The instructions were easy to follow, and even the parts where I wasn’t sure how things were going to turn out worked out great, including the belt loops, which were a first for me and turned out fine. My favorite part of the pattern instructions was where it mentioned the Three Foot Rule – if you can’t see a mistake from three feet away, it’s not a mistake. I need more life rules like that one. The Chandler Trousers are meant to be secret pajamas, and I can confirm that they are.I traced the tank pattern from my favorite RTW tank, a rayon number from H&M. I check and double checked, but he result was some seriously huge arm holes, and more arm cleavage in back than I’m strictly comfortable with. It looks just like the original, shapewise. I think I’m less forgiving of the fit because it should be perfect because I made it myself, right?

It’s partly societal, and partly familial, my social programming around upper arms. (The familial conditioning had more to do with an older female relatives’ open shame about her upper arms than any moral precepts). I know objectively arms are arms and letting people see the upper half and even *gasp* where they attach to your body isn’t scandalous… but sometimes it feels that way. It’s a basic top, arms and neck finished with 1/4 in. self bias tape. I hand sewed the bias tape down on the inside and hand finished the hem. I’ll give myself a little more coverage around the armcye for the next time, but I’m satisfied with this version. The fabric is shot linen (hot pink + orange sherbet = coral), medium weight, from Mood Fabrics, but I don’t think it’s available there anymore.I love bright colors but don’t tend to wear them because I feel most bright shades don’t suit my skin tone, but coral totally works for me.