Donna Karan Wide Legged Pants for Vogue 1993 - #1186 Review

I suppose I actually need to blog my sewing in order to, you know, blog about it.  Gee, novel concept right?

I have a ton of garments in dire need of being photographed and catalogued.

Let me start with something I made in about four hours while my partner was at work.  From deciding to cutting to wearing, I had this baby whipped out between the time they left and the time they got home - with breaks and TV!

I started this garment early in the morning, before the sun had risen.  I wanted a new pair of pants but was actually wanting a fly-front zip.  I thought, gee, I'd love to have a pair of red pants.  Do I even have red?  If I didn't have enough red, I was totally going to make harlequin pants in black and red.

So I went through my stash and found - a nice bright red!  And there was enough!

....except as the sun rose I noticed something about my fabric.

Orange.  Very orange.

This was not red!!  I am tempted ton post a photo of the thread I chose so you can see how badly I thought this was red fabric.

It's a salvaged piece from the Salvation Army rubbish bin (not slang, actual rubbish) and the selvege said Cashmilon - which is an acrylic/cotton blend designed to mimic wool but be cheaper/easiuer to wash/ less scratchy.

My face isn't showing but my facing is.

I gave poor Donna Karan a bit of a grilling over on Pattern Review for the simplicity of these pants, but the truth is I love them!  Yes they are a VERY simple faced four-piece pair of bellbottoms (listed as wide leg...come on!  That's a bell if I ever saw one.) but they have the classic Donna Karan drape below the knee.  Donna really knows how to make a swoosh!  And /that's/ the part of this pattern that stands out.

Donna Karan for Vogue 1186

I found this pattern in the rubbish bin as well (sorry Donna) and was immediately drawn to that giant pointed collar in the drawing.  WHICH IS NOT INCLUDED.  You have GOT to be kidding.  Would you buy a $25 pattern that's so black you can't see any details for bellbottoms, an elastic waisted skirt and an unlined vest?

That would have to be my top complaint about this pattern, which in retrospect is actually a really minor complaint.

It's too simple.

It's even too easy.

When you pick up a Designer Vogue pattern you kind of have...expectations.  Usually a couture method or a complicated shaped piece or something... but no.  This really is an unlined vest, an elastic waisted skirt (in a knit?!  What?) and a pair of waistband-less bell bottoms.

Of course the actual drafting is classic Donna and classic smooth sleek Vogue, so I don't really know what I'm whining about.  I noticed these pants fit my hips ridiculously well.  If I forgot to zip it all the way and it dropped even a quarter inch you could see the billow from the hip space.  Meaning it follows my leg shape /perfectly/.

One thing the pattern had that DID stand out was the double lines for petiting the pattern.  Only - I think the pattern may have already been petite.  The cover says normal/talle but the description says petite.

For reference, I am standing on a chair and am actually 5'1".  I measured the length of my waist to the floor and thought the fabric would pool too much.  I also decided I wanted to make this the length for flats as I rarely wear heels (and the proceeded to wear heels for the photos.  and a sports top.  Who actually wears that?  The things we do to show off pants!).

I -REALLY- loved how part of the petite aspect was in the crotch.  I really did need that as I seem to have a short crotch depth, something I have noticed in previous home sewn garments.

I should not have petite'd the legs.  That 2" meant that my FIVE FOOT ONE self only had half an inch to hem with instead of the 2" she recommends.  I chose to do a wide rolled hem.  I've been practising narrow hems but WOW am I bad at those so I figured I'd practice it on 1/4" instead of "fuck you this is one thread thick, enjoy on your mistimed machine!".

So apparently Donna Karan makes petite pants for people who are 4'11".  SO IF YOURE REALLY REALLY SHORT AND WANT TO LOOK TALL IN BELLBOTTOMS THIS PATTERN IS PERFECT.

Which to be honest MUST be a drafting genius thing only Donna could really pull off.  I'm 5'1".  I know I've said that three times now but LOOK HOW TALL I LOOK.

Okay but let's all be honest my ass looks great in these.

The zip was stolen from a handbag we also found in a bin.  So once more, I have made a 100% FREE garment of 100% salvaged materials.  Reminder EVEN MY SEWING MACHINE WAS SALVAGED.  Once I buy a machine, if I do, or get mine serviced, I will be including my costs for the year.


As it is my total costs for the last three months of sewing supplies has been $42.  I bought:  two jeans patterns, one wheelchair accessory pattern, two dress patterns (which in retrospect was probably silly, but I had a friend in mind when I got them), two seam rippers, five packets of machine needles, one packet of sewing needles, a thimble and a packet of 600 pins.  Since there's FIVE patterns in that $42 I'm pretty pleased.  If I used only salvaged patterns my total for supplies $17.  Wow!  That's some ACTUAL clothing saving.

Out of that $42 I have made:  a dress shirt for my partner, three pairs of shorts, three tops, a pair of spats, a shortsuit, this pair of pants, a dress shirt for myself I am working on today, and the vest I'll be finishing in the next few weeks.

12 items, 3 months, $42.  This is not including my failures, this is ONLY my worn and successful garments.  I don't think anyone can get a wardrobe these days including Donna Karan for $42.  Less than $4 a garment.

So HA! to all those who think you can't save money while sewing vs RTW cheapies.  YOU CAN BARELY GET A TARGET TANK TOP FOR $4 ON SALE.

Hell yeah.

-Splithoof