The Robinson Trousers by Ensemble Patterns have been on my radar for a while. They are just perfect combination of stylish and comfy. And I’m all about the comfort these days. They are pull on, elasticated waistband pants with good few hem option. They look like slacks, but really are a lovechild of leggings and joggers. I love the pin tuck detail in the front – it gives the trousers nice and polished look. I went with the simple hem detail and went mad with all of the pockets. I’m a mum – I need all the
real estate for snacks, keys, stones, shells… you get it, right?

What really made these pants an ultimate secret pyjamas for me is my choice of fabric. I used stretch bengaline that I purchased from DressFabrics.ie . I have never worked with it before and what a pleasant surprise it was! It’s a mix of viscose and nylon which gives it a beautiful drape and softness and in the same time has quite a bit of stretch. I highly recommend it, it’s a fantastic choice for trouser making. If your main priority is comfort, that is…

I read other pattern reviews of the Robinsons which suggested that the sizing runs quite big, so very cautiously I printed the stretch version B and also went down a size from the pattern’s suggestions. My waist is 34 inches, my hips are 42″ which, as per the tutorial, puts me in size 16. But after looking at finished garment measurements which is 45.5″  hip / waist I made a rookie decision to cut out size 14. Fitting of these was a bit of a journey, but that’s usually the case with pants.. I am quite tall 5 ft 9
(176 cm) so I added .5” (1cm) to the raise and 1.5” (3 cm) to the length. They still came out a bit cropped, like the 7/8 length that’s so in fashion right now. I ended up taking 6” off the waist in total. Which I think is a combination of pattern running large, my body shape and my choice of fabric. My advice on the sizing is to measure the actual pattern pieces. That should give a good indication of the fit.  The construction is very straight forward, nothing tricky in it and I found the instructions great. There isn’t much of hand holding, but then I am a quite seasoned sewist. I would strongly advice against any trouser pattern for a complete beginner, but if you have few garments under your belt, you can totally make these. One thing the pattern didn’t mention and I added to my pants is stabilizing the front pocket opening. I was working with very stretchy fabric, so adding woven interfacing will definitely prevent this area from losing it’s shape with wear. Overall, love the pattern – will make more. But this project has been as much of a discovery of a new pattern, as a new fabric. I am totally in love with stretch bengaline and see a lot of garments made in it in my future.

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Thanks Joanna for sending me this pattern review and for giving our Bengaline the thumbs up. I’m a big fan of this fabric in trousers too and must try out theses Robinson Pants soon.