What is the correct trouser lengths for ladies? Where should pants hit with heels and flats? We haven’t talked about this in a while… so let’s discuss!

(Stay tuned for a future roundup of the correct trouser lengths with FLATS, which can be tricky as well!)

{related: do check out our regularly updated list of wardrobe essentials for work!}

The Correct Trouser Lengths for Women

Trousers are hugely popular right now, as ankle pants have taken a back seat to full-length pants such as wide-leg trousers and flared or bootcut dress pants. Full-length pants can be problematic, though, because it can be difficult to find the correct hem length for you — and one that works with all of your work shoes.

{related: a guide to suiting alterations}

General Tips on How to Choose Your Pant Length

Before You Take Your Pants to the Tailor or Hem Them Yourself…

You may want to launder the pants first (particularly if they’re machine washable), because sometimes fabrics can shrink or expand in the wash, and you really won’t know until you launder the pants.

You should also pick out a pair of shoes to try on your pants — ideally these would be THE shoes you plan to wear with them. If you have multiple shoes with the exact same heel height then you can switch up your shoes, but in general you cannot switch between, say, flats and heels with hemmed pants.

One possible exception here: I have often found that pants that I hemmed for very low kitten heels can be worn with flats as well… but your mileage may vary.

{related: the perfect pants fit — not too tight, not too loose}

How to Commute With Pants Hemmed for Heels

Perhaps you would really like to wear 3″ heels at work with your pants… but you don’t want to commute in 3″ heels. The easiest way to deal with this is to have heeled commuting shoes — generally fairly fugly shoes that have the correct height but are much more walkable. Then, when you get to work, you can swap the fugly shoes for your office shoes. Some brands to consider: FLY London, Dansko, Eileen Fisher, Børn.

There are occasionally products like clips that can help you hem your pants on the go… but in my experience these don’t look great. (I can’t actually find any on the market right now; let me know if you know of any!) But: If you have a weather-related emergency, you can always try binder clips to help your pants avoid getting wet (or, you know, tuck them into your socks if that’s an option). Again, these aren’t ideal situations, but with some expensive or favorite pairs of pants it’s worth looking odd for one commute rather than have that one commute kill your hem.

Where Should Pants Hit With Heels?

(When choosing pants for the illustrations here, we’re going with the description from the retailer on whether the pants are wide-leg, flared, bootcut, or straight-leg, but I’ll admit at the outset that there could be some crossover here between a lot of the categories.)

Most images are linked to either the product page or the Corporette post discussing the product…

Also, as noted above, stay tuned for a discussion of proper hem length with flats…

The Correct Length for Wide-Leg Pants with Heels

This is what I would say is the correct length for wide-leg pants worn with heels… would you agree? (These images are all taken from recent Workwear Reports. I’ll try to add the links later… you can also check out our latest favorite wide-leg pants for work at the bottom, or check out the full post on the best wide leg pants to wear to work!)

My $.02: The correct wide-leg pants should hit about a half inch above the floor at the back of the shoe/heel, and it should at least cover most of your vamp / top of foot (perhaps down to the point where your toes meet the rest of your foot), with a break in the pants.

So, for example, for the pants below, the plaid pair is definitely too short because there is no break in the pants, whereas the black pair has a break but the hem is dragging along the floor. The orange pair is ALMOST the correct length, but in an ideal world I’d hem it maybe half an inch more to cover more of the forefoot (and to get a break in the pants).

Readers, what say you?

Wide leg pants, below: 1) Almost Just Right 2) Too Short 3) Too Long

{related: the best shoes to wear with wide-leg pants}

Our Latest Favorite Wide Leg Pants

Hunting for more wide-leg pants to wear to work? We just rounded some up, and general favorites include pleated pairs like Favorite Daughter, Everlane*, Reformation*, and Abercrombie*, with flat-front pairs from Good American,* M.M.LaFleur, and Ann Taylor. (* = plus sizes; see the post for notes on petites and talls). We’ve also shared our thoughts on what shoes to wear with wide-leg pants! Our latest favorite wide-leg pants include these (as of 2024):

The Correct Length for Flared Pants with Heels

I feel like it’s much more common to see more casual flared pants (such as jeans or pull-on pants) as opposed to flared trousers, so it can be tricky to know where the hem should hit for a work outfit.

With the examples below, I think it’s very easy to see how the “too short” and “too long” examples are just that… but finding the correct hem length can be a bit more difficult. I’ve finally decided to use these Spanx pants, which I think showcase a lot of the things I would say is the correct length for flared pants with heels — the pants are not dragging on the floor, there is no huge break, and you can’t see the entire shoe… still, I might like to see these a smidge shorter, such as a quarter of an inch.

(These Gap pants also look good, but I think you can see too much of the heel and forefoot… but it’s a tricky question!)

What say you, readers?

Flared pants for work outfits, below: 1) Almost Just Right 2) Too Short 3) Too Long

Our Latest Favorite Flared Pants for Work Outfits

Stay tuned for our latest favorite office-appropriate flared pants for women! In general in 2024, check out Spanx, Hugo Boss, Theory, Amazon seller Rekucci, Anthropologie’s Maeve line, and Eloquii.

The Correct Length for Bootcut Pants with Heels

Bootcut pants are some of the most forgiving, I think, because a lot of the lengths look OK. I think ultimately the Good American ones below look just right because there is no break in the pant, but the hem is not dragging on the floor — and I like how it hits the forefoot right at the point where the metatarsals meet the phalanges. (I’ll admit, I just Googled “toe bones” for that description…)

Meanwhile, the middle pair look too short — there’s way too much of the shoe heel showing — and the gray pair (McQueen) is going to be dragging on the ground.

Bootcut pants for work, below: 1) Just Right 2) Too Short 3) Too Long

Our Latest Favorite Bootcut Pants for Work

There are a bunch of great bootcut dress pants — some of our favorites include Good American and the very affordable Tapata brand (with tall, petite, and regular lengths). Alexander McQueen also has a bunch right now. On the more casual side, check out KUT from the Kloth cords, Wit & Wisdom jeans, and Betabrand “dress yoga pants.”

The Correct Length for Straight-Cut Trousers with Heels

Getting the hem correct on straight-cut trousers is the hardest, I think… Looking through some of the options, though, that may be because it can be more a matter of personal style compared with the others. For example, of the three pants below, I think all of them could be a good hem length, even though Option A is just below the ankle bone, Option B hits at the top of your foot (but without a break), and Option C is hemmed to just above the ankle bone (but feels a bit longer to me than “ankle pants” or cropped pants).

What say you, readers?

Straight leg pants below, all “just right”: Options A, B, and C

Our Latest Favorite Straight-Cut Dress Pants for Women

Straight pants can be a bit tricky get the hem correct, and have a slight potential to be frumpy… That said, they are a classic because they tend to be immune from trends. Some great options in 2024 include reader favorites Nic & Zoe pants, NYDJ, J.Crew, these “perfect” pants from Spanx, and the very affordable Amazon seller Tapata (with petite, regular, and tall sizes).

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Trousers for Women

We’ve noted specific styles above… but in general, these are our latest favorite trousers for women…

The Best Dress Pants for Women in General

The best dress pants for women as of 2024: one / two / three / four / five / six (not pictured but also and also!) — also check out our roundup of the best pull-on pants for the office!

The Best Plus-Size Pants for Work

The Best Pull-On Pants for Work

The post Open Thread: Trouser Lengths for Women appeared first on Corporette.com.

Whether you’ve only recently picked up sewing or knitting as a hobby, have been doing it all your life, or are only CONSIDERING it, we thought we’d take a look at some of the best sewing patterns for workwear outfits (with a few knitting patterns as well!).

I can tell you from experience (i.e., the research for this post) that you need to be pretty specific when searching online for sewing patterns for workwear outfits. Otherwise, you’ll end up with search results that include dress patterns from the 1940s and patterns for doll clothing… For example, start your hunt with something like “sewing pattern women’s skirt -vintage.” (And scroll down to the bottom of this post to find some helpful online resources.) If you DO like vintage-inspired looks, though, Etsy seller The Good Witch Patterns has a ton of promising ones.

If you’re a sewist or a knitter, how did you get started with the hobby? Have you tried making your own workwear? What are your favorite sources for knitting or sewing patterns for workwear outfits?

Psst: if you’re interested in getting into sewing, readers recommend an entry level Babylock or Janome, warning “do not buy a sewing machine at JoAn or a big-box retailer from a brand like Singer or Brother. Those are garbage and will break right away.” Good to know!

This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

{related: how to find fulfilling hobbies}

Here are some of the best sewing patterns for workwear outfits and knitting patterns for professional clothes — we’d love for you to share some of your favorites!

Kat recently came across this pattern is from Austrian designer Jutta von Hinterm Stein. It looks so comfortable! The pattern is available on Ravelry for €6.90 (about $8.00 as of Oct. 2021). It’s designed for worsted yarn (the site gives some specific suggestions), and the sizes are XS–XXL. Ravelry users can upload their own photos, so you can see the designs on people with different shapes and sizes.

You can buy the pattern for this blazer for a mere $16 — or pay $59 for the pattern plus a course on ClosetCore for “speed tailoring,” which could be really helpful if you want to adapt some older or thrifted clothes either to fit better, be more personal, or be more on trend. (ClosetCore’s Pauline dress also looks versatile enough to become a very bust-friendly sheath dress.)

{related: tips on thrifting for workwear — and where to recycle your work clothes}

This pattern for this classic A-line dress comes from The Avid Seamstress, based in London. It’s available for £16.50 (about $22 as of Oct. 2021) and is compatible with UK sizes 6–22 (equivalent to U.S. 2–18). The design has optional inner pockets and also includes short/long skirt variations. The site categorizes their patterns by skill level and has tops, pants, dresses, and more.

DG Patterns (aka Daniela Gutierrez-Diaz) is based in Canada and sells her sewing patterns on Etsy (as well as a big selection of fabric, from rayon to French terry to organic cotton). You’ll find lots of skirts, dresses, pants, jackets, and more, all downloadable as PDF patterns for $6. This one is the Dajana Dress, which is available sleeveless as pictured or with short sleeves, for sizes 4–22.

It looks like Etsy seller DressyTalk has a lot of great options for workwear, including complicated things (like the 4-in-1 jacket-skirt-coat-bolero pictured above) — as well as simple things, like basic blouses for work. Patterns range from $5–$22.

{related: how to shake things up when you’re bored with life}

This pattern ($19) is from Megan Nielsen Patterns in Australia — they offer designs for “contemporary wardrobe essentials” in sizes 0–30. The pictured skirt is for Curve sizes 14–30; there’s also a version for sizes 0–20. Not a big fan of midi length? The pattern variations include a skirt pleated above the knee, a skirt gathered below the knee, and a bias-cut skirt above the knee. And … they all have pockets!

Another great option for plus size sewing projects: Muna & Broad.

The pattern for these Slim-Fit Pants from the Russian Etsy shop EK Sewing Patterns (aka Elena Kleber) is currently on sale for only $3! The pants have waist darts and a zipper fly (but no pockets), and EK Sewing recommends that you be at least an intermediate sewist to give these a try. The shop also offers patterns for skirts, dresses, tops, and more.

Resources

• Ravelry
• r/sewing on Reddit
• r/knitting on Reddit
• Sewing articles [The Spruce Crafts]
• Knitting articles [The Spruce Crafts]
• Here’s Where to Find Thousands of Sewing Patterns for Fashion-Forward DIY [My Modern Met]
• Sew a Workwear Capsule: 10 Must-Sew Patterns [Sew Daily]
• Top Tips for Sewing a Blazer [Craftsy]
• Pretty & Professional: Easy Knitting Projects for Office Wear [Stitch & Unwind]
• 9 Sewing Patterns for Wardrobe Classics [Sabrina Lee]

Sewists, and knitters: Do tell! What have been your favorite knitting and sewing patterns for workwear outfits or business casual clothes? Do you use new patterns, vintage, or both?

Pssst: looking for smaller projects?

Here are some easy kits and books to get you started on cross stitch for stress relief…

Stock photo (woman with sewing supplies and fuchsia tulle) via Stencil.

The post The Best Sewing Patterns for Workwear Outfits appeared first on Corporette.com.