My favorite men’s pattern: cargo shorts.

This past month I mainly sewed for others, and in particular for men. I already planned to make shorts for my boyfriend and my friend, but the push to make them now was the theme of this month #magamsewalong which was #maybemenswear. I thought it might be interesting to write about my favorite men’s pattern, for two reasons: I don’t know many men who sew and I’m always looking for inspiration for the men in my life 🙂 .

The pattern

I choose a pattern that I really like, the Cargo Shorts by Wardrobe by me. The pattern comes in men sizes 27-36 and in two versions: cargo shorts with reinforced back and a classic version without pleated side pockets. Both version have welt and side pockets. This pattern is full of details, so it’s not a quick make, but I personally really enjoy patterns with a lot of small steps (I guess that’s why I like to make button up shirts). For both versions the shorts didn’t require basically any alteration, I just took in 3/8” (1 cm) on the side seams from my friend’s one. The instructions are really good, and they’re supported by thematic videos on youtube. I recommend the one on constructing the welt pocket and the zipper. The latter is my reference when I want to change zipper construction to have a built-in fly.

I made both in a Robert Kaufman cotton twill, which is 44″ wide (olive for Leo and charcoal for Ogulcan) . This fabric is perfect for these shorts, I highly recommend it and it’s available in a lot of different colors. They both decided for view A (the cargo one) without reinforced back, and I used 1.5 yards of fabric for each (size 29 and 30). For the pockets I choose quilting cotton purchased at Joann (1/2 yard was enough, but I used it against the grain), and buttons from my grandma’s stash.

Below some details of the shorts, the different light shows different colors (and marks that are not actually there), but the most truthful one color wise is the second one. One comment from Leo: the side pocket is not deep enough, he would prefer it deeper so that the phone doesn’t fall when he sits. I’ll change it for the next version (if I remember 😀 ).

We spent the past weekend together walking around New York, and they both brought the shorts, so here’s some pictures on the High Line with the two models, thanks guys!