We're thrilled to introduce Frank – the jeans pattern that adapts to you! Inspired by the fit and style of classic heritage denim, Frank offers customizable mix-and-match options for rise and leg shape, so you can create the jeans of your dreams. With traditional details like a five-pocket design, fly-front zipper, angled yoke, contoured waistband, and belt loops, Frank will become the foundation of your denim wardrobe – a pattern you'll remix and repeat for years to come.
And that's not all! We're also launching our completely refilmed Learn to Sew Jeans online class alongside Frank, bringing you hours of all-new, crystal-clear instruction that makes sewing jeans achievable and enjoyable. After ten years of teaching jean-making around the world, Heather condensed everything she's learned in a new and improved class that allows sewists of all levels to make their own jeans with total confidence (and have fun doing it!) Read on to learn more about how you can save 15% on the class when you sign up AND get a free trial of Crew this month!
Our Definitive Non-Stretch Jean
If you've been following Closet Core for a while, you know we're obsessed with jeans. We've released many jeans patterns – Ginger, Morgan, Jude, the Chloe – trusted designs that sewists return to again and again. We've taught jeanmaking in person to hundreds of students and thousands more online, troubleshooting every fitting challenge imaginable and refining our techniques until they're foolproof.
Frank represents everything we've learned. This is our definitive non-stretch jean – the pattern we always knew we wanted to create. Every lesson from every pattern, every insight from every student, every technique we've perfected over years of teaching has been poured into Frank.
Two Years in the Making
Frank has been in development for two years. We didn't just draft another jeans pattern – we set out to create something infinitely customizable, a pattern you'd return to again and again. We wanted to make it easy to mix and match your preferred rises and leg shapes, giving you maximum value and wearability from a single pattern. As we worked through the development process, we kept asking ourselves: "What else could we add? How can we make this even better?" The result is the richest, most versatile jeans pattern we've ever created (and we've created a lot!)
Here's what makes Frank truly special: Frank is the first pattern to offer a completely modular approach, with mix-and-match rises and leg shapes. More than just adding views, it's about engineering the pattern pieces so they work together seamlessly in any combination you choose.
This innovation means you're not locked into one silhouette. You can build exactly the jeans you want to wear, whether that's a classic straight leg, an on-trend barrel leg, or a modern wide leg – all with the rise that works best for your body and style. All in all, you'll get six completely different jean styles from one pattern.
In terms of fit, we looked to the classics. The fit through the seat and hip is what we are calling a "cheeky cut"; you can expect a bit of tush lift and cheek delineation for a true "great butt" pair of jeans. We've drafted a contoured waistband for a closer fit through the waist, and agonized over crotch curves to give you a great neutral base to start refining your ideal fit. Keep in mind that non-stretch denim does tend to stretch – jeans can gain up to 1 1/2" of ease over the course of the day with normal wear. Frank is cut on the slim side to account for this natural growth; if you'd like a slouchy, more casual fit, size your jeans up.
How Frank Works
To build your perfect jeans, choose from the following rise and leg shape options:
Rise Options:
- Mid-rise – sits just below your belly button for everyday comfort
- High rise – sits approximately one inch below your natural waist for a vintage-inspired fit that is still comfortable to wear all day long
Leg Shape Options:
- Straight leg – a true classic, available in 30" and 32" inseams
- Barrel leg – a contemporary shape with knee darts and a slightly cropped ankle length inseam
- Wide leg – a timeless silhouette available in 30" and 32" inseams
Grading Improvements
With Frank, we also completely reapproached how we grade jeans patterns. Traditional pant grading often struggles to maintain proper proportions across a full size range, with sizes on each end of the range ending up with legs that are too wide or too narrow, and rises too low or too high, when compared to the desired proportions of the base size. After drafting dozens of jeans patterns over the years, we knew we could do better.
For Frank, we developed a new proportional grading approach that maintains beautiful proportions across every single size. Whether you're sewing a size 0 or a size 32, your Frank jeans will fit just as we intended. This refinement comes from years of listening to our students and addressing the fit challenges they encounter across different sizes.
Introducing Our COMPLETELY REFILMED Jeans Class!
Making jeans can feel intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. We've been teaching this craft for over a decade, and we know exactly how to break it down into achievable steps. Our bestselling Learn to Sew Jeans course has been completely refilmed with all-new content, bringing you hours of clear, entertaining instruction that breaks down every step of the construction process.
With over a decade of teaching jeans construction in person to real-life students, Heather Lou knows exactly where people get stuck and what makes everything suddenly click. This course doesn't just show you what to do – it teaches you why techniques work, when to use them, and how to troubleshoot when things don't go exactly as planned.
What's Inside:
- Over 12 detailed lessons covering the complete jeans construction process
- Guidance on selecting the right denim and cutting to prevent leg twist
- Professional seam finishes and flawless topstitching techniques
- How to install rivets and hardware like a pro
- Deep dives into both stretch and non-stretch denim
- Every technique demonstrated for home sewing machines
- How to choose your size and make basic fitting adjustments
- Fly zipper construction with confidence
- All the finishing details that make your jeans look store-bought (but better!)
Plus, you get your choice of our bestselling jeans patterns included with the class, so you have everything you need to get started! And this month, we're offering a free month of Crew when you sign up for our class and choose Frank as your pattern!
Already an existing student of the original class? You get access to the updated class for free! Simply log in as usual to see all the new video content!
How To Get Frank
For the month of February, Frank is available exclusively in two ways (in March, it will become available as a standalone pattern at a higher price). Here's how you can get it:
Option 1: Join Crew
Frank is available to all Crew members this month! Join monthly for just $14 USD / $17.50 CAD (no minimum commitment!) or upgrade to our annual Unlimited plan for access to Frank, plus:
- Access to all patterns in our 2026 Living collection + the Decades and Stone Collections
- Access to Gabby, our fitting expert, for personalized one-on-one fitting help
- Standing discounts at Closet Core Patterns, Deer&Doe and Core Fabrics (patterns, classes + fabric!)
- Exclusive access to member-only resources and community
- Live events for every pattern, including our upcoming jeans fitting event at the end of February
Option 2: Sign Up for the Learn to Sew Jeans Class with Frank
Want to dive into jeanmaking with expert guidance from THE jeans experts? Enroll in our completely refilmed Learn to Sew Jeans class and choose Frank as your included pattern. We're offering the class at 15% off to celebrate its relaunch, so there has never been a better time to get over your fear of making jeans.
SPECIAL BONUS: If you're not already a Crew member, signing up for the class with Frank automatically gives you a FREE one-month trial of Crew! This means you'll get:
- Access to our live jeans fitting event at the end of February – get personalized help perfecting the fit of your Frank jeans
- Access to the Fowler jacket sewalong – want to make a matching jacket? Fowler is now available as a standalone pattern, and your Crew trial gives you access to the full sewalong we hosted last month
- All other Crew member benefits for your trial month, including access to our incredible private community, where you get to hang out with the most supportive gang of sewing nerds you could ever hope to meet
It's the perfect way to experience everything Crew has to offer while you learn to make professional-quality jeans!
Fabric Suggestions for Frank
Frank is designed for mid- to heavy-weight non-stretch denim in 10-13 oz weights – the kind that ages beautifully and moulds to your body over time. You'll also need cotton lining for pockets and waistband, a jeans button, denim zipper (length varies by size and rise), topstitching thread, regular sewing thread, denim needles, and optional rivets and knit interfacing for the waistband. For hardware installation, you'll need a hammer, a hard metal surface, and an awl.
We've made it incredibly easy to gather your supplies at Core Fabrics! Choose from curated Frank jeans kits that include everything you need in one click, or build your own by selecting any denim from our shop and easily adding topstitching thread and hardware kits right from the product page. You can also browse our complete Frank collection, which includes denim, notions, and all the tools you'll need for installing hardware – everything in one place to help you create your perfect pair of jeans.
Watch the Design Story
Heather walks you through all the details of this pattern and gives you some tips for fabric and styling!
We've poured everything we know about jeans construction and pattern drafting into Frank. This isn't just another jeans pattern – it's the culmination of over a decade of jeans expertise, two years of intensive development, and countless hours of refinement. From the modular approach to carefully engineered grading that works beautifully across our full size range, Frank represents our commitment to creating patterns that truly serve you.
Whether you make one pair or twenty, Frank will become the pattern you reach for again and again. We can't wait to see what you achieve with #ClosetCoreFrank!
