After consecutive lingerie and swim pattern launches this year, it feels SO GOOD to finally introduce some new woven clothing patterns back into the CCP family! We couldn't be happier to add the Mitchell Trousers to our roster, destined to be a wardrobe staple for you this fall and beyond.
Mitchell is our take on a classic pleated trouser. These are too perennial to ever *really* go out of style, but if you follow fashion, you've surely noticed trousers are back in a very big way (no doubt a reaction to all the sweats we've been wearing the last few years!) Last fall I was desperate for an alternative to elastic waist pants, so we developed Mitchell to scratch that particular itch. I'm a bit obsessed with the final design - they look super sophisticated and pulled together while also being very comfortable to wear all day long.
Mitchell is a unique trouser pattern in that it doesn't have a waistband. High-waisted and designed to sit at your natural waist, you get a sleek, continuous line throughout the rise. The waist itself is stabilized with an inner facing, so it has all the structure of a waistband without the discomfort of one digging into your middle. We also wanted to avoid the volume around the midsection that can result from too many pleats, so instead, we have one deep pleat that provides sitting ease and comfort while also looking rather architectural and cool as it integrates into the front angled pocket. The pleat is anchored for the first few inches, so again, you don't get that tummy volume you might be used to from traditional pleated pants.
We love giving you bang for your buck, so we drafted two different major variations for this pattern: a wide leg with a floor-skimming deep hem, and a tapered, slightly cropped leg. This gives you lots of styling and shoe options, whether you want to wear them long with a heel, or cropped and tapered with an oxford, flat, or sneaker.
Fabrics we used: Cream recycled denim, lightweight denim, yellow textured cotton, deadstock wool.
Another one of my favourite features.... rather than adding belt loops, we created an adjustable waist tie that is sewn into the front pleat and back dart. If you make the right size, it's mostly an interesting design detail, but I do like that it gives you the option to adjust the fit if your body changes - we're stocking a slider buckle specifically for this, but you can also use D-Rings. You can also play around with front closures, whether you want a traditional button, jeans button, or an "invisible" sew-on hook and eye for a sleek finish.
We also added optional back welt pockets (this is a trouser after all!) but you're welcome to skip them or sub them for a back patch pocket as well. We based the front crotch curve of the Mitchell Trousers on our Pietra Pants, so if you've made that pattern before you'll know what to expect in terms of crotch fit.
If you're wondering what options you have for fabric, the answer is... a lot! We'll be sharing more specific fabric suggestions in an upcoming post, but in brief, you can use just about any midweight woven for these babies, from structured cottons to denim, wool, and linen. I am also excited to see how they look in a midweight drapey fabric like Tencel.
Difficulty-wise, we have rated this pattern as intermediate, although I think any confident beginner would be in good hands. We use a modified version of our typical fly front instructions, and if you want to skip the welts it makes this considerably easier and faster to sew. I think you'll really enjoy the novel construction of our front pleated pockets - it's really satisfying to watch them come together!
This pattern is available in PDF (sizes 0-32) and print (0-20). Please note that due to a huge increase in material costs, the print pattern is $22 USD instead of our typical $20. We're hoping prices will come down in the coming year, but due to supply chain issues, we had to switch printers for the pattern tissue and could not avoid a price increase for this pattern. The PDF pattern has not increased in cost.
Finally, if you're wondering who Mitchell is, it won't surprise longtime readers to know we named this pattern after one of my all-time personal heroes, Joni Mitchell. Joni means more to me than I can say; she provided the soundtrack to my childhood and was the glue that held my mom and me together during the worst of my moody teenage years (she would wake me up every Saturday blaring Blue, knowing I couldn't say no to cleaning the house while it was playing), and into my adulthood has provided countless moments of solace, reflection, and inspiration. She also has incredible personal style that leaned more and more to menswear-inspired looks as she got older, and I think she would love these trousers if I could somehow make a pair for her... she's a constant reminder to me that charting your own unique and singular course through life is the greatest journey there is. We hope that while you're wearing your Mitchell Trousers, you'll feel inspired to do the same.
P.S. A big thank you to Poppy Barley for the oxfords and ankle boots in this shoot! You can get them here.
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