High-rise, Wide Leg, Mimi G inspired jeans

 Hi Friends,

So generally I’m not one to covet what others have, or at least that’s something I like to pride myself on, but every once in a while I see something on someone else and I just can’t get it out of my head. That was the case with a particular pair of jeans I saw on Mimi G in one of her, ‘getting dressed’ reels…. I made a little tiktok showing my plans to knock them off and it's pasted below. 

Well this is them folks. Hot off the press and now into the new-jeans-simmer-phase (more on that later).

First order of business was finding some denim that looked like a good match for the style and color. Her’s were light blue, which definitely looked like they were light to start with and then had faded more with the natural patina of jeans, but I figured I might as well start with a light colored denim. Because the jeans are so wide legged, I assumed a rigid denim would be best, because you don’t want something with such a wide leg already then, stretching… though stretch always helps with ease of fit and comfort.

So the denim I ended up ordering is the denim linked below. When it came, I threw it in a hot wash and tumble dried it on high as well. It’s a nice heavy weight denim, but because it’s stone washed and clearly bleached as well, it has a nice soft fluid drape. It’s definitely soft and not stiff at all. I will say though, because of the processing, this denim really smelled strongly of chlorine every time I pressed it, so I think I probably should have washed it twice before cutting into it.

The pattern I self drafted, which I am sooo proud of. I went to school for this, but it was part-time, in a certificate program, and I still have had minimal professional experience pattern drafting so I really feel accomplished with this one. Hooooowever, I will never leave you without options to try to accomplish a similar look, so if you wanted a high-waisted wide-legged trouser pattern, Megan Nielsen has one that I have used before and I think it yields good results with a little bit of tweaking to match individual body shapes (don’t all patterns take that work?).

I started this pattern on a custom Beatrice form I own (not sponsored) and then made sure the pattern really matched my measurements when I trued everything up on paper. Then I made a toile and adjusted it further for fit. In this stage, I increased the front crotch extension, the width at the hips and dropped the crotch 1”. When I cut everything out of the denim and sewed it all together, I ended up taking out the width I added at the hips, and taking off some crotch extension, mostly from the front, but some from the back as well, and scooped out the back crotch curve a bit. I still left the back crotch curve a bit shallow to give that separating look, but you need enough scoop to give your booty the proper room as well. In hindsight I realized when I took out some of the crotch depth, I inadvertently made the front and back crotch extension the same length… which is definitely not correct, and leading to some slightly egregious drag lines diagonally down the back of my legs, but you live and learn and I don’t think they are going to be an impediment to my wearing these jeans for the years to come.

Annnnnd that brings me to some jean theory that I like to tout to anyone that will listen, and since you’re reading this, I will go ahead and assume you are listing. So this is my theory. Good jeans, just like a good pasta sauce (and I am half Italian) needs to siiiimmmmmer. You need to wear jeans many times and wash them a few times for the fibers to acclimate to your body and stretch out where you have a little extra mass and shrink-in where you have a little less mass. That is the secret of well worn, comfy, good fitting jeans. Do your best to get/make some well fitting jeans, but don’t over think every little last wrinkle or crinkle, just wear them and let the fibers of the twill weave do what they do best… shift, stretch and shrink. The jeans will take care of the last 10% of the perfect fitting magic if you let them.

However, with that said, …. Next time, I do plan to increase the back crotch extension 1/2-1” (possibly taking 1/4-1/2” from the front crotch extension and though I was going for that ultra high rise look, they are prob 1/2-1/3” inch too high, because it feels like they are cupping my ribs when I sit, so I would take the rise (in the front and back) down slightly.

Lastly, part of me is reallllly really tempted to cut some giant holes in the knees, to really match the inspiration jeans, but for now I’ll hold off… because well worn jeans always get there eventually.

Happy sewing Friends!

 

Kten