The Persephone Pants by Anna Allen Clothing, is a pattern that I really wanted to love but just haven’t been able to.
I have made three pairs of Persephone Pants so far.
I made my first pair in my first year of sewing in a butterfly Rifle Paper Co. canvas. They were beautiful aesthetically, but fit-wise they were a huge mess. I chalked it up to inexperience. Pants are ambitious for a novice after all.
The second time I made the pants, I made them as the shorts version. I used my first butterfly version to assess the fit and thought that I did “enough” research to understand what to fix. I determined that there was way too much fabric in the crotch, so I decided to “scoop” 1/2″ from the front crotch piece. The waist was also too low on me (I typically have a longer torso), so I added 1/2 to the rise, front and back.
The front crotch was fine when finished, considering I used a linen that stretched to cause the drag lines and bagginess in the front. The back however, had “hungry bum”. Looking at the pictures of the pattern on other people, this is actually a stylistic choice made by the pattern maker.
It makes for a very uncomfortable experience.
Without seam ripping anything, I “scooped” out the back crotch curve with my serger but nothing made them wearable for more than two seconds.
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So there went another pair of Persephone’s, destined to a life in the depths of my closet.
I decided to give the Persephone Pants one more try with proper, denim fabric and even a zipper fly instead of the button fly.
I was so excited for this pair. I had always wanted a pair of white, high-waisted, wide-legged jeans. I was daydreaming about all the different outfits I was going to make. I really thought that I had finally learned enough and researched enough to make a pair that I would love, or at least wear.
This pair ended up disappointing me most of all. I used the same modifications as the shorts. I used adorable pocket lining. I struggled and enlisted Jared’s help in shortening a metal zipper.
And they ended up see through with camel toe while being too tight around the butt and not flattering at all around the knees/calf. The crotch seam was somehow off center. The drag lines were everywhere.
After three times, I decided to stop trying to make this pattern. I looked at everyone else’s versions of them on Instagram and saw all of the same problems, even on the people who tried really hard to fit them. Unfortunately, I wrote this pattern off as a “cult favorite” that doesn’t really have any business of being there. It only works for some and disappoints many.
2 Comments
It’s been one of the hardest lessons to assess critically the enthusiastic pictures of popular patterns making the rounds of Instagram. Noticing the details rather than being blinded by gorgeous pictures…it’s a journey.
I completely understand the want to have beautiful pictures of your makes especially when you feel like they fit well. But I think it’s important to put insecurities aside and at least show one photo of what you look like when you stand in a normal way.