Refashioned shorts

I've had these floral print ankle-length pants for a long time, and they just never worked. The length was wrong, and I was never happy with the way the pockets gaped. I kept thinking I just needed to figure out how to rock them, but after years and years, I gave up on them and they went in the sewing room refashion/alteration pile. This pile is surprisingly hard to tackle. You'd think that alterations and refashions should be easier than new garments, but there's something about the clean slate that makes new things easier for me.

Last week, I finally tackled the refashion/alteration pile, and this is the first thing I worked on. After looking at myself in the mirror with the pants on, I decided that the length and pocket gaping were the only two problems. The fit through the hips and legs was good, so I just had to decide what length to make them. I'm very fond of knee- and just above-knee shorts, so I decided to add another pair to my wardrobe. I hacked 14 inches off the legs and made a narrow hem at the bottom. I thought about cuffs but took the easy way out.

Then I made the painful decision to sew up the front pockets. The pocket gaping has always bothered me on these pants, and with the pockets shut, they are nice and smooth over my hips. I am a big fan of pockets, but I think the unattractive gaping would be a deterrent to wearing the shorts. Of course, it will be easy to reopen them if I change my mind.

I wore these out for the first time on Tuesday. It may have been slightly chilly for shorts, but I really liked how I looked! I think these will be a great way to make summer shorts outfits look a little classier, especially for bike dates. I just wish I had done it sooner. There are a few small stains on some of the white parts, so I'm thinking about dyeing them cobalt blue. We'll see if I ever get around to it. In the meantime, they're quite nice as-is.