The Perfect Touch

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Sewing 1930s Trousers - Scandalous!!! #1930swardrobe #wearinghistoryE1002T

YouTube Companion Video: https://youtu.be/uX0sg06jksQ

Scandalous (said with proper inflection and accompanying shake of head ). Defined as causing general public outrage by a perceived offense against morality or law.

So scandalous that when Marlene Dietrich arrived in Paris in 1930, The Daily Telegraph commented that the actress, dressed in a man's suit, had misread the European mood against "bizarre and exotic dress". In 1800 the Paris police chief had banned women from wearing men's clothing and Dietrich was warned she could be arrested for wearing pants in the city.

Although Hollywood Stars like Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo were blazing the way for women wearing trousers, it was still a rare occurance.

Another Hollywood icon and fellow scandalous trouser-wearing lady was Katharine Hepburn. The legend is that her studio staff hid her slacks backstage to stop her from wearing them and she chose to go pantless until they were returned to her.

In May 1933 Movie Classic Magazine quoted Constance Bennett, a fellow actress of Katharine Hepburn, saying "Trousers for women are incredible, ridiculous and absurd! I can't imagine wearing such atrocities."

That same year the romantic drama Christopher Strong was released with Katharine Hepburn as the pants-wearing aviator Lady Cynthia Darrington.

I have the Warner Brothers Archive Collection DVD. If you watch this movie, have tissues nearby.

Hepburn wears a suit in the movie and the Butterick Pattern Company issued a pattern that same year for that suit in their Starred collection. The pattern is now offered by EvaDress Patterns.

I made this suit and will share a links to the dress diary in both written and video formats. It's an extraordinary pattern and suit!

The Perfect Touch Blog Link: http://theperfecttouchvictorian.blogspot.com/2022/05/sewing-1930s-suit-and-hat-katharine.html

The YouTube Video Link: https://youtu.be/NFV_C8LA1wo

Adrian Adolph Greenburg took his and his father's forenames and created his persona as Gilbert Adrian. He was the chief costume designer at MGM from 1924 to 1941 and is credited onscreen simply as "Gowns by Adrian".

Adrian was a great ally in crafting Katharine Hepburn's public image. He backed her personal style and preference for pants and translated it onto the silverscreen.

Life Magazine's photo of Katharine Hepburn shows her sporting a 2-piece suit with socks and oxfords and a very self-assured attitude.

In 1939 Vogue featured its first fashion spread featuring women in slacks. There were, however, primary rules for the wearers. They had to be younger than 50 and weigh less than 63 kg (approximately 139 pounds).

I'll share links to the articles where my research led me, but as with any internet information, we can trust only so far as what the writers were willing to say. What I can truthfully tell you is that many decades after the Vogue article, slacks were still not allowed for me to wear to school or even to work in the early days of my engineering career.

A dress- and sock-wearing me with my Mom and little sister, Jackie.

Dress-wearing in warm weather.

Dress-wearing in cold weather - third grade. We would wear our snow pants under our dress to walk to and from school.

[ heavens times have changed! Let's sew some 1930s trousers!

The Pattern and Fabric

I've used Wearing History E1002T Smooth Sailing Trousers & Shorts before and love the ease of construction and the fit. I had purchased this as an e-pattern which was an easy assembly.

The Wearing History Pattern: https://wearinghistorypatterns.com/products/e-pattern-smooth-sailing-1930s-sports-togs-pattern-bust-30-40-or-bust-41-53?_pos=6&_sid=bc0ba2b93&_ss=r

This pair is made with linen for a Sew for Victory collaboration. I'll share a link to my blog post.

The Perfect Touch Blog Post: http://theperfecttouchvictorian.blogspot.com/2014/04/venturing-into-new-era-hsf-challenge-8.html

For this project I've sourced a beautiful black cotton velveteen which I will use for several 1930s projects.

Sewing the Trousers

The pattern pieces cut from the velveteen are Front, Back, and Waistband. There is also a pattern for a belt and instructions for belt loops but I have an alternate plan. There is also a blog post from Wearing History for a pocket addition to this pattern.

Wearing History Blog Pocket Hack: https://wearinghistoryblog.com/2023/05/pattern-hack-pockets-for-smooth-sailing-trousers-pattern/

I'm careful to keep the nap in the same direction for all pieces.

Construction is a breeze. Tucks sewn in the Fronts.

Darts sewn in the Backs.

The Fronts are sewn together at the crotch seam from the top to the notch.

Repeat for the Backs.

Topstitch the front tucks and pull the thread to the inside and tie off.

Now the assembled front and assembled back are sewn at the left side seam. A machine basting stitch is used from the top to a mark where the zipper will later be inserted. The seam is sewn with a standard stitch down the remainder of the seam to the hem. The zipper is inserted using great pattern instructions and the basting stitches removed..

The right outer leg seam is sewn top to hem. The inner leg seams are both sewn.

One leg is placed inside the other, the inner leg seams aligned, and the remainder of the crotch is sewn.

The ends of the waistband are stitched right sides together, trimmed, and turned. A long edge of the waistband is pinned and sewn right sides together to the pants making sure to position for the underlap at the back edge of the zipper. The seam allowance is trimmed. The seam allowance is turned in at the other long edge and handstitched over the previous machine stitching.

A tailor bar and hook is attached.

The hem and cuffs are finished by turning the raw edge up 1/2", turning the cuff up 3" and then stitching 1/8" from the top edge. Then the lower edge is turned up 2" to create the cuff. I've tacked the cuff in place at the inner and outer seams to hold the cuff in place.

Wearing the Trousers

I've always wanted to wear wide-leg trousers with suspenders. And in my search efforts I was so lucky to find a pair in the secondary market! They arrive and I love them! They don't look like they were ever used.

With a black velvet beret, my Felix the Cat watch, and black velvet flats, the finished trousers with shirt and flashy red suspenders spend time in the Library on the Queen Mary 2. And not one single Scandalous! whisper behind my back.

These trousers were wonderful for another day aboard wearing a black blouse and my Hamilton Spencer and a visit to Churchill's Cigar Lounge.

Replacing the Hamilton Spencer with a velvet wrapper made from a Mrs. Depew pattern, I was ready for the Red and Gold Gala Night aboard and some fun in the Casino.