Choosing a Size for Shorts

To choose a size for these shorts I start by comparing two things:

1. A's measurements against the size chart on the pattern envelope
   
   
2. A's measurements against the garment measurements on the pattern envelope
   
   

To make pants I usually use the hip measurement as my key.

A's hip (widest point) measures up at 101cm.

• first surprise: according to the size chart that means I should be using a size 16. I'm pretty sure A is buying about a size 10 in the shops!
• second, not such a surprise: Size 16 on the pattern is given as 40 inches (100 cm) or 102cm if my Spanish/French interpretations are right. I'm ok to give or take a couple of cm on this one, so I won't worry about it.
• ok now I'm looking at the garment measurement and the width at the hip for size 16 is given as 44 inches (110cm). That means the ease for this garment is a whole 10cm. That's a loose fit.
• as an extra check I asked A to measure her crotch length for me. That means measuring the curve in the centre of her body from the waistline at the front of the garment, between her legs to the centre back also at the waistline. I wanted this to measure how loose she would like her PJ pants to be. So I asked her to measure this the way she would like the pants to fit. the answer was 62 cm.

Now it's time to open the pattern envelope and have a look at the pattern pieces I'll be using

All of a sudden things are looking rather messy. There are 4 pages of instructions and two pages of tissue paper in that little envelope. I'm just looking for two pattern pieces so I can measure them.

According to the instruction sheet they should look like this:

. . . so I find those two pieces, measure the crotch length--I have to add the measurement from the front piece to the measurement for the back piece. I take off 6cm (3cm allowed for the waist casing on each piece) and another 3 cm (1.5cm for seam allowance on each piece) and the answer is . . . 60cm.

All of that confirms that I should be using size 16 on this pattern. It's a loose fit, and that corresponds with how A says she wants to wear these PJ pants. Done deal! size 16 it is. I'll make myself a coffee and trace off those two pattern pieces.