Festival Pants

Built for the wild and the work

2–3 minutes

A Design Born From a Mend

It all started with a pair of harem pants a friend asked me to fix. As I picked them apart and saw how simply they were made, I couldn’t shake the idea of making my own version. I wanted a pattern that was low-waste, easy to move in, and could handle long days in the sun and cool nights by the fire.

Nine prototypes later — and a handful of sewing frustrations — I finally landed on a design I love: one single rectangle of fabric, folded and sewn with just two seams and a waistband. No extra scraps, no complicated pattern pieces.

From Workshop to Festival Grounds

Today, Zac and I are headed to a music festival to join the set-up crew. Zac’s cooking for the crew, I’m documenting the build, and we’re both helping set up equipment. It’ll be our first time at this festival, and it feels extra special since it’s run by Zac’s best friend who handles the AV and his partner — who happens to be the original owner of the pants I mended and redesigned – she creates the visual designs for the event.

Naturally, I had to make us both a pair of these pants for it. They’re a forest green that literally melts into the trees (as proven in the stop motion I made while hiking in them). The fabric is light, water-resistant, and comfortable enough to wear while working, but still easy to dress up with a beautiful hers and his corsets we bought from a previous event.

Comfort, Craft, and the Next Iteration

The thing I love most about these pants is how they feel. Light enough for hot days, thick enough for chilly nights. The wide, comfy waistband makes them the perfect alternative to PJ pants — but ones you’d actually want to be seen in.

The hardest part was figuring out how to make the waistband sit just right without a pattern, while sticking to my one-piece rectangle rule. I stitched, unpicked, and muttered a lot of curse words before it finally clicked.

Now I’m dreaming up versions made from vintage tablecloths or soft, flowing chiffon. Maybe even adding pockets if I can work out how to keep them sleek. And who knows — if enough people ask, I might start selling a few.

For now though, they’re my festival uniform. A little handmade, a little practical, and fully stitched with good memories.