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Sewing for Men: Man Shorts

February 28, 2013 by Andrea 37 Comments

When I decided to sew something for my husband I considered something simple. Perhaps a tie. But I’ve made him one of those and he never wore it. And I already made him pajamas a few years ago. He still wears those a lot. Then I considered athletic shorts. But I didn’t feel like searching for the right material. Then I decided to look for shorts patterns. And without much thought I decided to sew him some shorts. I still can’t believe I sewed man shorts. 

Man-shorts

I used this BurdaStyle shorts pattern. The pattern is definitely for more advanced sewists. If you’ve never inserted a zip fly or a welt pocket I suggest a different pattern. 

What I liked:

  • The style of shorts is great. Flat front, zip fly, welt pocket. 
  • Great shape.

What I didn’t like:

  • Figuring out sizing is difficult. I had to measure the pattern to figure out the correct size.
  • The waist is too big. The shorts fit great otherwise.
  • Instructions are severely lacking.

Pattern adjustments:

  • Added 4.5″ to the length
  • Added beltloops

Fabric used:

Lightweight pinstriped canvas. Origins unknown!

Long-shorts

Zip-fly

Button

Man-shorts-3

Man-shorts-2
Man-pants-back-3

Man-shorts-back
P.S. I messed up the welt pocket a bit. And also, my fabric pencil isn’t coming off. 

These were an incredibly frustrating project for me. Almost purely because I kept sewing things backward and upside down (yes, that happened) but I wouldn’t catch it until I was 4 steps past and  had finished all the seams. 

I think I’ll probably try to put a dart or two in the waistband to help with the excess there. Though he always wears a belt anyway.

Man-shorts-5
And a great big THANK YOU to this adorable man for posing for my photos. He wasn’t exactly pleased when I asked him. But he’s too cute not to show off!

Have you sewn anything for a man this week? We have a flickr group we’ve started and I’d love if you’d add your photos! We’ll keep the flickr group going and I’ll be sharing some of the photos on the blog over the next year. And maybe we’ll have another Sewing For Men week!

Stop back tomorrow for a roundup of other sewing for men projects!

And don’t forget to check out these posts from my guests this week!

men’s cycling jersey
men’s after dinner pants
men’s button up shirt

Filed Under: roundup, Sewing, Sewing for men

About Andrea

Andrea is a mom to four and the creator of both Andrea's Notebook and Sewtorial. In her spare time she designs sewing patterns for Go To Patterns and surfs the web for interesting articles to post on The Train To Crazy.

« Sewing for Men: After Dinner Pants (aka. pajamas)
Sewing for MEN: inspiration & what YOU made »

Comments

  1. Jess says

    February 28, 2013 at 5:34 pm

    What a good sport! They look awesome Andrea! The fabric is great, too. 🙂

    Reply
  2. kalyn brooke says

    February 28, 2013 at 5:39 pm

    Does he say they are comfy? That would be my hubby’s main concern.

    Reply
  3. Abby says

    February 28, 2013 at 5:44 pm

    They look great! Your sewing looks perfect too. And yay for getting your husband to pose, you’ll have to tell me what you bribed him with :). It’s always fun to see other blogger’s husbands cause it’s always kind of a mystery. Your kids look a lot like him!

    Reply
  4. Andrea @ The Train To Crazy says

    February 28, 2013 at 5:46 pm

    Yes, fit just like regular shorts!

    Reply
  5. Amy Mayen says

    February 28, 2013 at 5:49 pm

    Oh thanks ! That’s exactly the pattern I’ve been looking for!!!

    Reply
  6. Twins Squared says

    February 28, 2013 at 6:44 pm

    Dude! I can’t believe you made those! They are awesome and your hubby does look super cute! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Zoe says

    February 28, 2013 at 7:15 pm

    They turned out great and the pencil just adds extra character! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Stef says

    February 28, 2013 at 7:22 pm

    These are amazing, Andrea! Seriously impressive! GOOD JOB!!

    Reply
  9. carolyn says

    February 28, 2013 at 8:44 pm

    Color me impressed! Welt pockets and a fly zipper!?! Fantastic! The shorts look great (and so does your husband 🙂 )

    Reply
  10. Melissa says

    February 28, 2013 at 9:35 pm

    Good job! This has been a fun mini-series

    Reply
  11. kristin says

    February 28, 2013 at 10:51 pm

    Seriously impressive!! The sheer size of men’s clothing is intimidating to me. These look fantastic.

    Reply
  12. Delia says

    March 1, 2013 at 2:21 am

    Um…I think your welt looks pretty good. These shorts are fantastic!! I am super impressed.

    Reply
  13. Major Moma says

    March 1, 2013 at 5:03 am

    I don’t sew for my husband at his request, but I have been eying the Burda patterns. Just in case. But yes, they often have very sparse instructions and are not great for the new sewer. ~Major Moma

    Reply
  14. Heather T. says

    March 1, 2013 at 6:34 am

    They look awesome!

    Reply
  15. Pam says

    March 1, 2013 at 7:59 am

    Great job!!! The shorts look professionally sewn.

    Reply
  16. Cindy says

    March 1, 2013 at 9:04 am

    The shorts look great! Kudos to your man for posing for pictures.:)

    Reply
  17. angie says

    March 1, 2013 at 9:20 am

    Love those shorts! That welt pocket seems very intimidating…all I ever sew for the hubs are pajama pants…

    Reply
  18. Andrea @ The Train To Crazy says

    March 1, 2013 at 4:19 pm

    Thank you! He was a good sport about it. He wasn’t excited but he came around =)

    Reply
  19. Andrea @ The Train To Crazy says

    March 1, 2013 at 4:20 pm

    I’m still way more impressed by your Bicycle Jersey, Carolyn!

    Reply
  20. Andrea @ The Train To Crazy says

    March 1, 2013 at 4:20 pm

    Thank you so much for being a part of it!

    Reply
  21. Andrea @ The Train To Crazy says

    March 1, 2013 at 4:21 pm

    The instructions are vague, at best. But they have great patterns!

    Reply
  22. Andrea @ The Train To Crazy says

    March 1, 2013 at 4:21 pm

    It was super intimidating but really it’s not that bad =)

    Reply
  23. Beverly {Flamingo Toes} says

    March 1, 2013 at 11:17 pm

    Ok seriously? I want to be you when I grow up. These are killer. I am tempted to make some for Doug.

    Reply
  24. Andrea @ The Train To Crazy says

    March 1, 2013 at 11:25 pm

    Do it!!!!

    Reply
  25. melle@Feathered Ruffles says

    March 2, 2013 at 8:42 am

    hehe your hubby is almost as handsome as my Hubbs. *giggle* Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I believe, right?
    The shorts look AMAZING! I have been trying to think of something to sew for Hubbs. He’s been saying, *but I don’t need any* to me for a YEAR….
    FINALLY! HAHA! Got him! I can make him shorts!
    I’m like you…. I get going along and the next thing I know one pajama leg is INSIDE OUT….
    or the entire pillowcase has been french seamed and the cuff and all the pretty trim s INSIDE… *face palm*
    trying to remember to check check double check… and go slow… and take breaks… LOL
    I may try this… I really love the idea of making something USEFUL for my family! I make decorative stuff that they tolerate… but useful! That would take me from *mom has an expensive hobby* land to *hey, babe, can you….?*
    *grin*

    Reply
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