Wannabe Wednesday: Harem Edition

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In 2009, we all saw something slightly frightening hit the runway: Harem pants. Basically, for one season, designers tried their darndest to force this trend upon us once more:

My mom made me like 3 pairs of these in the early 90′s. 🙂

Fast-forward to 2013, and whaddyaknow? Harem pants are attempting a dubious comeback once more! Luckily, they’re a bit more subdued than their crotch-to-your-ankles predecessors!

Take these cute pants from Free People:

They were $98, but now they’re on sale for $69.95!

I personally think this trend is rather silly, but when I was invited to a party with instructions to “dress in festive attire” and “There will be big pants.”, I decided to give ‘em a go!

I began with this thrifted skirt. The pattern doesn’t look much like the original, but it IS floral and fun, so let’s just go with it! 🙂

There are like 1,000,000 of these at every thrift store!

You can kind of see on the right where there are two side slits. I quickly stitched those down.

You are not needed!

Slit no more!

Then, I safety-pinned the skirt around my legs on each side so they fit really snug!

Pinned!

I slipped out of the skirt, and cut a U-shape from the bottom of where each leg was going to be, like so!

Hint: You can draw the U-shape in chalk first!

I pinned along my new edge…

Hint: Don’t move it from the floor, or it’ll be harder to match the sides up!

…then I sewed the two sides together!

Whirrrrr!

Now I’m ready to put on my party pants! 😀

BAM!

One problem with wearing something ironically, is that you’re still wearing it. Another problem is that you might really really end up liking it.

I totally unironically love these pants! I’m probably going to make a couple more unironic pairs!

Guy Fawkes approves!

Extreme Leg Close-up!

Of course, any trend can seem like a good idea after imbibing much wine from exotic receptacles!

Slllllurrrrp!

Glug!

And here’s a pic of someone doing it right!

It’s my old roommate, Bob! 🙂

Now, on to another subject I’ve avoided til now. I’ve been getting lots of comments/emails about that handsome older gent I was seeing for the better part of a year. The good news is, he’s still alive and also still handsome. The other news is, we’ve been broken up for a couple of months now. That’s why you haven’t seen any pics lately. Our 26 year age difference, coupled with the long-distance relationship factor, thirded with many other issues we had brought everything to a close. Don’t worry. Everyone’s fine.

I’m not bugged with anyone for asking about this. When you have a blog like mine where you actually put your friends/love life/social life out there the way I do, what can you expect? So…while you’re not going to get the same detailed account as my last breakup (he didn’t like my blog, and was therefore fairer game), now you know what’s going on. 🙂

It’s hard to be anonymous (hehe..get it?) when you’re all over the interwebs!

Cheers!

Original Cost: $69.95

Copycat Cost: $1

Savings: $68.95!

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42 Responses to Wannabe Wednesday: Harem Edition

Those are so cute!! Im going to have to take the plunge and make some myself!!

I’m sort of obsessed with you!!! I want these pants, and am thinking about trying to make them, if for no other reason than to have comfy pants that I can try to pull of as “office appropriate.” You are SUPER!

You are just hilarious, wonderful ball of sunshine that I thoroughly appreciate appearing in my inbox on a daily basis. Sweet pants. Keep up all the awesomeness. You are totally kicking butt at life.

Have to say I had some of these haram pants and honestly they were way too comfy! This is quite a nice refashion. Thanks for the inspiration.

I had been wondering about the “handsome older gent,” but didn’t know if it was fair game to ask. I’m glad to hear you seem to be handling it well. Just know your blog followers are with you all the way!

I love love love your blog. In fact it’s made me want to take up sewing. I’m getting my sewing room together as we speak and will finish it after my vacation. And it’s so funny that you mentioned your now ex. I was just thinking to myself…”whatever happened to the older gentlemen?” I told myself “girl quit trippin’ and get out of her business.” HAHAHAHA Thanks for updating the nosey people like me! Hahahaha!

Oops! didn’t realize I commented on the picture collage only…

You look really cute in them! Did you happen to get any pics straight on so we can admire the droopy crotch style? Without a head-on picture, I’m inclined to agree that they don’t look half bad and seem pretty cute and comfy on you!

I completely didn’t get any head-on pics. I blame the wine. :/

Totally acceptable explanation!

I love these! Great job!!

So awesome!! So glad i stumbled across your blog.

Wow! I actually like your harem pants! Great job!

As a tailor I love how casual you make these refashions… Its refreshing to see that you and others just take the plunge and have fun doing what I have to be so technical about… Customers want things to be oh so finished and proper… Thanks for your blog I love it.. It has given me a refreshed look at “tailoring”

You are gutsy and adorable and everything fun….and that you went there with the harem pants is admirable…but I do wish they’d go by way of Hammer time!! I still love the refashion, as I do all of them. Cheers, lovey!!

I must have drank the kool-aid because this morning, before I saw this, I turned a big baggy skirt into a pair of boho pants. So cute.

the originals are hideous but what you made are so effing cute I want some. But I know that I wouldn’t be able to pull this off. You have great vision!

I Like the harem pants…..but I like the wine drinking photos without the harem pants even more. Think your fab xx

Only YOU can make those goofy pants look Adorable! Thanks for the smiles! Glad you are doing well. I, too, was wondering about the “gent”, so thanks for sharing.

Sorry about your ‘gent… happy to hear you’re doing well with it… You have just a couple people cheering you on… 😉 And thanks for letting us in on the personal side too. 🙂

You’re so cool. 😉 They look awesome! And I’m right there with ya, having owned a couple pair of harem or “parachute” pants, I was not open or accepting of the rehash of that particular style. I worked in retail and the girls were always trying to get me to buy a pair (I have really long legs and they said I would look great in them. To me it seemed counter-intuitive to display my long legs while dropping my crotch about 12 inches). I said NAY! BUT, as do all of your posts, I am now inspired to give them a go. Plus I have a ton of fugly skirts that might work for this. PS, I feel for ya on the LDR thang and age diff… all of it. It seems like you two came to a very amicable agreement. Which is super great :). Best of luck and loving wishes to ya!!! ~*Natree*~

I love these!!!1 it’s a great idea to make harem pants out of a skirt -the ones i got from h&m 1 1/2ears ago were still 49,95$, but now i can surf goodwill for skirts and make them myself *squeeeeel*

I LOVE THESE!!! And I don’t even really like Harem pants! Ever tried those Thai fisherman pants??
I love skirts done that way. I’ve take a few skirts that were like 5 sizes too big and turned them into wrap skirts. Anyway I LOVE these!!! They look brilliant on you!

Harem, parachute, fisherman pants are all big now in Southeast Asia. (Perhaps they never went out of style). In Cambodia, the pants have crotches so low, it’s basically a skirt with ankle elastic. Frankly, I would welcome a voluminous pants comeback in the US since they are so darn comfortable! And all those poor printed skirts need to be saved from thrift eternity.

He didn’t like your blog?!?!? The entire world loves your blog! Talk about having bad taste!
Btw – my sister just found your blog completely independently of me and sent me an email telling me how much I would love it. 🙂 She’s a couple months behind – I’ve loved it for a while now!

I don’t know, Jillian. I still don’t know if I can get behind hammerpants!

Ahhhhh, so THAT’S what I can do with those skirts in my wardrobe that just sit there! Thank you!

Love all your work! But today you are showing a tipical spanish PORRON, for drinking wine XD!!!
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porr%C3%B3n

Those turned out great! I remember a pair of pants I had that were along these lines, but they were of a crinkle material and as the day progressed, they kept getting bigger and bigger…….I called them my MC Hammer pants. Thanks for the flashback!

Cool refashion. Really love your blog.
Keep it up. I look forward to many more refashion inspirations from you.
Best wishes from all the way over here.

Sorry about the breakup, but you look totally adorable in those pants! I don’t think I could pull them off, but what a cute refashion. Keep up the great work!

That skirt was absolutely aweful, but the refash is my favourite yet!!! So friggin cute!!!!

Love it Jillian – very inventive! 🙂

So easy this refashion !! And lovely !! About the “handsome older gent” sorry for you but….he didn’t desserve you if he didn’t like your blog which is so clever, so full of ideas, so stylish, so…..YOU !! Be happy he’s gone, you’re saving troubles for tomorrow.

I’ve been following your blog for a couple weeks now and I love you and your style! I cannot believe you managed to pull off harem pants and inspire me to try my hand and it! I seriously have been obsessed with your blog and have looked back at archives to catch up 🙂

Brings back so many memories…Can’t Touch This!
Btw way i love your blog its the highlight of my day and i get all excited when I see you have a new posting.

Love the pants, you have the best imagination when it comes to this stuff! I would have never thought to turn a skirt into pants, great job!

this might be my favorite-ever refashion! they are SO cute! I am not a seamstress, like, at all, but I want to learn for the simple reason that I want a pair of those pants!
Also, sorry about the breakup…I just went through one too and yeah, it still sucks. Chin up!

I like your blog more and more every day. I came for the refashions…but I stay because I love how real you are. Silly, caring, and honest.

Hi! Love your stuff. It’s crazy. Just wondering.. Do you have a lazy eye? Or maybe uour photos are just weird angles?

Thanks, and Ouch! I hope I don’t have a lazy eye…

I’m so amazed at your refashions and always leave your post with a burning desire to upcycle something…I’m clearly distracted from the personal stuff! I just love your blog and quirky photos! Keep doing the amazing job you do we all appreciate it! And always will even if you did have a lazy eye 😀 JK I thought that was hilarious. Again clearly distracted b/c I have no idea where that would have come from!

That is a cute refashion.

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Wannabe Wednesday: Harem Edition | ReFashionista