Vietnamese style trousers - a tutorial

I'm breaking my rule here, that most of my posts are about clothes for my grand-children. These wraparound trousers can be used to make similar for a child, but as I originally wrote it up, the tutorial assumes these are being made for a woman. 

These are wonderfully cool, and very easy to make.  I bought two pairs in Vietnam, one black and one white, and was so impressed with the simple design that I plan to make more. It would also be very simple to scale this down for a child. You need no buttons, zips etc. If you are a confident / experienced dressmaker, the basic instructions will probably do, but for more precise details, read the longer version below.

Basic instructions (for confident / experienced dress maker)

These basic instructions will work for a small to medium size frame (UK sizes 10-12) of c. 152-165cm (5’0” – 5’5”) and may well work for someone a bit bigger. They are sold as ‘one size fits all’ in Indochina.  If you are a lot different from this, suggest you read the fuller instructions. And do so if these ‘ basic instructions’ are not clear enough. They are intended for someone who is prepared to do a bit of trial and error.

• Cut two squares of material of about 1m x 1m (39” x 39”). A light cotton is fine.  I think the ones in Vietnam are just very simply cut from material of this width off the roll. Cut two long strings about 2 metres x 7cm (78” x 2¾“) for the narrow waistband and ties. If you have to have joins in the ties, suggest that rather than joining in the middle, you join a piece either end. You could use ribbon instead if preferred.
• Fold the two squares in half. Measure down from the top and cut out a ‘J’ shape down each fold – for dimensions of this, see the more detailed instructions or just use trial and error. But start with smaller – you can always increase the amount you cut out but you can’t put it back! This ‘ J’ will form the crutch seam. Open the two pieces out again and lay on top of each other.  The ‘ J’ is now a ‘U’. Stitch the two pieces together around this ‘U’. Hem the side edges neatly. Press.
• Now fold both halves back as you had them when you cut out the ‘J’.  You’ll have a baggy trouser shape open at the sides' like this sketch.
  
  
  
  
• Make your strings inside out, sewing the ends, and the string parts, leaving open the middle part (waist band) that will attach to the top of the waist, and turn right side out. (Diagram 1 below not to scale – drawn so you can see the idea.)
•  Attach your strings to the top of each half, front and back. Try them on as explained in the last section below, and decide where you want the lower hems, and turn up accordingly. Voila! The finished article.

More detailed instructions

Measurements

You need to measure the length you want the trousers to be, from your waist to your ankle (or wherever you want them to come (in my case this was about 37” or 94cm from my waist to my ankle).  So with the seam allowances, a metre length was fine, as it happened. You also need to measure your waist, and finally measure from the front of your waist (probably about where your navel is) to the back of your waist via your crotch. My measurement here was 26” (66cm).

Materials

Lightweight fabric  2-3 m – see below

Possibly ribbon for ties

Sewing thread

Sewing machine

Scissors

Basically you are starting with two roughly square pieces of material about the length you want to trousers to be, plus some seam allowance, and enough extra material to make the ties – or you could make these with some contrasting ribbon. So you probably want somewhere just over 2 metres of fabric for an adult version, depending on the fabric width. You need to judge the amount when you have measured up. A border print would work really well, with the border at the bottom.

The ‘Pattern’ - how to measure

It’s up to you whether you make a paper pattern first – I didn’t bother, as it is such a simple shape. And to be perfectly honest, trial and error works best. You will need large paper if you do want to make a pattern. Look at the diagrams below if the text isn’t clear.

Each side, or leg,  of your trousers will start from a roughly square piece of material, depending on your dimensions. You need these measurements:

• Vertical dimension - for me, this was 39" (c 1 metre)
• Horizontal dimension - for me, this was 36 1/4", or c 93.5 cm
• Under crotch measurement - for me, 26" or 66 cm.

For the vertical dimension (the length of the trousers) mark a line on your paper which is the length of your leg plus 2” (5cm). This allows for about  ⅝”  (1.5cm) seam allowance at the waist and 1³/₈” (3.5cm) hem at the bottom of the legs. If you are not sure exactly what length you will want them, add a bit more and cut it off when you have tried them on. This line will go along the straight grain of the material. (Or at right-angles if you are using a border print.)

For the horizontal dimension, take your waist measurement plus  6” (15cm).  If you have very hour-glass figure, you may need to make this measurement a bit bigger. For the 6", I don’t really have a formula for this except that in my case, C turned out to be 23% of the under crotch measurement. Then add a further 1¼ “ or 3cm (2 x seam allowance). 

So strictly speaking, my ‘squares’ of fabric would actually be 39”long x 36¼” wide. But the design is forgiving, hence the idea of a simple square. Wider / narrower side hems and/ or a bit more or less overlap can make a simple square work. If you are making a paper pattern first, halve the total horizontal dimension, as you will put the pattern on the fold of the material. Make sure you mark this horizontal line exactly at right angles to one end of your vertical line, then do the same the other end of your vertical line. Join these up – if you are properly square,  the last resulting line should be exactly the same length as the first vertical line. Mark one long side ‘Place against fold of material’.

For the under-crotch measurement, take a tape measure and place against the centre back of your waist. Bring it down under your bottom and through to the front centre of your waist - somewhere around your navel. 

Now draw your cut-out for the crotch seam on the fold line. On the diagram, I’ve shown this opened out, so you have a U shape. Half of this is the J shape referred to above and below. With a crotch measurement of 26” (66 cm), the measurements worked as shown in the diagram:

Diagram 2

On your pattern, first mark the top of the centre (the fold) and mark a point 29cm  down the fold (measurement F in Diagram 2), This may not be the exact measurement for you.  In my case it is 44% of the under crotch measurement. Then mark two short lines at right angles to the fold, which are half the measurement of  C – one along long the top edge, and the other at the bottom of line F. (Note that 'C' is a bit arbitrary - if you have a lot of tuummy, you might need this to be a bit longer - but As I said earlier, cut out less to start with - you can always cut out more, but you can't put it back!) Now mark a line lightly between the end of the two short lines. Mark these in more firmly from the top (waist) to where the curve of the J starts, then continue down in a nice curve to the bottom of line F.

Diagram 3

Making the trousers

Use the pattern, if you have made one, to cut out your two material squares. 

Hem the vertical sides of each square.  You may not want to make the lower hems until you can try the garment on, but if you are on your second pair you can do these hems as well.

You will now have two pieces like this (Shown with the ties, but you won’t have the ties on yet). Place them right sides together 

Diagram 4

Now sew the two pieces together round the ‘U’ – finish this seam in your preferred way.  Press the seams. Open the trousers out into a trouser shape (1 to 2, 3 to 4) – they will look very wide and will appear to have no side seams, but don’t worry.  

Now you need to sew the waist bands and the ties.  

Diagram 1 again

Both of these should  be long enough to go right round your waist and provide a generous bow. The ties on mine extend 20” longer at each end beyond the waist band. You can make each of these all on one length if you have enough fabric. I wanted to avoid having a join in the centre front and back. Mine consists of a waist band back and a front, and separate 20” ties attached to each end. (4 ties in all.)

That’s it – you’re done! Now you can try them on. And adjust if you need to.

To put the trousers on:  Take the two tapes on the front all the way around your waist to the back and tie in a bow. This will be a bit like putting on an apron, it should wrap all the way around your waist so the material meets at the back at the top. Tie it firmly but not so it is constricting. Now dive down and pick up the dangling material and pull it between your legs to the back. The first time you do this it may seem awkward. It helps to mark the centre back with a label to help you see what you are doing. Pull the centre back seam to about the centre of your back and then bring the remaining two strings around your waist from the back to the front. Again, the material will more or less meet in the middle of your waist at the front. Tie the strings in a bow.

You will now find you are wearing some loose trousers – or, if you like, a long divided skirt. Although they are in fact open at the side ‘seams’, the back material overlaps the front material by some distance, so although they may flap a bit when you walk, revealing the occasional glimpse of ankle, they are really quite modest – except perhaps in a high gale! Those dainty Vietnamese girls wear them all the time. 

If you prefer, you could round off the bottom corners of the legs to give more petal shaped trousers - I've seen these on the internet too. You'd probably need to make a curve starting at least 12" (30 cm) up from the bottom hem, and shape it as you like.