Dear readers,
I was a teenager in the late 90s and early 2000s, and while I know plenty of people were relieved to see low-rise jeans fade away, I was honestly so happy to see them come back. Especially when they show up on wide-leg silhouettes!
Of course, nothing ever comes back exactly the same. The jeans I wore in 2005 had a dramatically low rise that left very little room to breathe. With Julia, I wanted to capture the vibe without the discomfort. Think a slightly oversized fit worn at the mid-rise or high hip, with a more slouchy, lived-in feel. These are the jeans you throw on without thinking, that still make you feel cool.
After months of development, I’m so excited to finally share the Julia Jeans with you.
About the Design
Julia is a pair of relaxed-fit jeans with a wide leg and a low-to-mid-rise that you can customize to sit where you prefer thanks to adjustable button tabs at the waistband. The pattern includes classic jeans details, front and back patch pockets, a traditional zip fly, belt loops, and flat-felled seams for durability and a clean finish.
To improve fit across sizes, there are two waistband constructions:
• Sizes 34 to 46 use a straight one-piece waistband
• Sizes 46 to 60 feature a curved waistband with side seams for better shaping
And yes, for those of you who love a pretty interior, you’ll also find the option to finish the side seams, fly and waistband with bias binding.
Fit and Fabric
The jeans are drafted to be roomy through the hips and feature a lowered rise, giving that relaxed, slouchy effect without losing structure. If you’re someone who likes the comfort of sweatpants but wants to wear denim, Julia might be the sweet spot.
Recommended fabrics include mid-weight denim (6 to 9 oz / 200 to 300 gsm), cotton twill, canvas, cotton-linen blends, or tencel/lyocell twills for extra drape. The samples are sewn in: a cotton/hemp blend from Yardblox and 100% cotton denim of different weights.
I’m wearing size 38, shortened by 8.5 cm / 3⅜" (I’m 160 cm / 5'3" tall). Pauline is wearing size 44 graded to 48 at the waist, and Lilli is wearing size 54 with no alterations.
What’s Included
Just like with all my patterns, the Julia Jeans come with everything you need to create a high-quality, professional-looking garment:
- 2 size ranges: 34-46 and 46-60 based on different blocks and both drafted for a height of 1m65 / 5'5".
- Layered PDF files: Print-at-home (A4/US Letter), A0, and Projector formats
- Detailed instructions and a curated Resource Page with tutorials for the trickier steps
- Seam allowances included in all pattern pieces
- Option to print only your size using the layers feature in Adobe Acrobat
- A full YouTube sewalong coming very soon!
Thank you!
A huge thank you to the amazing testers who made this release possible. They sewed through multiple versions and rounds of refinement and did it all using non-illustrated instructions because of scheduling delays on my end. I’m so grateful for their time, their feedback, and their patience, they are truly the best.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you’ll love sewing (and living in) your Julia Jeans as much as I do.
Happy sewing!