I love the idea of shorts but have very few in my wardrobe. Aside from a couple of ratty pairs in my “houseclothes” drawer and some running shorts that I haven’t worn since I traded jogging for spin, I have only one pair in my closet. As much as I love them, they aren’t the first thing I reach for when getting dressed on a summer day, and that’s probably because they are slim fitting, cut fairly high on the leg, and made of a brushed cotton fabric that is beautiful and soft but not very crisp, so they have a tendency to ride up a bit in the crotch if the day is particularly humid. They look great on me when I leave the house but by the time I get back home, they look just as frazzled as I usually feel.
I have been wanting to try my hand at another pair of shorts with a little more wearability- a step up from my french terry ones but still casual enough that I can throw them on for a quick run to Trader Joe’s, and the new Deer and Doe Goji shorts and skirt pattern fit the bill. I didn’t realize this was the silhouette I was looking for until I saw it on their instagram feed, but it is right up my alley. I LOVE the concept of a skirt/dress that is actually shorts/pants; it is the one of the few fashions that I loved as a teenager that has also followed me into adulthood. It gives so much more freedom of movement and conservativeness while still giving a feminine and cutesy silhouette, which, yes, I am still drawn to in my late thirties without shame (see my Timeless Overall Shorts here!)
Deer and Doe patterns have lovely instructions and design details in all of their designs, so making their patterns is always a pleasure (and they seem particularly fitted for pear-shapes). I knew the Goji shorts would be a simple make since they have an elasticized waist and a loose fit so I made a straight size 38 according to my waist size and they fit great. I normally don’t like drawstrings on bottoms because if you decide to wear a shirt untucked with them, the tie creates visual bulk underneath whatever you’re wearing and I hate the way it looks, but it works on this pattern since I know I won’t ever style these shorts with something untucked. I love the high waist coupled with the fullness of the bottoms- they don’t cling to my butt or thighs which gives me a little breathing room and takes away the possibility of the fabric rising up between my legs.
I did not have a particular fabric in mind when I purchased this pattern and I figured I would make a simple first pair using something in my stash. The first thing that caught my eye was a very light gray colored tencel in one of my drawers that had been discarded for a better fabric (black tencel) when I was working on my second Hannah dress. The fact that that fabric had been shunned already should have been heads up enough for me, but sometimes I don’t pay attention to signs from the Sewing Gods. At pretty much every step of the way of constructing these shorts I was second guessing my fabric choice, and by the time I got to where I needed to attach the waistband, I was ready to throw the whole thing out. Which I did. The fabric was just not a great color- it was a washed out, almost white gray- the thread I used for the contrast stitching on the seams didn’t look good with the fabric, the tencel itself was too drapey for the structured silhouette I wanted, and it was also so lightweight that it was practically transparent. Nothing about the fabric screamed GOJI SHORTS, I just wanted to try and use up my stash (I hate having a fabric stash, by the way. HATE IT!)
After telling myself that life was too short to spend another minute sewing something that brought me no joy (shout out to my fellow konmari-ers!), I added “Goji shorts fabric” to my shopping list for Michael Levine’s and on my next visit there promptly found a shelf full of gorgeous denim chambrays that I knew would do the trick. I couldn’t decide whether to go for plain, polka dots, or pineapples, but pineapples seemed more fun, and I rarely come across a novelty-esque sort of print that can be paired with lots of things in my closet (I like to try and get as much wear out of my separates as possible). The small scale of the fruit and the blue denim colored background keep it fairly neutral without it being boring, and I think it works great with the lines of this pattern design.
I used denim top stitching thread to create the contrast stitching on the seams and panels of the skirt and I really love the effect. The pineapple fabric isn’t very heavy, but it gives the shorts the structure I was looking for and provides an almost fit n’ flare kind of silhouette. I love the comfortable waist, which has two channels of thin elastic running through it in addition to the functional drawstring, and I love the deep pockets that serve as a design element for the garment. These shorts feel incredibly easy to wear and not restrictive at all for a pair of shorts, which works extremely well for what I think looks and feels good on me.
Although I love the way these shorts came out, I am wondering what this design would look like in a drapey fabric closer to the tencel that I initially used, but with a longer length, like below the knee. As the weather warms up I am going to need a replacement for my current go-to skirt, which just so happens to be another Deer and Doe pattern. When I first made my yellow Fumeterre skirt I absolutely looooved it, but it stayed in my closet practically unworn for over a year before I pulled it out and chopped a foot off the bottom. Apparently the maxi length, while super cool and dramatic, was just not wearable enough for me, but altering it just a tiny bit catapulted it into a wardrobe staple. I am in love with the pale lemon yellow of the fabric, and while the Italian linen seemed exceptionally heavy when I first made the skirt, it works perfectly now in a slightly shorter length and provides a bit more warmth on cooler spring and fall days when paired with a light jacket. Anyways, this new skirt in my head would be really reminiscent of that yellow one, but breezier, and perfect for summer. I am REALLY into these elasticised waistbands that have enough drama drafted into the design that they don’t look too casual while still providing a lot of ease of wearing. More of that, please, designers!
I used to always think that I would never ever veer from my preference for fitted, darted, vintage-inspired silhouettes, and although I still LOVE them, I am really happy to have made room for a variety of different styles in my life now. It feels like I am less afraid to make what I need a priority rather than adhering to what feels expected of me, by myself and others. So it seems only fitting that I wore these shorts for the first time on my birthday earlier this month, which was very casual, chill, and relaxed. You hear that, twenty-five year old, Jasika? You are gonna be casual, chill and relaxed one day! Just you wait!
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