Extreme Budget Authenticity: Thrifty Thorsbjerg Trousers
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2016 9:49 pm
Whenever I’m at the thrift shop, I’m always on the lookout for plain linen or wool pants, which I usually modify for under-tunic wear by removing the zipper and pockets, and adding a drawstring waist. Some months ago (coinciding with a MERF discussion (led by wulfgar, perhaps?) on Roman-era trousers), I picked up an extra-large pair in bleached linen.
Following the conversation and its options for early trousers, I had the intention of modifying these into a pair of Thorsbjerg trousers (which date to the 100-500 AD period - not quite BC as I like to keep my kit, but close enough, and they’re very reminiscent of earlier lowerbody garments (that don’t have detailed instructions/patterns for making).
These sat on the ‘to-do’ stack in my sewing corner until earlier this summer, when I finally took the leap and took them apart at the seams. Using this tutorial, I made up a pattern for myself and was very pleased to see that—as I had hoped—each Thorsbjerg leg would fit on the existing leg:
Dipping into my bag of scraps, I found a few pieces of matching linen that I could use for the crotch-piece and the waistband. Unfortunately, I had just cut down a larger piece into a headscarf a few days before, and so had to use a piece of slightly different color for the bum-piece. I’m not too upset about this, as period fabric would likely also have had subtle differences in color; plus, it’s usually unseen under a tunic.
Putting the pattern pieces together was very simple—it’s almost all straight lines—and in less than 8 hours of handsewing (spent watching a pre-PJ documentary on Tolkien and a quality film or two) had a solid pair of historically-patterned, period-correct trousers. (I deviated from the historic garment by not making attached feet, and opting for a waist drawstring over belt loops.) Because I used a pair of modern pants (in which each leg is made of two pieces), there is a seam running down the front of each leg, but this isn’t felt when I’m wearing them, and is hardly noticeable—they definitely pass the ‘ten-foot rule’.
After wearing them for much of this summer while working outdoors, I am very pleased with how these trousers turned out. In particular, the lack of two large perpendicular seams on the crotch make these trousers very comfortable in all situations, and the baggy seat and crotch is ideal for period-correct movement like squatting, running, and riding. They are an easy project to practice pattern drafting and handsewing, and for the price ($2?) the final product can’t be beat for our purposes—especially when compared to that of a commercially-available (machine-sewn?) copy!
After making two pairs of these for warm seasons, my next intention is to make a pair of these in wool for under-leggings winter wear.
Following the conversation and its options for early trousers, I had the intention of modifying these into a pair of Thorsbjerg trousers (which date to the 100-500 AD period - not quite BC as I like to keep my kit, but close enough, and they’re very reminiscent of earlier lowerbody garments (that don’t have detailed instructions/patterns for making).
These sat on the ‘to-do’ stack in my sewing corner until earlier this summer, when I finally took the leap and took them apart at the seams. Using this tutorial, I made up a pattern for myself and was very pleased to see that—as I had hoped—each Thorsbjerg leg would fit on the existing leg:
Dipping into my bag of scraps, I found a few pieces of matching linen that I could use for the crotch-piece and the waistband. Unfortunately, I had just cut down a larger piece into a headscarf a few days before, and so had to use a piece of slightly different color for the bum-piece. I’m not too upset about this, as period fabric would likely also have had subtle differences in color; plus, it’s usually unseen under a tunic.
Putting the pattern pieces together was very simple—it’s almost all straight lines—and in less than 8 hours of handsewing (spent watching a pre-PJ documentary on Tolkien and a quality film or two) had a solid pair of historically-patterned, period-correct trousers. (I deviated from the historic garment by not making attached feet, and opting for a waist drawstring over belt loops.) Because I used a pair of modern pants (in which each leg is made of two pieces), there is a seam running down the front of each leg, but this isn’t felt when I’m wearing them, and is hardly noticeable—they definitely pass the ‘ten-foot rule’.
After wearing them for much of this summer while working outdoors, I am very pleased with how these trousers turned out. In particular, the lack of two large perpendicular seams on the crotch make these trousers very comfortable in all situations, and the baggy seat and crotch is ideal for period-correct movement like squatting, running, and riding. They are an easy project to practice pattern drafting and handsewing, and for the price ($2?) the final product can’t be beat for our purposes—especially when compared to that of a commercially-available (machine-sewn?) copy!
After making two pairs of these for warm seasons, my next intention is to make a pair of these in wool for under-leggings winter wear.