Trews pattern

[Machinest]

Odd request but dose any one know
where to find a pattern for making trews.

[Southern Breeze]

The Scottish Tartans Museum has one.

http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/patterns.htm

[beerbecue]

I wonder if Machinest is looking for 'period' trews or a modern version?

[Southern Breeze]

I wonder if Machinest is looking for 'period' trews or a modern version?

I thought about that after I posted. Are modern Trews the same as dress pants? If so, then any pattern for dress pants would work.

[beerbecue]

I have been thinking about this myself, and I think that trews have a higher waist than most dress pants here in the states. From pictures that I have seen, they have a narrower leg as well.

Any good tailor could easily alter a pattern.

Good find on those traditional ones. I have some friends who would like to know about those...

[SSgt Baloo]

Reconstructing History has loads of patterns for historically accurate clothing. I've never bought any of Kass' patterns, but I've heard lots of rave reviews and her patterns contain a lot of added information that you would not find in other patterns for "Scottish costume". There's a link near the bottom of this page that leads to a few relevant patterns (RH-303 and RH-305, I think).

~~SSgt Bear

[Braemar Kiltmaker]

An on-line source called RL Shep sells old pattern books. Their website is http://www.rlshep.com/HTML/booklist.htm

Their title "GREAT WAR Styles & Patterns of the 1910s" has a pattern for parade and mess trews for Scottish regiments, and a long description for when and where they are appropriate for wear, etc...

They are also a phenomenal resource for other historical patterns, & a lot of re-enactors use them.

Hope that helps, Ron

[Pleater]

According to my book of costume, trews are intended to fit close to the body, and are cut on the cross - the bias of the fabric, so as to be flexible.

Trousers are cut on the line or the stright grain of the fabric.

The link given by Southern Breeze is to what I would call trousers, not trews, as they are cut on the line of the fabric.

Patterns for the different garments would not be interchangeable due to the different properties of fabric cut straight or biased.

Trews, originally seem to be cut with very little wearing ease and for someone used to the loose cut of modern clothing they might be a bit too close for comfort.

It is probably more economical to cut trousers on the straight of the grain than trews on the bias, so a change from trews to trousers of a similar style but tailored slightly differently would have saved a bit on the cost.

[beerbecue]

Originally, trews fit close to the body. Even military trews do not follow this design any longer... It seems that the original trews may have evolved from the socks that were made on the bias 'back in the day', which also fit tightly, had one seam down the back....

Although the fabric is cut like trousers, trews is an acceptable name.

From what I found, although they are more like 'modern' trousers than they used to be, trews are high waisted, tend to lack an outside seam, have a fishtail back and are straight legged...

IMHO, I would have tartan trousers made up.... If you want to wear kilt jackets and what not, have the waist made higher....

Check out these links for retail suppliers and descriptions....

http://www.nicolsonhighlandwear.co.uk/list/trews.html

http://www.highlandclans.com/Tartan_Trews.html

http://www.lindaclifford.com/Trousers.html

[Planopiper]

We generally think of trews as high-waisted, close-fitting pants, probably because we generally see them in period pieces or in older artwork. At the time that trews were more generally worn, I think all trousers were of basically the same high-waisted, close-fitting pattern. 'Trews' is just that weird Scots way of spelling words the way they pronounce them and pretending that it’s a different word. Trews are trousers. So if you want trews of a more modern design, then you want tartan dress slacks. Nothing special there other than the material. Quick searches in Google and Yahoo didn’t show any photos of trews with the material cut on the bias.