Closet Core: The Onyx Pants

Back in the 90s, I had a part time job in a bookshop. I did my good holiday duty and always upped my hours over the December/January period to make the big(ish) bucks that got me through the leaner financial days of student life. One summer, I remember lashing out on a pair of flared and cropped Trent Nathan pants that I loved and wore and wore and loved. These were truly excellent and comfortable pants – stretchy, a little bit dressy, also a little bit casual and perfect for just about any and every day, making them very much worth what I spent on them. Excessive wearing and washing made them wear quicker than I’d like, and because I loved them SO much I indulged in a second pair when they repeated the style one year later. I distinctly recall the fabrication of Pair #2 was not as robust as Pair #1 and by the time I had to farewell one pair, I found myself RIPing both. Funny the things you remember.

Source: By Malene Birger

On a recent Instagram scroll, I came across this pair from By Malene Birger and the moment I saw them, all my Trent Nathan pant memory and pant love came flying back because THESE ARE THOSE and I remembered/wanted them instantly. A pattern hunt led me to Closet Core Crew Onyx Pants –  specifically View B – and there and then my search ended because…PERFECTION.

Source: Closet Core Patterns

The pattern is designed for ponti knits. I wanted a firmer ponti so settled on our Saxon range which is a weightier 400gsm. I did my usual ‘Should I make them in Black but I really like the Navy but Black would be more practical but I already have a Black pair of ponti Avalon Pants but wait Berry‘s also really nice but how can I go past Black no Navy no Black OK NAVY‘. Actual conversation in my head when choosing a fabric nearly every damn time.

Onyx are a super speedy sew – cut on a Saturday afternoon and sewn up the following day over a couple of hours. There are only four pattern pieces and the elastic waist is hidden for a sleek, neat finish which means no separate waist band. A vertical, topstitched seam appears on both front and back which adds a simple yet classy detail.

I shortened through the leg by 3cm (I’m 160cm tall) and because I wanted some extra flare (flair?) in my flares, graded out from a Size 8 just below the knee, to a Size 14 at the hemline.

The Onyx Pants fall squarely into the excellent category that is ‘Elevated Basic’. They’re comfortable, practical and capable of swinging effortlessly between casual and dressy, just like my OG Trent Nathan pair. They also do that great thing that great pants do, and pair perfectly with a myriad of tops (tees, vests, blazers, shirts and knits) and shoes (boots, sneakers, flats and small heels). Pant dreams (and memories) do come true.