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The wrap pants are a lightweight pair of trousers that have been designed to be worn at camp, after a long day on the saddle, on the train to and back from the mountains or on a chilly descent. Weighing on average 150g, they’re packable, lightweight, durable and comfortable, making them an ideal piece to keep at hand on all trips. 

— available from size 65 to 92 (corresponding to the wearer's waist circumference in centimetres)
— Regular/Tall inseam + Low/High waist options — one-seam construction
— 100% polyester
145 euros

Materials and functions

The Wrap pants’ design stems from the uncomfortable position I’ve found myself in when coming back from bikepacking or hiking trips and having to jump into a train with muddy, smelly clothes: I was wishing I had a lightweight set of spare clothes to slip on. From then, the idea of these trousers developed and broadened. From working on a pattern construction that limits bulk without constricting movement to finding a lightweight, fast drying fabric that is durable, it took many attempts to reach today’s result. 

Thanks to the elasticated waistband, the wrap trousers are body neutral and will fit both wide and narrow hips and a range of waist circumferences. The features and construction were designed to make these pants comfortable to wear in all situations – when sat in a tent, queuing in a bakery or crouched down to patch a punctured innertube. 

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Adjustability

To make these trousers as versatile as possible, they feature a loose cut with tapered legs that allows for layering, on and off the bike wear and a gender-neutral fit. 

  • Versatility

When out on hiking or cycling trips, it is important to keep the kit list to a minimum, to limit weight and make the journey more pleasant. However, limiting weight usually means limiting comfort, and everyone’s tolerance to comfort is different.

The Wrap pants have been designed to be a practical piece of clothing that is light enough to keep as a clean spare and that keeps a low-key look. We wear them at camp when the air gets chilly, in the train to and back from our trips, when visiting places, at the laundrette when our cycling/hiking clothes are having a much needed wash, when the temperatures unexpectedly plummet during the day, and at home.

The Wrap trousers feature four large pockets, an adjustable belt, a key or glove loop and cinchable hems.


  • Gender neutrality

The Wrap pants are gender-neutral, with a cut that suits most male and female anatomies at the waist and hips. The pattern was designed around both morphologies to refine and adapt it: it is important to us to offer a cut that (actually) fits both silhouettes. It’s an item that can be lent and handed over, that will handle slight body fluctuations and that aims to be inclusive. 

One-seam construction

The Wrap pants are made out of lightweight 100% polyester woven fabric. This fabric is soft and quick drying but presents little stretch. To make up for its lack of elasticity, the Wrap pants’ pattern call on intrinsic fabric properties that allow for a great range of movements when turned into trousers.

Selvedge jeans : concept

    The first solution to make up for the lack of stretch in the 100% polyester fabric is to add ease to the garment. Ease is the amount of room that is added to a piece of clothing to make it comfortable to wear and allow movement. Adding ease, however, will increase the final bulk of the piece as it requires using more fabric. To add movement allowance while limiting the bulk of these trousers, we drew inspiration from traditional workwear that was made from non-stretchy fabric but had to accommodate movement. Selvedge jeans were our starting point. 

    Before becoming a fashionable piece to wear, selvedge jeans were worn by field and mine workers as they were hardwearing but not constricting. This ease of movement comes from the way the fabric was cut. 

    Selvedge jeans were made from a narrow type of denim fabric that was produced in the 1800s. To limit waste, pattern pieces were placed against the edge of the fabric, making the side leg straight. The body, however, isn’t straight: when worn, selvedge jeans will distort to adapt to the body’s curves, resulting in a slight inwards twisting of the pants’ legs.  

    With this deformation comes another consequence: as the pants’ legs deform to adapt to the wearer’s body, this creates extra ease around the crotch, thus more room for movement. 

    The Wrap pants take direct inspiration from the patterns of selvedge jeans. They feature a straight leg side, meaning that, when worn, they will also slightly twist around the legs and offer more ease at the crotch. This makes the Wrap pants as comfortable to wear when sat as they are when stood up, while avoiding the excess fabric that would come from adding ease all around. 

    Grainlines and fabric stretch.

    To complement the movement allowance that comes with having straight legs, the Wrap pants call in for another fundamental principle of patternmaking: bias grain. Bias grain is one of the three different grainlines found in woven fabric, each of them presenting different characteristics. 

    Woven fabric is constructed with threads woven perpendicularly: the lengthwise threads are called warp threads; the width wise ones are called weft. The weft and warp generate the three grainlines found in woven fabric: the straight grain corresponds to the warp direction, the cross grain to the weft direction, and the bias grain is 45° across them. These grainlines have different properties, resulting directly from the threads used to weave the fabric. The straight and cross grain will only stretch as much as the material allows – pure cotton won’t stetch much, a cotton-elastane blend will have more elasticity. The bias grain, however, will stretch a lot more as it will distort the warp and weft threads.  

    Most garments are cut on the straight grain. This results in a piece of clothing that hangs straight and won’t distort. However, it is sometimes interesting to cut the pattern on the biais grain, when extra elasticity is necessary. Gussets, found at the crotch and inseam of some trousers for example, are usually cut on the bias as they will add stretch to the overall piece.

    Wrap construction.

    The Wrap pants make use of this extra stretch found on the bias grain to compensate for the lack of elasticity of the quick drying, lightweight polyester fabric by removing the side seam.

    Most trousers feature a side seam that results from having to join curved back and front leg pieces. But the Wrap pants’ legs are straight, and the fabric we use today is twice the width of selvedge denim: we can cut the legs out of one piece. Removing the side seam not only reduces bulk and possible friction points, but it makes the most out of the elasticity from the bias grain.

    When cut, the legs of the Wrap pants are composed of continuous threads that run across the entire piece, front and back. Instead of having a side seam that wouldn’t allow for any malleability between the front and back leg pieces, the Wrap pants legs distort and stretch to adapt to the position. When riding a bike, this means that the trousers won’t constrict movement when pedalling, as the leg alternates between a straight and a bent position. The Wrap trousers are also particularly comfortable to wear when sat at camp or in a train as the fabric will stretch around the hips, thighs and knees.  

    The single piece, wrap construction allows these trousers to be comfortable without having to add much ease. The Wrap pants will pack down to the size and weight of three Snicker bars, making them an ideal piece to keep at hand at all times. 

    Lightweight, fast drying polyester fabric

    The Wrap trousers are made out of 100%, 86g/sqm polyester. This fabric has been chosen for its abilities to dry quickly, not wrinkle much, strength vs. weight ratio, and recyclability.

    • How it’s made
    • Polyester fabric is made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pellets. These pellets are melted then extruded to form primary fibres. The fibres are spun together to make polyester yarn, then woven to get the final woven polyester fabric.

      Polyester fabric is particularly durable and fast-drying. This is due to the shape of the primary fibres, which are long, thin threads (like very thin spaghetti). Contrary to natural fibres, polyster threads are solid and particularly smooth : water isn’t absorbed and will stay at the surface of the fibre.

      While having moisture absorbing fibres is welcome in some cases (for T Shirts, for example), polyester’s non-porous characteristic is interesting to work with for garments that need to dry fast and that aren’t much exposed to sweat. The Wrap pants take advantage of this characteristic to offer a lightweight, durable and fast-drying piece.

      However, the polyetser fabric used for the Wrap pants doesn’t present much stretch. Instead of using a polyester-elastane blend, which would exclude postuse recycling and woudn’t be as fast-drying, we chose to concentrate on the construction of the trousers to make them as comfortable as possible while keeping their recyclability.

    wrappants-flatlay

    The Wrap pants are thought to be as packable and light as possible without compromising comfort and durability. To do so, they draw inspiration from traditional workwear and key patternmaking concepts. The one-seam construction reduces bulk while allowing the fabric to stretch more. The Wrap pants pack down to about 0,3L and are perfect to slip on when the temperature drops. 

    — Lightweight, fast drying 100% polyester fabric

    The Wrap trousers are made out of 100%, 86g/sqm polyester. This fabric has been chosen for its abilities to dry quickly, not wrinkle much, strength vs. weight ratio, and recyclability.

    • How it’s made

    Polyester fabric is made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pellets. These pellets are melted then extruded to form primary fibres. The fibres are spun together to make polyester yarn, then woven to get the final woven polyester fabric.

    Polyester fabric is particularly durable and fast-drying. This is due to the shape of the primary fibres, which are long, thin threads (like very thin spaghetti). Contrary to natural fibres, polyster threads are solid and particularly smooth : water isn’t absorbed and will stay at the surface of the fibre.

    While having moisture absorbing fibres is welcome in some cases (for T Shirts, for example), polyester’s non-porous characteristic is interesting to work with for garments that need to dry fast and that aren’t much exposed to sweat. The Wrap pants take advantage of this characteristic to offer a lightweight, durable and fast-drying piece.

    However, the polyetser fabric used for the Wrap pants doesn’t present much stretch. Instead of using a polyester-elastane blend, which would exclude postuse recycling and woudn’t be as fast-drying, we chose to concentrate on the construction of the trousers to make them as comfortable as possible while keeping their recyclability.

     

    —  One-seam construction  

    The Wrap pants are made out of lightweight 100% polyester woven fabric. This fabric is soft and quick drying but presents little stretch. To make up for its lack of elasticity, the Wrap pants’ pattern call on intrinsic fabric properties that allow for a great range of movements when turned into trousers. 

     

    • Selvedge jeans : concept

    The first solution to make up for the lack of stretch in the 100% polyester fabric is to add ease to the garment. Ease is the amount of room that is added to a piece of clothing to make it comfortable to wear and allow movement. Adding ease, however, will increase the final bulk of the piece as it requires using more fabric. To add ease while limiting the bulk of these trousers, we drew inspiration from traditional workwear that was made from non-stretchy fabric but had to accommodate movement. Selvedge jeans were our starting point. 

    Before becoming a fashionable piece to wear, selvedge jeans were worn by field and mine workers as they were hardwearing but not constricting. This ease of movement comes from the way the fabric was cut. 

    Selvedge jeans were made from a narrow type of denim fabric that was produced in the 1800s. To limit waste, pattern pieces were placed against the edge of the fabric, making the side leg straight. The body, however, isn’t straight: when worn, selvedge jeans will distort to adapt to the body’s curves, resulting in a slight inwards twisting of the pants’ legs.  

    With this deformation comes another consequence: as the pants’ legs deform to adapt to the wearer’s body, this creates extra ease around the crotch, thus more room for movement. 

    The Wrap pants take direct inspiration from the patterns of selvedge jeans. They feature a straight leg side, meaning that, when worn, they will also slightly twist around the legs and offer more ease at the crotch. This makes the Wrap pants as comfortable to wear when sat as they are when stood up, while avoiding the excess fabric that would come from adding ease all around. 

     

    • Grainlines and fabric stretch.

    To complement the movement allowance that comes with having straight legs, the Wrap pants call in for another fundamental principle of patternmaking: bias grain. Bias grain is one of the three different grainlines found in woven fabric, each of them presenting different characteristics. 

    Woven fabric is constructed with threads woven perpendicularly: the lengthwise threads are called warp threads; the width wise ones are called weft. The weft and warp generate the three grainlines found in woven fabric: the straight grain corresponds to the warp direction, the cross grain to the weft direction, and the bias grain is 45° across them. These grainlines have different properties, resulting directly from the threads used to weave the fabric. The straight and cross grain will only stretch as much as the material allows – pure cotton won’t stetch much, a cotton-elastane blend will have more elasticity. The bias grain, however, will stretch a lot more as it will distort the warp and weft threads.  

    Most garments are cut on the straight grain. This results in a piece of clothing that hangs straight and won’t distort. However, it is sometimes interesting to cut the pattern on the biais grain, when extra elasticity is necessary. Gussets, found at the crotch and inseam of some trousers for example, are usually cut on the bias as they will add stretch to the overall piece.

     

    • Wrap construction.

    The Wrap pants make use of this extra stretch found on the bias grain to compensate for the lack of elasticity of the quick drying, lightweight polyester fabric by removing the side seam.

    Most trousers feature a side seam that results from having to join curved back and front leg pieces. But the Wrap pants’ legs are straight, and the fabric we use today is twice the width of selvedge denim: we can cut the legs out of one piece. Removing the side seam not only reduces bulk and possible friction points, but it makes the most out of the elasticity from the bias grain.

    When cut, the legs of the Wrap pants are composed of continuous threads that run across the entire piece, front and back. Instead of having a side seam that wouldn’t allow for any malleability between the front and back leg pieces, the Wrap pants legs distort and stretch to adapt to the position. When riding a bike, this means that the trousers won’t constrict movement when pedalling, as the leg alternates between a straight and a bent position. The Wrap trousers are also particularly comfortable to wear when sat at camp or in a train as the fabric will stretch around the hips, thighs and knees.  

    The single piece, wrap construction allows these trousers to be comfortable without having to add much ease. The Wrap pants will pack down to the size and weight of three Snicker bars, making them an ideal piece to keep at hand at all times. 

    — Adjustability

    To make these trousers as versatile as possible, they feature a loose cut with tapered legs that allows for layering, on and off the bike wear and a gender-neutral fit. 

    • Versatility 

    When out on hiking or cycling trips, it is important to keep the kit list to a minimum, to limit weight and make the journey more pleasant. However, limiting weight usually means limiting comfort, and everyone’s tolerance to comfort is different.

    The Wrap pants have been designed to be a practical piece of clothing that is light enough to keep as a clean spare and that keeps a low-key look. We wear them at camp when the air gets chilly, in the train to and back from our trips, when visiting places, at the laundrette when our cycling/hiking clothes are having a much needed wash, when the temperatures unexpectedly plummet during the day, and at home.

    The Wrap trousers feature four large pockets, an adjustable belt, a key or glove loop and cinchable hems.

     

    • Gender neutrality 

    The Wrap pants are gender-neutral, with a cut that suits most male and female anatomies at the waist and hips. The pattern was designed around both morphologies to refine and adapt it: it is important to us to offer a cut that (actually) fits both silhouettes. It’s an item that can be lent and handed over, that will handle slight body fluctuations and that aims to be inclusive. 

    Specs

    — Colours

    The Wrap pants use lightweight (86g/sqm) 100% polyester fabric, in black.

    — Details

    • lightweight 100% polyester fabric
    • 15mm semi-elasticated, full waist, detachable belt
    • adjustable hems
    • 2 large front and back pockets
    • key / glove loop
    • Regular/Tall inseam + Low/High waist options

     

    150g in size 75

    Sizing

    The Wrap pants are offered from size 65 to 92 (corresponding to the wearer’s waist circumference in centimetres).

    Two options are available to make these trousers fit your needs best :

    • the Tall option adds 3cm to the inseam of the selected size compared to the Regular length. The garment’s waist and hip measurements remain the same.
    • the High waist make these trousers sit on the natural waist. The Low waist sits just below the belly button.

     

    The trousers fit male and female morphologies. Please choose your size according to the chart below, referring to your body measurements. The sizing is based on usual grading for male and female wear, we recommend choosing the trousers according to your waist circumference.

    The trousers have an overall loose cut, with tapered legs. The finished garment measurements can help you compare its proportions to trousers you already own and of which you like the fit.

    Please note that size names are solely for guidance. The only way to ensure a good fit is to measure your body.

    If you’re having trouble choosing a size, or fall in between sizes, feel free to contact us at info@courssilpleut.com, indicating the product you’re after and your body measurements.

    — Recommended sizing

    measuring height, waist, hip and inseam lengths
    Size 65 65 Tall 70 70 Tall 75 75 Tall 80 80 Tall 86 86 Tall 92 92 Tall
    Height
    155-163
    164-168
    160-168
    169-175
    163-175
    176-180
    173-180
    181-185
    178-185
    186-190
    183-190
    191-196
    Waist
    62-68
    62-68
    66-74
    66-74
    72-78
    72-78
    76-83
    76-83
    82-91
    82-91
    88-98
    88-98
    Hip
    84-94
    84-94
    86-98
    86-98
    89-102
    89-102
    92-105
    92-105
    97-110
    97-110
    102-117
    102-117

    — Garment measurements

    Size 65 65 Tall 70 70 Tall 75 75 Tall 80 80 Tall 86 86 Tall 92 92 Tall
    Waist (unstretched)
    60
    60
    65
    65
    70
    70
    75
    75
    81
    81
    87
    87
    Hip
    100
    100
    106
    106
    111
    111
    117
    117
    122
    122
    128
    128
    Inseam
    73
    76
    75
    78
    77
    80
    79
    82
    81
    84
    83
    86

    Composition and care

    The Wrap pants are fully recyclable.

    •  100% polyester – 86g/sqm
    •  aluminium ladderlock
    •  recycled 100% polyester thread

     

    The Wrap pants should be washed at 30°C maximum. It is recommended to let them hang dry.

    Synthetic fabrics shed microplastics when washed. The fabric used for the Wrap pants is tightly woven and doesn’t release as much as loosely woven pieces (such as fleeces), but we recommend washing the trousers only when really necessary (and in a fully loaded machine) and in a washing bag if possible.