Dual Mule Trousers

A pair of trousers informed by history and experience. Last May, I embarked on a month-long solo road trip out West and down the coast to see friends, search for inspiration, and live. Along my trek, I stopped at one of the only clothing stores I happened to visit during my trip: Glasswing in Seattle. I was instantly and nostalgically transported back 4 years to my last visit to the store in 2021. I was flooded with memories of seeing a pair of trousers from Jan Jan Van Essche that I was obsessed with at the time, and continued to think about regularly. In 2021, I had not started my sewing journey, so my only access to these trousers was to purchase them, which was not possible at the time. Now, all these years later, I can create them on my own and felt the need to do so after visiting Glasswing. 

I had been wanting to make a pair of elevated office-style chinos in a cotton twill for some time, and now I had the drive and foundation to do so. I started with a muted “khaki” fabric, which resembled the sprawling dirt I walked so many miles on along my trip, as well as the silhouette. I wanted these trousers to fit high on the waist, long at the hips, relaxed at the crotch, and patterned in a way to create a break at the leg. After several samples, I finished the final version, which I could not be prouder of. The silhouette is primarily achieved by using a French Curve to extend the waist and crotch, as well as a subtle “J” cut which tapers towards the knee, then straightens out towards the hem. These trousers pushed the limits of my “one size fits most” philosophy. By design, these trousers have a true 34” waist and a 47” outseam. Through the use of an internal drawstring and a 2” hem turnup, these trousers have the potential to fit a wide variety of sizes well. Multiple waist sizes have been added for increased specificity of fit. 

The primary design detail of this piece is the dual mule pocket system. The mule ear pocket is a look I have been obsessed with for a while now, and it has a strong history in the West, primarily with 20th-century workwear. To maintain the overall subtlety of the design, the pockets were patterned to create a solid appearance from a distance, revealing only the intricate pattern of wood buttons. I then lined the pockets with a cotton pinstripe fabric that mimics the sediment layers of the Badlands and Grand Canyon, which left me in awe on my trip. This fabric choice allows for the design to stand out while remaining in theme. I used the dual “mirror” pocket idea, which compounds the front and back pockets into a single gathered pocket system. The pockets are patterned so they flow into each other perfectly at the outseam. To continue the theme of wood buttons found on the pocket system, the fly was finished with an extended button placket sharing the same complementary wood buttons.