Gender categories are blurring; increasingly, the world is waking up and people no longer have to conform to what is ‘the norm,’ and that is a good thing! No need to try to fit in a box that is not your shape or size.
Recently I was looking for some new RTW jeans that were not skinny. Freedom of movement is everything! So the very nice sales lady gave me their ‘least skinny’ model of girl jeans… You guessed it — skin tight! I was about to walk out, but the lady stopped me and said: ‘Hold on, I’ll get you a pair from the men’s section’. So I guess I am now a girl wearing boy jeans, and I couldn’t be happier. We shouldn’t have to conform to what is sold in ‘our’ section — or perhaps there shouldn’t even be sections!
In this post the focus will be on unisex or menswear patterns that can be made for women as well, but let’s just say it wasn’t easy to find patterns that were labeled unisex… However, at the end of this post I will share with you an unbelievable resource for making any pattern fit you properly!
The biggest challenge I see for using men’s patterns on a female body is the fit. The female and male body, or the blocks traditionally drafted for them, can be very differently proportioned. Of course, the traditional hourglass figure assumed by many women’s wear size charts won’t fit lots of different women’s bodies, so menswear proportion and shaping can actually be a better fit for some, like for me with my jeans-buying adventure! This becomes especially difficult for trousers.
Let’s take a look at the differences for sizing charts for men and women. I took the sizing chart from La Maison Victor, a Belgian sewing magazine.

The first thing that screams for attention is the size range. For women there are 14 sizes, while men (have to) get by with 7 sizes.
But let’s take a closer look at what this would mean for my size, based on bust measurement:
Women | Men | |
Bust | 92 | 92 |
Waist | 74 | 80 |
Hips | 104 | 92 |
Length | 168cm | 171cm |
Bust/Waist ratio | 1.24 | 1.15 |
Hip/Waist ratio | 1.40 | 1.15 |
As you can see, these sizing charts (like most I’ve seen) assume a more flared or curved shape for women and a more rectangular shape for men. Check out the difference in the ratios! They also assume men are taller, so most pieces are longer for men than for women.
If you go searching for unisex patterns, you are most likely to come across a wide array of sleep- and loungewear. PJ pants are pretty universal and I guess robes are also pretty undefined/non-fitted, so we won’t waste our time on those, as they’re easy enough to find!
But there are some patterns out there that are unisex that aren’t PJ pants, robes or costumes…
PANTS
Getting pants designed for men to fit a woman (at least, one shaped something like the accepted block pattern companies draft for!) seems to be the biggest challenge because the ratio waist/hips is just not the same. Women tend to have wider hips, for biological reasons. The solution to this issue would be to make men’s patterns that are looser in the hips or that can be gathered in at the waist.
Some examples would be:


The elastic/drawstring waist can help to avoid a lot of fitting issues.

Thanks to the pleats, there is more room in the hips, which accommodates the female shape a little bit better.
TOPS/T-SHIRTS/SHIRTS
A great place to start (that’s perhaps less daunting than trousers) is with some t-shirts, shirts and sweatshirts/hoodies.
A men’s T-shirt or sweatshirt, if chosen the proper size, will work on the female form as well. I think focusing on the bust measurement is the way to go here; the T-shirt will be looser around the waist than traditionally fitted women’s wear. It will also be bigger in the shoulders and sleeves.
Button-down shirts require more tailoring, but the result can be striking. You could certainly use a women’s pattern in a traditionally “menswear” shirting fabric, but you can absolutely start from a men’s pattern and adjust to fit.
A great men’s shirt pattern is Vogue 8889. It’s my go-to shirt pattern for my husband. It actually has side panels so it’s perfect for resolving some fitting issues. Think of what princess seams allow in terms of fit adjustments — these can function in much the same way, just shifted over, closer to the side seams.

JACKETS
I think duffle coats, peacoats and raincoats are a great choice for unisex patterns. I especially love the peacoat look, both for men and women.
The Albion by Colette Patterns has been made for men and women alike and looks great on many body types.

As for peacoats, I think the shorter versions are the better choice for curvier shapes, to avoid any gaping around the hips; if the fall of the jacket is disrupted at the hip, a longer length can emphasize that it’s not hanging as intended.





This one is made for men but I think will work great on a female shape as well thanks to the belt. With the belted waist, this is easily more or less fitted to the body.
FREESEWING.ORG
Another amazing resource is freesewing.org. This is basically a free, open-source platform that makes patterns according to your body measurements, with no standard measurement ratios to worry about. I talked to Joost, the brain behind the whole operation, and he told me that, since every pattern is made according to your measurements, all patterns can be made for both sexes, including the trousers, the boxer shorts (there is a flat front option), and the corset!
All patterns are male- or female-inspired in style, and the male patterns don’t take into account the size of your breasts (so here the rule basically is, the larger your breasts, the less accurate your pattern will be, the smaller your breasts, the better the result will resemble the original idea of the pattern). So this is a great starting point for gender-neutral sewing! I made pants for my husband and they fit him beautifully, so this really works!
I love all the patterns, but a few of my favourite are (in no specific order):




You can basically make your whole wardrobe based on their patterns!
I hope this list for menswear patterns for women can serve as inspiration for gender-neutral sewing, and at least give a sense of how and where to start the search for adequate patterns.
If anyone has any other suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments! I’m well aware that my post is very incomplete because there is always more to find, no matter which rabbit-hole you start down.
Happy sewing!
Note: Sewcialists is a hyper-inclusive editorial site. We recognize that “Menswear” as we use it in our theme month is a very loaded term, and we use any gendered reference in these discussions to denote the most broadly accepted “traditional” categories only, without wishing to prescribe or proscribe what any person can wear. We recognize all gender identities and the choice to dress how one pleases.
Author Bio: Wendy Parthoens is a Belgian transplant living in Spain, who loves sewing shirts but loves wearing dresses. She can be found on www.cosercosas.es and on instagram here.
Although I am a short woman, my hip/waist ratio is in the middle of the male/female ratios. I always buy men’s work pants for gardening as comfort requires good hip fit and loose waist can be pulled in with belt. I can’t close women’s pants that fit my hips. I have to take leg hems up regardless. Men style jeans fit me better than women’s too.
My ratio is also not the standard size ratio, I think there are very few of us who fit the mold exactly… But I was really surprised at the comfort of the men’s pants. Not to mention that the fabric is thicker, sturdier and more durable than any of the options for women…
Though I have made them for my husband but not for myself, the Jedediah Pants from Thread Theory have been made for all shapes and sizes, and I have been meaning to try them for me as well!
oh, if you do, I want to know about it! I love that pattern. How did you like it for the husband?
These are really great pants as well! Thanks for the suggestion!
I think Elbe Textiles patterns and The Assembly Line patterns have some patterns that might work for many 😊 And Thread Theory looks like have some good options too.
I had to look up Elbe Textiles and The Assembly Line! Seems like the latter is mostly focused on women’s wear but Elbe Textiles has some great menswear patterns that look really wearable for any shape! And they have quite a few free patterns as well! Thanks for the recommendation!
I think this post rather misses the mark in taking an inclusive look at menswear. Women already have access to a zillion patterns designed to fit them, in styles that might be classified as menswear. Men, on the other hand, have precious few patterns available to choose from, whether they be in styles traditionally recognized as menwear, or in styles that we expect women only to wear. People of all shapes and gender identities need patterns that fit their bodies and their sense of self. Right now, we have a huge range of patterns for those with a shape recognized as female, while those who have a male shape are terrificLy limited.
Hi Susan! Did you catch our roundup of men’s patterns last week?
Yup, I did!
[…] Sewcialists is looking at how menswear patterns differ from womenswear designs. Maybe womenswear patterns will fit your body better! […]
I found the pants solutions frustrating. Are the only options something as unfashionable as drawstring pants or pleated trousers? :'(
What kind of style pattern are you looking for? Maybe we can help you find something. This is just the tip of the iceberg, focusing on menswear inspired patterns.
Hi Molly, the best option for well fitting trousers would be the 2 models offered by FreeSewing.org – they have 2 styles, one normal chino-pattern and a slimmer fitting one…
Like I said, I myself have no experience making a men’s pants patterns for a female body, so I had to look for some patterns that I think might work well… Any other suggestions are more than welcome!
[…] culturally, geographically and stylistically. As Wendy also mentioned in her sister post, “Menswear Patterns for Women,” one of the principal differences in fitting a traditional man’s or woman’s […]
I love love love the picture of the relaxed linen trousers from Burdastyle (the first trouser picture) but can’t find the pattern anywhere. Do you have a reference number? Thanks so much