Button Fly Front Sample

Creating the WW1 Army trousers is something I have never done before. In some ways you could compare them to the 18th century breeches I made last year, in the way they are drafted and how they are put together for the first fitting. One of the obvious differences, aside from the length, is the front closer. In 18th century breeches there is a flap and a sort of button stand hidden on the inside. On WW1 army trousers there is a concealed button fly.

Example of concealed button fly from History In The Making, this is what I will be trying to create on my button fly.

Here is a pair of trousers from around the same time as army trousers; found in the costume store. This has a similar fly but not exactly because my trousers are without  a waistband how the button stand is finished is a little different but otherwise very similar and helpful to look at as a comparison. 

Because I have never created a concealed button fly before I decided to create a sample so I could figure out how it is made and practice this new process before cutting it out of my top fabric. I was lucky that there was a packet about button flys in the costume department that I could sign out and use. In the packet was a small already made example in denim with other denim examples of the fly in progress and I was able to copy the instructions from the packet as well. I was also given some sample fabric in a wool similar to my actual trouser weight to use for the sample. All of these elements coming together was very helpful in me learning this new process and I was able to create the concealed button-fly sample below successfully. 

Sample Fly-Front Closed 

Sample Fly-Front Buttoned

Sample Fly Front Half Un-Buttoned

Sample Fly Front Completely Un-Buttoned.

Evaluation: Using the helpful instructions from our costume course creating this button fly was fairly simple. I did manage to get confused with the different pieces like the button-fly, placket and facing and how many there were to be of each and how many pieces of lining and which side to sew up. I did manage to accidentally create two button flys, instead of one button fly and one placket. I think this was because I didn't properly mark the wrong side of my fabric, so that will be something I will need to be careful of when creating my actual button fly. Along with being a great sample for my portfolio this was also helpful in practicing button-holes and finding appropriate size buttons. For the sample I used buttons I already had in my button box, but I remember buying them from our costume course haberdashery; I think I will suggest to Rose and Grace to look there for potential buttons for the trousers. I was very happy with the finished button-fly sample. In talking to my tutor she did suggest moving up the top-stitching line (which is why there are two pins towards the bottom of the fly). I think this will really finish the fly front better than how I've finished the sample. It wasn't easy to get a straight line so close to the curve of the fly top-stitching and by moving that sewing line up I think it will look neater and more deliberate. Creating this concealed button-fly sample was a successful new process, a great piece for my portfolio, and a helpful practice for my actual garment.