Made these for my son last night.
Pattern Background
The Jalie Martin pattern is for men’s loungewear pants and boxer shorts. It is drafted for wovens and features a faux fly with an optional decorative button, elastic waist, and a back panel instead of a center back seam. There’s also an optional back patch pocket.
Size and Alterations
The size range goes from 2T all the way to 2X. If you pay a little bit extra you can get up to a 5X for the PDF version.
I cut a size F, which is equivalent to a 2T. The only alteration I made was adding 1/2” height to the center back. It turns out it wasn’t necessary.
The fit ended up being very similar to that shown on the Jalie models.
Fabric and Materials
I used a very lightweight 100% Robert Kaufman shirting purchased from Fabric Matt a few months ago. The elastic was from Mandala Crafts on Amazon. The button
Construction
The instructions are pretty good. This really does go together quickly and easily. I think it would be a nice project for someone who wants to try something more complex than your average pull on pants, without having to deal with zippers or pockets (aside from the optional back pocket.
I did find that I needed to snug up the waist elastic another inch.
Conclusion
I made these for my son, who is turning three years old in a few weeks. We’ve been working on potty training the past year. He’s pretty flawless when commando but struggles when he’s wearing briefs (probably because they feel too much like a diaper). These allow him to wear actual underwear without feeling snug, and as a result he’s much better at letting me know when he needs to go. He has also started trying to dress/undress himself. As a result I consider this pattern a worthy investment, especially since it seems like regular cotton woven boxer shorts for toddlers aren’t easy to find. I have no idea what his preferences will be when he’s older, but for now he seems pretty happy with these!
He’s worn these under the Jalie 3243 pull-on shorts and Jalie Henri shorts, and they fit fine under them, with no peeking out at the hem.
Clothing Engineer 