How to sew velour trackpants / joggers

If you’re looking to sew velour trackpants or joggers, you’re in luck, because they are the most luxe, warm pants out there!

Tip number 1: choose cotton velour if you can – this most luxe fabric is thick and glorious. Cotton poly will be OK, all poly will be hot and uncomfy. Don’t do that.

Tip number 2: sew with the nap going UP the leg for a richer color and look. Napped fabrics tips at the bottom of this post.

Tip number 3: choose a higher waisted trackpant like these Tailored Trackpant. More luxe.

Tip number 4: use gathered elastic cuffs (not a ribbed band cuff) at the hem for a dressier option

I don’t know about you, but it’s January and it’s cold out. I want joggers! Yes, I know the entire fashion world is telling us “you want to let goooo of your joggers” and the pandemic is like “you want to stay hoooommmme and work” and you are “oh the heck with both of you, I’m staying with soft pants!”

I’m definitely Team Soft Pants. After all, clients see me mainly from the neck up on video calls (or not at all if I’m doing a training and screen sharing.)

Because, soft pants! Come on! And these are so luxe and warm that you’ll never want to take them off (I’m day one of ? on these)

I chose the HotPatterns Tailored Trackpant, which I have waxed poetic about here and here and here. I love these. I did not make the turn up cuffs (like dresspants) because it’s velour, and I didn’t want to use ribbing, so I used a folded casing, gathered elastic cuff. They’ll be super cute with sneakers in the spring and fall, but for now, winter boots and wool socks it is!

A couple of tips with nap on fabrics. If you run your hand up or down a fabric and the fibers smooth to one side – like corduroy, velour, velvet and fur – these have nap. If you look closely, if you run your hand, the fabric appears lighter or darker depending on the nap direction. You will need to cut all the pattern pieces so the bottom faces the same direction. In my case, I chose nap UP to the top (against the grain) for these pattern pieces so the color is a richer blue when you look at them. So my hand smooths the nap UP to the waist.

Now, a couple of tips on napping with these pants. You just knew I had to say that right? They are WARM. This thicker fabric is probably on the outside bounds of this pattern (ponte is a recommended fabric) so you’ll have to do things like grade waistband seams when you’re done to not have too much bulk, particularly where the pocket bags attach.

Go! get yourself some velour. I got mine here from local fabric store Seams Fabric (everything is online).