Guide to Making Turkish Pants (Şalvar)

Introduction

An essential layer to any Ottoman or Persian outfit, salvar (alt. salwar) are simple to make and easy to size to each wearer. These garments were nearly identical on men and women, and children, though men’s versions tended to be tighter when worn for sport or work, while womens tended to be looser.

Salvar are patterned using rectangular construction, like many of the garments from the Ottomans. They were made from both patterned and plain fabric; both dyed and white fabric; and all colors known at the time. If there was ever any meaning related to which color your salvar was, those meanings have been lost to time like most of the Ottoman sumptuary laws.

This class will cover the basics of making a pattern for salvar. This can be scaled up and down to fit each wearer as needed. They are a very comfortable and practical garment with plenty of movement for a variety of activities.

Pattern

To begin drafting your pattern, you need to take a series of measurements. I have provided this chart to help you take the measurements and calculate the final pattern measurements. Each measurement corresponds to a letter on the pattern image.

You can also use the Şalvar Pattern Calculator to do this math for you.

Note: The calculator now uses a revised drafting method that computes the gore proportionally from your rise instead of the B formula above. I’m testing the revised proportions in fabric; this handout will be updated once that’s confirmed.

How to measure and calculation notes

Waist: Your natural waist, or where you typically wear your pants. To this, we add 1.5x additional material to make a full waist drawstring. You can also do 2x for an even fuller waist and fuller pants.

Rise: The length from your waist to the chair when seated upright. This may need to be adjusted if you have a large asset at the back. The easiest way to adjust this is to measure from waist to waist around the crotch, with extra room, and divide in half and use that for the Rise measurement.

Length: Your waist to ankle measurement, taken while bent over forward, down the back of your leg. This accounts for differences in large/small bottoms for fit. If you make them too short, they will ride up on your legs when you sit.

Foot: Measurement around your heel, with your toes pointed, and the measuring tape pulled tight. This ensures that the ankle is both tight enough to not slip off when you walk, but also loose enough that you can get your foot through the hole when putting them on.

Drawstring note: I like to insert both a drawstring and elastic. The elastic is not period, however it helps prevent baggy pants from touching dirty or wet privy floors.

Construction

Step 1: Stitch both gores to each pant leg as shown in flat view, lining up the widest part of the gore with the start of the diagonal cut, about 5” from the waist. The gore will not completely meet the hem at the ankle.

Step 2: Stitch gores together (where marked E on diagram), creating a tube for each leg.

Step 3: Turn one leg inside out, and insert one leg inside the other, right sides together.

Step 4: Line up the crotch and front/back seams, and stitch pant legs together, matching up gores and seams.

Step 5: Remove the pant leg from the other pant leg, and turn the garment inside out.

Step 6: Create a casing at the top edge, and finish the ankle seam.

Step 7: Insert drawstring or elastic (or both), as desired, to waist casing.

Bibliography

The British Museum. Series: The Habits of the Grand Signor’s Court. 1928,0323,0.46.103.

Norah, Titley M. Miniatures from Turkish manuscripts: a catalogue and subject index of paintings in the British Library and British Museum. British Library, London, 1981.

Okumura, Sumiyo. “GARMENTS OF THE OTTOMAN SULTANS.” Turkish Cultural Foundation, http://www.turkishculture.org/textile-arts/clothing-159.htm.