Pants Construction

Moira’s pants are a patchwork of different colors and shapes and include lights on the upper-thighs. They are skin-tight, made of cotton jersey with Yaya Han’s carbon fiber fabric on the calf.

Basic tights were constructed from white cotton jersey. The shapes of the various pieces were then drawn onto it while worn to ensure the correct contour of various patches. The pants were then cut along these design lines to create a final pattern. New pieces were cut and each piece was dyed to shades of gray and tan, then reassembled to create the final garment. Bias tape was cut from the same jersey, dyed a dark gray, and topstitched onto the thighs to create the stripe applique. Small eyelets were punched above the knee in the front and back and a little fabric paint was used to enhance the seam at the knee and appear more armor-like.

The light windows on the upper thighs are white nylon diffusion cloth, hand-stitched into place. The LEDs are sewn in to the back on top of a layer of polyethylene foam to act as the primary diffuser, providing a uniform glow at the surface. The wiring for the LEDs is sewn into the seams of pants to minimize their visibility from the front, with enough slack to allow for free movement of the leg. The wiring feeds from a JST connector at the waistband, all the way down to the ankle where JST connectors protrude from each ankle and feed into the shoe wiring.