Your waistband gapes at the back because the block was drafted for a smaller waist-to-hip difference than yours. The waistband is calculated from the hip you fit into, and the waist is scaled up in proportion to it. If your waist is narrower than that calculation assumes, a hollow opens at the back. That is a fault in the construction of the pattern, not in your body.
Why it almost always happens at the back
The curve is behind you. Between the fullest point of the seat and the natural waist, a defined figure has a steep rise. A straight-graded waistband does not follow that rise, it stays a flat line. At the front it lies against you, at the back it stands away.
This is also why sizing down does not help. The smaller size has the same difference built in, just less room everywhere. The gap stays and the hip pulls as well.
What actually helps
- A block cut to a larger difference. The only fix that works at the source. Ask for the finished waist and hip measurements and subtract one from the other.
- A high waistband. The higher it sits, the closer it is to the narrowest point and the shorter the distance it has to bridge.
- A shaped waistband rather than a straight one. A waistband cut on a slight curve follows the rise. A straight-cut one cannot.
- Alterations. They work, but you pay for them on every trouser you buy. It treats the symptom.
What does not help: a belt. A belt draws the fabric together and makes the hollow visible instead of closing it.
How Faza solves it
Faza grades every trouser size out of the waist-to-hip difference rather than up from a straight block. The difference runs between 32 and 43 cm.
| Size | Waist (cm) | Hip (cm) | Difference (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| S · 36 | 66 | 109 | 43 |
| M · 38 | 71 | 112 | 41 |
| L · 40 | 76 | 114 | 38 |
| XL · 42 | 81 | 117 | 36 |
| 2XL · 44 | 87 | 119 | 32 |
Every measurement is published on Find Your Fit, so you can do the arithmetic before you buy.
Questions we get asked
At what difference does a standard trouser start to gape?
Usually from around 30 cm. Below that, the ease in a normal block is enough. Above it the gap becomes visible and grows with every additional centimetre.
Can the gap be pressed or shrunk out?
No. The hollow comes from the shape of the block, not the state of the fabric. Only an alteration to the waistband or a different block will close it.
Is it my fault if no trousers fit me?
No. Dress sizes represent an average figure that rarely exists. If trousers fit you at the hip and gape at the waist, your difference is larger than the one the block was drafted for. More on that in The technical reason your clothes have never fit.
