Fitting Underwear: Changing the rise for a different torso length

Next up in my fitting and alteration series is changing the rise length.  Wanting to change the rise length might be a personal preference, or it may be due to a difference in torso length.  For this fitting/alteration exercise I'm going to assume that it is due to a different body shape than what the pattern was drafted for.

During the testing phase of the Hellebore Hi-Cut, one of my testers said she was surprised by how very high cut the legs were, and her pair seemed to be much higher than the pictures indicated.  After a bit of conversation, we determined that her crotch length was 2" shorter than the length indicated for her size.  ​Let's use this same fitting problem here:

Problem: The rise is too long, but waist and hip measurements are correct.

Choosing a panty size from waist and hip measurements, in my opinion, is not enough.  There are so many different torso lengths and shapes in the world, that what would be low rise for one person could be a high waist on another.  As you can see in the illustration above, the waist and hip measurements are the same, but the distance from waist to hip is different.

Symptoms: ​The panty rise is much longer than indicated in the pattern description. 

Solution: Check the crotch depth measurement and alter length.

On my patterns I indicate the crotch depth for each size.  This measurement is taken while seated, from the waist down to the surface you are sitting on.  It is not critical to match the exact same crotch ​​depth as your size, but you want to be within an inch/2.5cm.  Once you have determined how much of the rise you want to remove, get out your front and back pattern pieces.  Let's say we want to remove an inch from the crotch depth.

Midway between the waist and hip, horizontally slash open the front and back pieces.  Overlap the pieces the length you wish to shorten, in this case 1".  Draw in a new side seam to blend the jog; be sure to use the same curve for both pieces.

Do you have any other fitting and alteration questions for sewing panties?  Leave me a comment below and I'll try to help!  Happy Sewing.