Quick answer: On knock knees or bow legs the trouser leg needs a corrected line so the crease falls straight to the shoe, and that correction has to be written on the order. Take a front photo with feet together, name the stance and how clear it is, and check the crease on the sample before it is sealed. Shi Yuan (Suit Factory) takes MTM from 1 and bulk from 50 per style for overseas tailor shops, MTM boutiques and private-label brands, not retail — send a front photo and the stance on WhatsApp.
The trousers fit at the waist and seat, the length is right, and still the front crease misses the middle of the shoe. On one client it runs towards the inside of the foot and the hem swings in; on another it bows out at the knee and the hem kicks outward. The cloth twists around the leg and no amount of pressing fixes it. The pattern was drawn for straight legs.
Two common stances cause this: knock knees (knees together, feet apart) and bow legs (feet together, knees apart). Both are ordinary and easy to correct in made to measure — if the fitter writes them down.
What pants are best for men with knock knees?
Trousers cut for the leg, with a straight or gently tapered line and a crease that is set to fall to the shoe. In practice:
A leg shape that does not hug the knee, so the stance does not show through the cloth.
A crease line placed to hang straight from the front of the knee to the centre of the shoe.
Cloth with some body; a very light, drapey cloth follows every curve of the leg.
A length with a small break, so the hem rests on the shoe rather than swinging.
The same points apply to bow legs, with the correction going the other way.
Spot the stance
Feet together, front view: knock knees — knees touch, feet apart; bow legs — feet touch, gap between the knees.
Crease line: knock knees — runs towards the inside of the shoe; bow legs — towards the outside.
Hem: knock knees — swings inward; bow legs — kicks outward.
Folds: knock knees — diagonal folds from the inside knee; bow legs — from the outside knee.
Note to write: "knock knees, slight/clear" or "bow legs, slight/clear".
How do you photograph it?
Client in close-fitting trousers or his own suit trousers, shoes on.
Feet together, standing normally. Do not let him force the knees together or apart.
Front photo at knee height, square to the client, with a plain floor line in view.
A second photo from behind at the same height.
Write the stance in words next to the photos. "Slight" or "clear" is enough; the pattern maker reads the rest from the photo.
What changes in the pattern?
The pattern maker moves the leg line so the crease sits on the leg as it stands, and adjusts the inside and outside leg seams to match. You do not need to write how; you need to write what you see and what you want — "crease to fall to centre of shoe". The leg shape itself is a separate choice; how to write it is in trouser leg opening. Room at the thigh for a muscular leg is in suit trousers for big thighs.
Watch the crease and the break
A permanent crease set before the stance is corrected will fight the leg. Agree the leg line on the sample first, then the crease; see pressed or set creases. A longer break hides some of the swing but adds folds at the shoe; the length options are in the trouser break guide.
A worked note
"Client ref A-12. Knock knees, slight (front and back photos attached). Crease to fall to centre of shoe. Gentle taper, opening as measured. Slight break. Check crease and hem from front and side at sample, standing and walking."
At the sample fitting
Front view, feet together: does the crease reach the centre of each shoe?
Ask the client to walk a few steps: the hem should not swing in or out.
Look for diagonal folds at the knee from the side.
Photograph front and back and send the corrections in words. Review steps are on our sample policy page.
Which track handles a leg-stance note?
MTM — from 1 piece: the stance note goes on the client's record and every later pair of trousers starts from the approved sample.
Bulk — from 50 per style: a graded size run is cut for straight legs; a brand sends a client with a clear stance through the MTM track.
Once the leg line is locked, the factory clock runs. The sample takes 7–14 days; production takes 14–21 days after measurements, cloth and construction are locked. Production days are not delivery days. The MTM track is on our made to measure suit factory page.
Send a front photo with feet together on WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 and we reply with what is still open.
FAQ
What are Shi Yuan's order tracks and clocks? Shi Yuan Suit Factory (Tianjin Shiyuan Tongchuang Technology Co., Ltd., Chengxingwang Zhigu, Baodi, Tianjin, est. 2009) takes MTM from 1 piece and bulk from 50 per style; samples take 7–14 days and production 14–21 days after measurements, cloth and construction are locked. WhatsApp +65 8013 8838.
Can a shop fix this after delivery? Partly, by re-pressing the crease and easing the seams, but the leg line is far easier to correct in the pattern.
Does one leg sometimes need a different note? Yes. If the stance is clearer on one side, say which.
Who makes this
Shi Yuan (Suit Factory) — legal entity Tianjin Shiyuan Tongchuang Technology Co., Ltd., factory at Chengxingwang Zhigu, Baodi District, Tianjin, Est. 2009. Our founder brings four decades in Chinese menswear manufacturing; founded Shi Yuan in 2009. acumenwear.com is the export domain for Shi Yuan Suit Factory. Order threads: WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 · houzhenying226@gmail.com. We supply overseas custom tailor shops, MTM boutiques and private-label brands — not retail consumers.
Shi Yuan Suit Factory is not affiliated with Tianjin Shiyuan Clothing Co., Ltd.
Next step: sample or inquiry
Send a front and back photo with feet together, and the leg shape the client wants. Message us on WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 with your country, monthly volume and whether this is MTM or bulk, or email houzhenying226@gmail.com. We reply with the sample route and what we still need from you.
Last checked: 2026-11-01. Figures on this page were checked against Shi Yuan's own published terms (sample policy and process pages). Anything not listed here is confirmed in writing on the order thread.
