I've been wondering if it's cheaper to buy the correct fabric and ask friends that sew reasonably well to make more than one pair of pants. Would they last as long as the brand ones? Thoughts?
I sew "reasonably well" and have found it difficult to sew skate leggings- the crotch was too baggy- it is fine on everyday leggings, but doesn't work for athletic pants. Plus doing the flatlock seams is beyond my ability... It isn't as easy of a project as a skating dress. However, there are places online where you can buy the exact fabric Under Armour uses for their frosty tights. http://www.rockywoods.com/Fabrics-Kits/Under-Armour-ColdGear (they don't seem to have plain black right now) and Malden Mills has the best fleece fabrics if you want the really warm pants. I have hope someday I'll get the pattern right... But yes, if your friend won't charge you for labor, it is definitely cheaper.
I don't know how much it would cost to ship over seas, but the NY2Sportswear pants (that look identical to Chloe Noel) are my favorite. I like the single waist band color ones the best, but if there is a two tone waist band that is $10 cheaper. I have bought them from both amazon-
http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&me=A370KGM96NVI3F and ebay (just search ny2sportswear), and they also have a website (but they aren't quite as inexpensive as amazon and ebay). I am short and a bit overweight and the AL fit me very nicely- they are clearly made for someone very tall though, as I have a LOT of extra fabric on my leg. Feel free to PM me and I'll tell you my height/weight...