Sometimes finding pants that fit your shape can be a real challenge. Store-bought pants are unlikely to fit you perfectly, even if they are the right size. Making adjustments will allow you to adjust the size and shape of the garment so that it fits your body perfectly. Furthermore, if done at home, it is a very simple and inexpensive process.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Hem the Pants
Step 1. Find the perfect length
Decide how long you want your pants to be and, consequently, where you want to hem. Use a measuring tape to gauge how much fabric to remove (while wearing pants). Typically the ends of the pants should be about an inch from the floor, although it depends on personal preference.
Step 2. Take your measurements
Remove the pants and arrange them on a flat surface. Use a tape measure to measure the distance between the current hem and the bottom of the pants. Typically it should measure just over an inch, but it depends on the style of the pants.
Step 3. Pin your pants
Use straight pins to stop the trouser leg at the height where you want to make the change: this will be the point where you will need to make the new hem. Then place a second line of pins above the new hem line, so that they mark the height of the hem to be made based on the measurements of the old hem (which is generally just over a centimeter wide). The original hem will remain intact in the process, so the second line of pins will have to compensate for the added length from the original edge.
Step 4. Adjust the pins
Remove the first line of pins, the one that is near the bottom of the pants. Its purpose was to indicate where to fold the trousers, also counting the size of the original hem. Keep the pins aside, you will need them to hold the trouser leg in the next step.
Step 5. Roll up the pants
Turn up the bottom of the pants and fold the ends upwards, orienting yourself towards the line marked by the pins left in place. Smooth the fabric of the trousers to remove any puckering, making sure the crease is even on both sides. Use the pins you just removed to stop the crease about an inch below the original hem.
Step 6. Sew the new hem
Use a straight seam on your sewing machine to sew the folded portion of the trouser leg. Make the seam just below the original hem (which should be folded up and be at the top of the fold). Sew a straight seam all around the leg, then stop the stitches and cut the thread away.
Step 7. Go back to fold out the part where you made the hem
On the bottom of the leg you just made the hem there should be a new piece of folded fabric. Turn up the trouser leg again to bring the folded part back inside. Congratulations, you have just successfully made a new hem for your pants!
Step 8. Iron the edge over
While you can simply trim off the excess fabric, it is easier (and more practical) to iron the affected leg area. Adjust your iron according to the fabric to be ironed and iron the hem, in order to flatten the fabric. Use a lot of steam to flatten it more easily.
Method 2 of 3: Stretch the Pants
Step 1. Remove the original hem and measure
Use a seam ripper to remove the hem. Pull the thread away from the hem and untwist it as you go, removing the excess fabric. Then use a tape measure to measure the width of the pants.
Step 2. Cut a piece of fabric to lengthen the hem
The process of lengthening trousers essentially consists in adding fabric to an edge without a hem, and then creating a very thin one. In this way the trouser leg will be elongated. It is best to choose a neutral fabric (it will not be seen from the outside) in the same color as your trousers and to take the measurements using the width of the leg as a reference. Cut four strips the width of the leg and add 2-3 centimeters as seam allowance, thus obtaining strips 4-5 cm high.
Step 3. Sew the fabric
Lay out two pieces of the fabric you cut so that the two sides touch and sew the ends about 1 cm from the edge. Repeat the operation for the 4 pieces of fabric, in order to obtain two rings that should measure as much as the bottom of the leg. Turn up the two rings so that the right side of the fabric is facing outwards.
Step 4. Sew the fabric onto the pant leg
Turn the pants inside out and place one of the rings in contact with the end of the leg (always keeping the right side facing outwards). Line up the edges of the two pieces of fabric and sew them together in a straight line that runs along the edge of the leg, about 5mm from the bottom. Don't worry if the fabric of the leg is not flat or curls at the edges - this defect will be fixed in the last few steps.
Step 5. Iron the edges
Remove the trousers from the sewing machine and spread the fabric you just added to the trousers so that the excess fabric protrudes from the ends of each leg. Use the iron to press and spread the fabric. Then fold the excess fabric, bringing the ends towards the center of the seam and pressing the fold with the iron. You should end up with a strip of fabric about 2-3 cm long, with a crease starting from the bottom of the pants.
Step 6. Adjust the hem fabric
Fold the part of the lining that protrudes from the edges towards the outside of the trouser leg. Fold the trouser leg to show all the fabric inside, as well as a very small part of the bottom of the leg (a few millimeters). Go back to folding the trousers from the right side. At this point the added lining should no longer be visible thanks to the crease, but it will still be necessary to fold the edges of the pants to hide it completely.
Step 7. Sew the hem
Sew the new hem along the crease of the trouser leg. The hem should not be more than 1 cm from the bottom of the pants, but can be adjusted according to the final effect you want to achieve. Sew all the fabric, making sure that the lining inside the hem is flat and smooth. Once you've completed the process for both legs, you're done!
Step 8. Iron the hem
Prepare a solution with three parts of vinegar and one of water and use it to flatten the fabric. This solution will remove all the creases from the original edge and will make the new edge look like the only one that exists. If you run out of vinegar, you can simply use an iron with a lot of steam to flatten the edge.
Method 3 of 3: Reduce the Size
Step 1. Measure your body
To understand how much fabric you will need to remove, you will need to carefully measure your size. Remember that it is easier to proceed by reducing the same amount of fabric on each side (if for example you want to remove 4 cm, you can reduce 2 cm per side). Use tailor's tape to take the following measurements:
- From the center of the waist to the center of the crotch.
- From the center of the low waist (where the belt hangs) to the center of the crotch.
- Measure the side seam from the waist to the ankle.
- Measure the inside seam from the crotch to the ankle.
- The measure of your waist.
- The measure of the hips.
Step 2. Create a pattern that matches your figure
Place a large piece of sewing paper on a flat surface and place your pants over it. Flatten them and use a pencil to outline their shape on the paper; if you don't have much confidence in the firmness of your hand, measure the pants and their shape to make sure they match. Then trace the dimensions you would like to give to the pants, writing down your measurements above the outline traced. Draw a new shape inside the previous one, using your measurements as a basis. Once complete, cut out this template.
Step 3. Draw the lines of the changes you want to make
Place the template on your pants and pin it in place. Use sewing chalk to trace the lines of the new shape on the pants. If necessary, use a tape measure to check that the measurements coincide with those you took at the beginning.
Step 4. Adjust the hips and waist of the pants
Use a seam ripper to untwist the waist of the pants; cut the belt on the back, right above your butt. Then cut the measure of fabric you want to remove starting from the elastic waist and stitch the two ends together. Tighten the excess fabric by adding two pence to the center of each buttock. Measure a V-shaped pence that goes 5 cm below the waist and is about 2-3 cm wide at its widest point.
If you still have too much fabric left over, you can also make pence on the front of the trousers
Step 5. Change the width of the pants
Starting from the waist you will need to sew a down seam that follows the seam of the leg, in order to create a smaller waist and thigh. The new seam will not reach the hem of the pants, but will tighten in the current leg more or less at the knee. Turn the pants inside out and sew a straight line from the waist to the outer leg seam. You can use the iron to flatten the seam when you're done, or you can trim away the excess fabric.
Step 6. Edit the horse
If the crotch of your pants is too low or too loose, you can fix this by sewing a line parallel to the original seam. Turn the pants inside out and start from the inside seam of the thighs, sewing a parallel line deeper than the original seam. Flatten the excess fabric or cut it for a permanent change.
Step 7. Make a final fix
Once you've made your modification, try on the pants to see how they fit! Look for any aspects to improve and immediately fix them. If not, congratulations: you have managed to reduce the size of your pants!
