How to lengthen women's trousers at home. How to lengthen jeans

If jeans or trousers are a little short at the waist and hips, although they fit perfectly, there are several ways to lengthen them - both for children's models and for adults.

It is not necessary to have the same fabric on hand - remnants of decorative braid, lace, and scraps of colored fabric will do. For plain dress pants, you will need trouser tape, which can be purchased at fabric stores. You can lengthen your sweatpants using knitted cuffs.

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Required measurements

First, you will need to take a measurement called “the length of the trousers at the side seam.” It is removed as follows: from the waist down, the length of the product is measured. If you plan to wear trousers with high-heeled shoes, measurements are taken with shoes on. The length of the trousers after alteration depends on the wishes of the master or client. The maximum is considered to be:

1. For classic men's trousers, the length should be such that one fold forms in the front. It is needed so that the sock is not visible when walking. At the back, the bottom of the trousers should be between the top edge of the heel or sole and the middle of the heel.
2. For men's trousers of European models, which have been popular in recent years, the length should be no more than 1-2 cm shorter than the classic one.
3. For women's models, the maximum length of the classic options is up to the middle of the heel.
4. In children's products, the length is determined by the purpose and model. It is important that the child is comfortable. The optimal length for trousers is one that covers the ankle.

There is an important rule in women's fashion: the wider the trousers, the longer they should be. Accordingly, narrow models should be shorter. This is how the female figure is visually perceived more harmoniously.

It is necessary to measure the length of the product along the side seam and compare the value with the previously taken measurement. The difference will serve as the main calculation characteristic in the future. You will also need to measure the width of your pant legs. Be sure to take seam allowances into account. They will be:

along the bottom edge - 3 cm;
along the stitching line and side seam - 1.5 cm each.

Exceptions are braid and lace: they do not need allowances along the bottom edge (for the hem).

Some tips

Recommendations to help avoid serious mistakes when shortening:

The length of the product is measured when trying on shoes. If you plan to wear trousers with a belt, then you should also wear it when measuring.
For a better visual picture, the rear edge can be slightly lowered in relation to the front. To do this, the measured length after the side seam along the back half is gradually lowered by 10–15 mm.
Additionally, to fix the hem, you can use adhesive web, but it does not exclude threads. After several washes, the web may lose its adhesive properties, so to be on the safe side, the hem is stitched.
For hemmed trousers, the bottom is ironed from the inside to prevent the hem from being imprinted on the front side.

Required tools and materials

Before you start, you need to prepare everything you need. In order to change the length of your trousers at home, you will need:

scissors, seam ripper or nail scissors (you can replace them with a stationery knife);
threads matching the color or matching the finishing stitch;
a sewing machine or a set of needles for hand sewing; for knitted and elastic trousers, it is advisable to use an overlock machine;
ruler and measuring tape;
chalk or soap;
scraps of fabric, trouser braid for men's trousers (if it is not in the model), lace or decorative braid for jeans (in models for girls and young women);
iron and ironing iron (a piece of gauze for ironing);
knitted fabric for sports trousers. Elastic fabric can be used as cuffs.

Jeans are dyed - how to fix the dye at home?

Classic pants

Classic models - men's, women's or children's - are lengthened using similar techniques.

The simplest method is when the depth of the hem allows you to add length without the use of other materials. If you need to lengthen the trousers by 1-2 cm, you can open the seam along the bottom edge, iron it, and mark a new hem line.

In men's models, a lapel is often found. This also simplifies the task. Before lengthening, you must carefully - using a seam ripper, a knife or nail scissors - rip the bottom seam and the seams of the trouser tape (if any). It protects the bottom of the product from abrasion. If there is no trouser tape, it is advisable to sew it on.

The thickened edge of the braid should be at the bottom. For grinding you need:

mark a line on the wrong side of the fabric;
measure the width of the braid and place it above the hem line;
Sew a seam along the top edge to secure the trouser tape;
iron the lower parts of the trouser legs so that only the thickened roll is visible from under the hem;
Hem the trousers using a machine or with a blind seam by hand.

The color
of the trouser tape must exactly match the shade of the fabric.
Algorithm for lengthening trousers:

1. Carefully open the hem seam. Remove the tape.
2. Using a sewing needle, remove any remaining thread.
3. Iron open seam lines.
4. Measure the width of the trouser legs (it will be different in the front and back).
5. Use scraps of fabric to create a pattern for the hem pieces. Mark the width (separately for the back and front halves) and length (for the inner hem 2.5-3 cm). Take seam allowances into account.
6. Cut out the details.
7. Stitch the side parts of the parts. Press the seams.
8. Sew the parts to the product using a basting stitch.
9. Machine stitch the intended seam. If you don't have a sewing machine, you can use a hand-stitched backstitch.
10. Iron the seam through an ironing iron (gauze).
11. Mark a line for sewing the trouser tape and stitch it.
12. Hem the trousers using a basting stitch or tailor's pins.
13. Iron the hem.
14. Along the top hem line, sew a machine stitch in increments of at least 2.5 mm or a hand-blind stitch.
15. Iron the hem.

Important: on flared models, the hem is cut exactly according to the design of the trousers.

If you have scraps of the same fabric from which the product is made, you can make an addition in the form of a lapel. It can be simple or double. To cut out a part, the height of the lapel is added to the hem size (from 3 to 5 cm in finished form on classic models).

To lengthen using a lapel you need:

on both sides of the trouser legs, open the side seam by 1-2 cm;
Sew cuff details to the bottom edges of the trousers;
iron the seams;
fold the free edge of the parts inward and stitch to the trouser legs;
iron the cuffs and sew the side seams;
It is advisable to strengthen the details of the cuffs on the wrong side with an adhesive pad.

Each operation must be accompanied by ironing, only in this case the result will be impeccable. All details are cut out using a shared thread
!
Exceptions are models cut on the bias.

Jeans

The basis is the same algorithm as in the classic version. But in jeans you will need to remove the finishing stitch along the bottom, and at the end of the work, carefully lay the same one or do it with thread to match the fabric. There is no need to sew on the trouser tape on the jeans.

Women's models with decor in the form of embroidery and appliqué can be lengthened using cotton fabrics that match the color. You can also use lace or decorative braid to lengthen it. To do this, you do not need to rip the hem seam - the braid is adjusted so that its upper edge is hidden on the wrong side. But this can only be done in cases where the fabric is thin enough. The lace is stitched using a zig-zag stitch. If the denim is rough, the simplest option will not work - the jeans will look ugly when used.

Children's denim trousers for girls can be lengthened using the same methods. In models for boys, this can be done using cuffs. It is not necessary to select fabrics by color. On children's trousers, you can make cuffs at the bottom of the trousers from a different fabric. It is recommended to cut out and sew a pocket or decorative patches on the knees from it. No more than three additions from finishing fabric are used, otherwise the model will be overloaded with decor.

You can lengthen jeans for small children by sewing along the edge of the cuff from an old dad's shirt made of denim or thick cotton. Such parts are easy to adjust by tucking them. In models for girls, you can sew lace over the edge of the legs, after opening the hem. Openwork braid will hide traces of abrasions along the fold lines.

Another way that you can use to lengthen children's trousers is to make inserts of finishing fabric in the form of horizontal stripes above the hemline, below the knee. 2-3 such details will look good. No additional decor is required. In models of summer jeans for girls, lace can be used as an insert. In this case, both sides of the braid are adjusted from the front side.

The option of lengthening jeans using cuffs or cuffs is not suitable for short women. To change the length of men's jeans in this way, the reverse side of the additional parts must be reinforced with an adhesive pad. Cuffs with a checkered pattern can be used as finishing elements.

Women's and children's denim trousers are lengthened with contrasting cuffs. You will need scraps of denim and brightly colored material (polka dots, flowers, geometric patterns). Sequence of work:

1. Cut out 2 pieces each with a width equal to the length of the extension with the addition of the lapel height (seam allowances) - from denim and finishing fabric.
2. Open the hem seam and iron.
3. Place the denim pieces right sides together and stitch them together.
4. Place contrasting pieces face to face and sew seams.
5. Fold the cuffs to the desired height, sew on the edges of the contrasting parts and sew them on the wrong side.

Which length should I choose?

To choose the right model for you, it is best to use measurements. However, in practice, which girl goes shopping with a centimeter? Therefore, as an alternative, you need to try on the shoes with which the trousers will be worn. Only in this case can you see how closed or open the heel is.

Important! When chosen correctly, trousers combine harmoniously with both flat-soled and heeled shoes and do not cause discomfort when walking. There is another method for making the right choice - placing the model you are trying on on top of the old one, in which the length is completely satisfactory

There is another method for making the right choice - placing the model you are trying on on top of the old one, in which the length is completely satisfactory.

What if your height is short? How to lengthen your legs with trousers?

The choice will be radically different for short and tall girls. They fit completely different styles. If short women opt for short ones, they will only visually shorten their legs and their figure will become disproportionate.

But if you choose a floor-length style, your legs will immediately look longer and slimmer. An excellent option are straight models with arrows and high heels. Arrows instantly turn any girl into a long-legged beauty. The length in this case should be up to the middle of the heel. Don't forget about flared trousers. They are especially indicated for wide hips. In this case, they should cover almost the entire foot.

Sweatpants

Sports products are made from knitted and elastic materials. The best option for lengthening such models would be to sew a knitted cuff into an elastic band. To cut out these parts, you will need to measure the volume of the ankle joint to make putting on such pants easy. It is necessary to calculate the tensile coefficient of the fabric used for elongation. For this:

1. Mark on it the beginning and end of a segment 10 cm long.
2. Stretch the fabric and measure the distance between the marks. Example: it turned out to be 13.
3. Divide this number by 10 (the original value). 13:10 = 1.3. This is the elongation coefficient.

It is needed so that the cut parts ensure a good fit in the finished product. Cuffs must be cut taking into account the coefficient. If the volume of the ankle joint is 30 cm, then the width of the cuff will be calculated as follows:

1.30: 1.3 = 23 (cm).
2. 23 cm + 1 cm (seam allowance) = 24 cm.

The height of the part is equal to the height of the cuff multiplied by 2, plus a seam allowance of 1.6 cm. You need to cut out two of these parts.

Sequence of work:

1. Sew the side seam of the cuff, retreating 0.5 from the edges.
2. Fold the cuff in half with the seam facing inward.
3. Attach the cut of the cuff to the prepared bottom edge of the trouser leg, aligning their inner seams.
4. Sew the piece to the trouser leg using a basting stitch, stretching it as you work.
5. Check the uniformity of the resulting assembly and sew the part using an overlocker, retreating 0.8 cm from the edge. The overlock seam is quite elastic. If you don’t have an overcasting machine, you can sew the cuffs with a zig-zag stitch, first loosening the tension of the upper thread.

This option is suitable if you need to lengthen your sweatpants by 5-6 cm. It should be taken into account that with this method, the gathered parts will slightly raise the edge of the legs. When calculating the height of the cuffs, add 1 cm.

The easiest way

So, if the problem with short pants is obvious, it needs to be solved. The most basic way is to try using an existing resource. What does it mean? To begin with, you can rip open the existing hem and try to solve the existing problem with little effort. Perhaps the seam hides the missing 1.5-2 cm in the length of the trouser legs. This option is good for new jeans, because worn and washed pants wear out quite quickly at the bottom and after their bottom edge is ripped open, all the fraying is maximally manifested.

How to lengthen jeans as easily as possible? In cases where simple steaming followed by minimal hemming of the cut is not enough (or this option is impossible due to the severe wear of the pants), you can use another option. To do this, you need to add the missing length to them, choosing the most similar fabric. Such a cuff can be taken from other trousers by cutting off their length, in which case you don’t even have to work hard, the main thing is to sew the cuts together symmetrically. You can use a piece of fabric, but experts recommend cutting the pattern on the bias, since jeans are cut in production this way.

Video

Sometimes it happens that good pants become short for fast-growing teenagers or shrink after washing. In this case, you should not rush to throw them away and buy new ones, since they can be lengthened a little.

In order to lengthen them, you should acquire patience and the necessary materials. Also, it is quite important to have at least basic skills and understanding of the work so that the final product looks beautiful and neat.

The standard lengthening measurement is from the waist down the leg to the hem of the trousers.

It is also important to consider that the correct length must be selected for the shoes with which the trousers will be worn in the future.

Important!
You should consider standard trouser length standards before starting work.

Pants length standards:

European men's trouser models should be 1–2 centimeters shorter than classic ones.
The optimal length of women's trousers is to the middle of the heel of the shoe.
Classic ones should be worn so that when standing straight, there is one fold on the toe. Then the toe of the shoe will not be visible when moving.
Children's products should be comfortable for the child. However, the optimal length is ankle length.

In general, lengthening the length now will not be particularly difficult, since many manufacturers leave a sufficient amount of material during the processing of seams.

Common mistakes

Before you start lengthening your jeans, it would be a good idea to study some recommendations. They will allow you to avoid mistakes and get a product “without blots”:

jeans must be washed and ironed before work;
if the lengthening occurs with unstitching the factory hem of the bottom of the trouser legs and wetting them, the pants are ironed until the visibility of the fold line disappears;
One cannot ignore the basting of details to lengthen the fabric of jeans in order to avoid wrinkles at the junction of fabrics for elements and denim of trousers;
if the machine cannot cope with the stitching at the seam joints due to the thickness of the material, the extension should be done manually;
the color of the thread for external seams should match the color of the fabric used;
It is necessary to start lengthening after trying on trousers with shoes to create an image. This will help you choose a new pants length.

The result of lengthening jeans will please those who need patience and accuracy. The quality of work must be at its best, then you won’t be ashamed to appear in front of others in new or old jeans.

How to lengthen women's trousers at home

5 ways to lengthen trousers, jeans or sweatpants at home

Ways to lengthen classic men's and women's trousers

How to lengthen women's trousers at home How to lengthen women's classic trousers How to lengthen women's trousers at home How to lengthen trousers

Lengthening trousers at home

In order to lengthen your pants at home, it is not necessary to have the same material.

Other
fabrics that
include
colored patches, lace or tape for trousers, and knit cuffs for sweatpants.
Other materials you may need:

sewing machine;
threads;
needle;
scissors;
piece of fabric.

Reference!
In order to increase the length of your trousers, it is best to iron them before starting work. This reduces the possibility of wrinkles and, accordingly, facilitates correct measurements.

Another important point in preparing for work is measuring the width of the trouser leg and calculating the material for hemming with allowance for seams and overlock. You need to leave at least 1.5 centimeters on the sides, and at least 3 centimeters on the bottom.

How to lengthen classic trousers (men's, women's) when there is no stock

Sometimes it happens that excellent dress pants fit perfectly on the hips and waist, but they have become short and there is no reserve of fabric that can be used at the bottom of the leg. In this case, you can use trouser braid or a piece of the same fabric. Below we will look in more detail at exactly how to use these 2 features.

Women's and men's dress pants are lengthened using similar techniques. Therefore, these methods are suitable for both options.

With braid

The braid should be selected in such a way that it matches the color. To begin work, be sure to open the seams of the fabric hem and remove the threads. Then be sure to steam and smooth the fold seams well.

Important!
It should be remembered that the width of the trouser leg in the front and back will be different.

In order to cut out the fabric on the part, you need to separately measure the width of both parts of the leg and the required length of the material. Be sure to take into account that there should be at least 3 centimeters left on the inside hem, and also add seam allowances. Then sew the cut pieces together and carefully press the seams. After this, baste the extensions to the trouser leg and try it on to make sure it is of sufficient length.

The next step is to sew the seam on a sewing machine and iron it through gauze. Then baste the trouser tape and stitch it, and then sew the hem for the trouser leg and iron it again.

With lapels

An excellent option for increasing the length would be a lapel made of the same material. This addition will look very neat when finished. You need to cut out the details for the hem taking into account the height of the lapel - from 3 centimeters.

The process of performing an extension with a lapel:

Open the legs and about 2 centimeters of the side seam.
Sew the cuff pieces to the bottom edge of the trousers.
Iron the seams.
Sew the side seams of the trousers.
Treat the cuffs on the wrong side with adhesive tape and secure along the seams (if the product is made of stretch fabric, then there is no need to glue the tape).

Important!
After each hemming process, you need to iron the trouser legs. This way you can be guaranteed to get high-quality lapels that will look neat in the finished version of the trousers.

Ideas for lengthening women's trousers

You can also lengthen women's pants quite easily. Because by using your imagination you can not only decorate your jeans, but also give them a unique style and personality. Nowadays, interesting solutions with lace or play of colors and textures of materials are very popular in fashion.

You can lengthen them using allowances, cuffs, lace or other textured fabrics,

which will brightly complement the image. However, it should be borne in mind that it is better not to use too bright elements if you plan to wear trousers to the office and to work. These options are better suited for everyday casual style.

cuffs

An interesting way to lengthen it is to sew the cuffs to the bottom of the legs. In this option, it is not necessary to use a material with a similar texture (for example, denim) and you can take a fabric of a different color. Pants with wide cuffs will look quite elegant, and you can complement them with a fake button fastening along the side seam.

Let's take a closer look at the stages of creating cuffs to lengthen trousers:

Select the material and cut out two rectangles of future cuffs from it, the width of which corresponds to the width of the trouser leg, and the length required with seam allowances.
Sew the pieces of fabric on a sewing machine and iron the seams.
Sew the side seams and finish the hems at the bottom.

To ensure that no one guesses about lengthening your trousers yourself, you can treat the pockets on your trousers with the same material. This decision will be very interesting, and jeans will continue to be in fashion.

Color solutions

If we talk about modern colors, then the choice must be made towards floral shades.

Golden, powdery, ultramarine colors, as well as ocher and watercolors look elegant. Extremely blurry shades and an achromatic palette are exactly what is popular this season.

Stripes are still in fashion, but in medium sizes. Geometric patterns are in first place now

It is also worth paying attention to the sophisticated lines of tropical vegetation and animal prints

A small check or pattern will look inconspicuous if the shades are not bright or the lines of the pattern are quite thin. A large check or voluminous pattern looks more distinct and catchy, especially if the colors are opposite.