Pants Too Short? Here's How to Fix Them (2024)

FAQs

Can a tailor fix pants that are too short? ›

Inseam (Shorten or Lengthen)

It is very easy to fix trousers that are either too long or too short. Plus, it is an alteration that won't cost you more than $10-$20. There are also some brands, whose trousers come with unfinished hems so that you can decide the optimal pant length per your likings.

Rule #2: Pant should never be worn too short. It's all about the break. A good break is not only visually appealing, but it also lets you know if you're wearing your pants too short. For example, if the break comes too high or is not defined enough, your pants will look too short when you stand or walk.

Hotpants or hot pants are extremely short shorts.

The stylist that has worked with the Haim sisters and Noah Cyrus has some tips for how to dress taller. She recommends avoiding cropped pants and jackets and instead opting for long, flared pants and longline blazers. When it comes to shoes, pointed-toe pumps are best.

The waist of your trousers should sit on or just above your hip bones and be tight enough to sit there without a belt and loose enough to allow 2-4 fingers to fit easily inside the waistband. The Waist Width of Proper Cloth trousers can be taken out by 0.75” (1.5” in total circumference).

If your jeans are a little too short, cuff them and no one will ever know. Roll your boyfriend jeans up, and cuff your skinny jeans under. 2. If you want to rock the same pair of jeans with both heels and flats, temporary hem tape is a quick and affordable solution.

Can it be fixed?: Taking in or letting out the waist of your pants is certainly possible. There's more room to take the waist in than to let it out, as there is only so much extra fabric at the seams. Take note, however, that the best outcome is achieved if the seat of your pants is also altered.

Just roll the extra length inside the pants and use a bobby pin on each seam for a quick fix!

Take the seam ripper and cut the existing thread of the hem on both legs. Unroll the hem, put the pants on, and roll the material up on the outside to where you want the new hem to hit. Once it's at the right length and even on all sides, stick a pin along the fold so it stays put.

While using fusible hem tape is a quick alternative to sewing a hem in place, it is permanent and cannot be removed. If you are hemming a garment that may need to be adjusted at some point, for example hemming pants, this may not be the best solution as there is no way to remove the adhesive once it has been fused.

How long should your pants be? ›

Tailor the trousers so that they are long enough for one break, or slight fold in the fabric, at the front. For a more contemporary look, take the trousers a little shorter so that they just touch the top of your shoes without a break.

Opt for high-waisted jeans and high-rise pants

High waist jeans and high rise pants create a vertical line that helps you look taller. If the pant leg is full, or boot-cut, hem them to cover your shoe but not drag on the ground. Pants that are too long will look overwhelming and you'll appear shorter than you are.

Study after study has found that taller men and women are generally considered more attractive.

Button up your pants and lay them on the ironing board until the waist can stretch as far as possible. Start steaming the waistband with one hand while pulling on it with the other hand. Continue ironing it until the waistband is dry.

The waist of a pair of trousers can be let in or taken out 2-3". Look inside the seat for extra fabric at the waistband – this, minus half an inch or so, is as far as you can take the pants out. Trousers are easily shortened, but lengthening them requires fabric at the hems.

If not properly washed, the material that make up the pants will shrink. The shrinking comes when the pants are drying. You can buy anti-shrink material so your pants will not shrink or get shorter. Pants made of cotton will shrink.

If you don't have a sewing machine or needle and thread, you can hem your pants with hem tape, which you can find at most drugstores. To use hem tape, turn your pants inside out, fold them to the desired length, pin and iron the crease, and then apply the hem tape to the fold.

Thread a needle with thread that matches the color of your pants. Use a blind stitch to sew around the pant leg about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) from the hem. Continue until you reach the place where you started, then knot the thread and use a scissors to cut it. Repeat with the other pant leg.

How can I make my shorts fit better? ›

To make the fabric of your shorts tighter, you will need to take one of the many ways to shrink your shorts. I suggest you wash your shorts in hot water and then put them in the dryer on high to shrink them.

Spray them with lukewarm water, and then lay the jeans out on the floor. Stand on each leg of the jeans, bend down, and use your hands to manually pull and stretch the jeans while they are wet. Feel free to pull them in any and all directions, reapplying the lukewarm water as needed.

The bottom line is, skinny jeans are here to stay - and here is why; Skinny jeans will give you a more defined shape and reduce extra fabric around the knee, calf, and ankle that makes you look shorter and stumpier.

All told, men will get about 1.2 to 1.5 inches shorter, and women will lose up to 2 inches, by age 70.