We’ve all owned a pair of jeans which don’t fit as well as they could. Either being too baggy and loose and sliding down at every opportunity or far too tight and uncomfortable to wear.
So the question is, can a tailor make the waist on jeans bigger? A tailor can adjust the size of the waist on your jeans. Tailors will be able to help with jeans that aren’t perfect around the waist, jeans that are too baggy in the legs, or jeans that are too long. These are all relatively straightforward fixes that any tailor should be able to carry out without a problem.
Clothes aren’t meant to feel too snug on the body. If you have never worn something that fits you perfectly and feels so right, then this is your opportunity to rectify that and get the ideal jeans for you.
There seems to be a misconception around jeans that once we buy them off the rack they will fit us like a glove. Or, if not, we can fasten them with a belt and all will be well with the world. However, just like people take their trousers to the tailor for adjustments, jeans should be treated the same.
When You Should Take Jeans To The Tailor
While you can get your jeans tailored and adjusted to fit your body perfectly, there are certain things that are more difficult, or maybe more expensive to even be worth the investment.
However, it’s worth noting, if your jeans are extremely tight or baggy around your waist when you first try them on, then it’s probably best to leave them and get another pair.
Some adjustments are too complicated or pricey to be worth considering. After all, if the cost of tailoring greatly exceeds the price of the jeans in the first place, then that doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Modify The Length
So the first thing you can expect a tailor to do for your jeans is to reduce the length. Say you buy a pair that fit perfectly at the waist, but are a little too long in the legs, then you can take them to a tailor and get the necessary adjustments done.
This process is called hemming and is one of the easier processes when it comes to altering jeans. There are various methods to accomplish a reduction in length.
- One is to make an original or European hem, which means the tailor will remove the hems on your jeans and then re-attaching them. This method is best for designer jeans with their own special hemstitching patterns, to retain their look.
- The second method is called the inside hem, and it involves folding the excess material before stitching it into place. This will give you a shorter length, and provides you with a solution that is great for short-term use.
You can also get your jean legs tapered if they are too loose or baggy, and that way you can achieve a more slimline look. This is great if you want the jeans to hug your legs more, rather than appearing to hang off of you.
How To Adjust Jeans Waist
Now onto the adjustment that you’re here for, the tailor can adjust the fit of the waist on your jeans to make sure it fits you better and feels snug around the hips.
Reduce The Waist
Some people find it more difficult to find jeans with a great fit around the waist, due to bigger hips or waist. As such, if you buy a pair of jeans and find that the fit around the waist is too loose, then reducing the waist on the jeans can be a fantastic option.
If you can comfortably fit several fingers in between the material and your waist, then chances are you’ll want to take your jeans to the tailor to get the waist reduced.
Extend The Waist
Conversely, and this is a slightly more complicated process, if you want to extend the waist of your jeans, then here’s what needs to be done.
The way in which a tailor can extend the waist of your jeans is by first removing some of the side seam stitches, before cutting through the waistband.
The tailor will then take the appropriate measurements and proceed to add elastic to the waistline of your jeans.
This way, they will add length to the waist, so that your jeans won’t be as tight around your waist. These slips of elastic will then be sewn into the jeans, and essentially create a more flexible waistline.
Handy Tips and Tricks
Before you take your jeans to a tailor, for whatever the adjustment, you’d be well advised to wash your jeans in cold water so that you can give the tailor your jeans in their true form.
That is to say, they will shrink as much as they need to, and be ready to be adjusted properly.
If you are getting the legs altered, it’s worth wearing the shoes you would normally wear with the jeans to get a solid idea of where you need the new hem to be.
If you bought the jeans from a store, check if the store offers free or discounted adjustments. That way, you might be able to save your money on going to the tailor.
Finally, you’ll be well-served to know a bit about the experience of the tailor, and how well-versed they are when it comes to working with denim jeans. Especially when it comes to extending the waistline since this is a less common adjustment to make.
Why should you go with a tailor?
So now you know exactly what you can expect when you take your denim jeans to the tailor, it’s worth considering why going to the tailor is better than extending the waist of the jeans yourself.
Well, for a start, extending the waist of the jeans is a complicated process. Unless you are a highly proficient seamstress or accomplished in making adjustments to your own clothes, then this might be a step too far to attempt by yourself.
Of course, that isn’t to say that it’s impossible to do it yourself, but purely for the amount of time it might take you to pull off, it’s probably worth opting for a professional tailor.
Then, you have to take into account what would happen if you made a mistake as you were trying to extend the waist of your jeans.
Yes, you guessed it, you’d end up taking it to a tailor to get patched up. So it begs the question as to whether you’d be better off taking it to a tailor in the first place, to ensure the best possibility of ending up with a fantastic end product.
However…
There is one instance in which you perhaps won’t need to take your jeans to a tailor for an adjustment, and that is if you just need to extend the size by a minimal amount.
In this case, it’s possible to get a hold of some waist extenders. A plastic device that can stretch out the fabric of your jeans around the waist when they are wet.
Let’s take a look at a great elastic waist extender available on Amazon.
This product by Johnson & Smith is well worth the small price tag, as it will give you the power to adjust your jeans with no assistance needed by a professional tailor.
These elastic waist extenders are made from great quality elastic, which will expand up to 50%, giving you extra length around the waist for a fraction of the cost of taking your jeans to the tailor.
With 3 different slots, these elastic waist extenders give you the flexibility you need, while also providing you with a variety of options. Whether it’s a big adjustment you need or just a minor one, these extenders have you covered.
One of the best parts about using waist extenders is that not only are they discrete and invisible for the most part, they are also incredibly easy to attach to your jeans, and don’t require any sewing.
The drawback of using these waist extenders over going with a tailor is that you may not get the professional, long-term fix you were hoping for.
While these waist extenders can be a fantastic alternative, there is really no substitute for the work of an experienced tailor.
So at the end of the day, you have to make a decision based on your personal needs. If you just need a minor extension to the waist of your jeans, then you may benefit from investing in some affordable waist extenders like these and not having to worry about it anymore.
However, if the pair of jeans in question are your favorite pair and you want them to fit you perfectly for the long term, then head to your nearest tailor and see what they can do for you.
