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Published: 20 May 2025 , By: My Alteration team, Read time: ~4 min, Location: Melbourne, Australia
1. Pin the Desired Length
Try on your jeans and fold them to your preferred length. Use straight pins to hold the new length in place.
Pro tip: If your jeans have a worn hem or stonewashed finish at the bottom, you'll want to preserve it — this tutorial keeps it intact.
2. Measure How Much to Shorten
Use a ruler to measure how much fabric you want to fold up. For example, if your jeans are 5cm too long, that’s your target measurement.
3. Mark the Lines
Turn your jeans inside out. Draw two chalk or fabric pencil lines:
One at the full shortening length (e.g., 5 cm)
One halfway up (e.g., 2.5 cm)
4. Fold and Pin
Fold the hem up along the halfway line and pin it in place. This keeps the original hem at the bottom visible — a key detail for a professional finish.
5. Hand Stitch the Hem
Use a needle and matching thread to hand stitch along the edge, just under the original hem. Keep your stitches small, straight, and even.
6. Press the Fold
Iron the new fold upward toward the waistband. This helps flatten the fabric and makes the hem look clean and sharp.
7. Secure the Fold
Add a few stitches at the side seams and inner leg seams to prevent the folded hem from coming loose. These stitches won’t be visible from the outside.
8. Turn Right Side Out and Check
Flip your jeans right side out. You’ll still see the original factory hem, but your jeans are now perfectly shortened — and it looks like you paid a professional.
Results
You’ve saved on professional alteration fees and kept that stylish, original hem. Well done!
This trick works great for straight-leg or skinny jeans — no cutting, no machine needed.
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