How to Determine the Appropriate Width of a Hem for a Garment

The correct hem can help the look of your garment.

The hem on a pair of pants or a skirt can set the tone for your entire outfit. If a hem is too wide, it can make your pants or skirt too short and the outfit will look ill-fitting and awkward. If a hem is not wide enough, the pants can drag on the ground and be ruined. The width for your hem will depend on several factors, including your height and the shoes you plan to regularly wear with the item.

Things You'll Need

• Shoes
• Straight pins
• Measuring tape

Instructions

1. Put on the garment that needs to be hemmed.

2. Put on the shoes you will most regularly wear with the garment. If you are hemming a pair of dress slacks, wear dress shoes. If you are wearing high-heeled shoes, make sure you are wearing a pair when you measure as it will impact measurements. If the garment you are hemming is a shirt, wear proper-fitting undergarments.

3. Fold over the ends of the garment so the material hits where you desire. For pants, the fabric should end at the top of the front of the shoe and cover part of the heel in the back. If you are hemming a skirt, the hem should be either 2 inches above the knee or mid-calf length. Shirts can be hemmed at whatever length you are comfortable.

4. Pin the material with straight pins at the correct length.

5. Remove the garment and turn the item inside out so the pinned hem is facing you.

6. Measure the width of the hem using a measuring tape. If your hem is more than 3 inches wide, you will need to trim the material before hemming. A hem that is wider than that will look awkward. Hems are traditionally 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide.

Tips & Warnings

• Determining the hem width will be easier with two people. The person who is wearing the garment will not be able to easily pin the hem while in the item.

References

• Evening Wear Guide: Men's Trouser Fitting Advice