How to Shorten & Hem Dress Pants
Many dress pants are designed too long for the person buying them. This is so that they fit a larger variety of people, including those who are very tall. Hemming the bottom of the pant creates a more professional appearance and allows for the pants to fit properly. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Sewing pins
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Hem ripper
- Sewing machine
- Thread, colored to match the pant
- Scissors
- Ruler
Instructions
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Hemming Dress Pants
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1
Measure from the floor the height that you want the pants. This should be done with the shoes that will be worn with the pants, as some shoes have higher soles than other shoes. Pin the pants in place. Use the ruler to ensure that the pants are the same height all the way around.
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2
Press the inside of the pants in an up-and-down motion with an iron on the ironing board. This will produce a sharp crease in the pant.
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3
Unpin the pants and flip over the old hem so it is visible. Using the hem ripper, rip out the old hem. Measure the distance from the bottom of the material to the original hem crease.
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4
Measure this same distance from the new hem crease. Remove any excess material below this point, cutting in a straight line and checking the distance frequently.
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5
With the sewing machine set on the zig-zag stitching pattern, stitch near the edge of the cut material on the pant. Two strait stitched lines will also work if a zig-zag stitch is not available. This will keep the material from fraying.
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6
Refold the pants at the new hem crease line and, using a loop stitch, hand stitch the new hem. Keep the stitches firm, but not pulled tight. Avoid bunching the stitches and thread. Try to keep each stitch about half an inch apart for a professional appearance.
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7
Iron the pants in an up-and-down motion to create a sharp crease and hemline. This will complete the professional appearance of the pants.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Black Dress Shoes image by TMLP from Fotolia.com
