What is the right length trousers or jeans

What is the right length trousers or jeans is a topic that needs to be discussed between the person doing the alteration and the customer.

If you have my book, you will understand when I say that getting the pinning right means getting the alteration right.  When determining the new length on a pair of trousers or jeans, it is imperative that the person have the shoes they will to be wearing  with the trousers, and if they want to wear low or high heeled shoes, then they need to have the hem pinned with the low heeled shoes first, pin as long as possible, then try on the high heeled shoes.

The width at the base of the trousers plays a big factor in how the trouser or jeans will sit on or over the shoe.  Some people may want you to pin as long as possible for a pair of very tight fitting stretch jeans, wanting them to fit over the shoe and touch the floor.  Of course they are not going to do this because they are too narrow, and will not fit over the shoe.  So this is where you need to educate the person on why they will not fit over the shoe.  I always give an example of a flared pair of jeans, saying that if the jeans are flared, they will easily fit over the shoe and can be touching the floor if that is what they want, although I would try and get them to have it just off the floor so that they do not fray when worn.  But how long it will be is determined by the width at the base of the trousers.

With my technique we fold the excess fabric under, and we place two crossed pins at the outside leg seam, then use the knuckle technique to get the right length from the floor on the inside leg, snap the fabric from inside to outside leg, so that it sits even and place a pin at the front, then snap the fabric at the back to get the right length and pin.

If the person has purchased a pair of flared trousers, then by shortening the trousers the flare will become less.  Obviously the higher you take the trousers or jeans up the narrower the base of the trouser will become.

I am aware that some alteration shops fold the fabric over around the knee area (generally above the knee) and pin all the way around.  I think this is done to leave the original length at the bottom.  However the problem with this is that the customer who is looking in the mirror will be seeing the width at the base of the trousers as it is originally.  Yet when the trousers are shortened, they will become narrower, so technically they are not getting what they think they are getting, and some men are very particular about the front crease resting on the front of the shoe.  The wider the base the longer it needs to be.

I remember when I first opened in Sydney, some customers asked me why I did not pin at the knee, and when I explained the reason why, they understood and were happy with my technique.  It is extremely important to me that what the customer sees in the mirror is what they are going to get, whether it is taking up or taking in.

see Open out seams so hem sits flat blog for more information.  What is the right length trousers or jeans is an important step before altering the length.

Happy altering

Judith aka genie