How to alter jeans lenght?

[shadowrider]

Here where I live, it's almost impossible to find different inseam sizes for jeans. They all seem to be L34 or L36 and, for me, that's awfully long.

If I take them to be altered like any other pants, though, the jeans hem will lose that typical thick, wrinkly aspect which I feel it's part of denim's beauty. Most older people I see have this.

But then once I shopped in a Levi's store, and the clerk told me I could have the in-house tailor shorten the jeans for me while still retaining the original hem. The way he'd do it is cut off the hem, shorten the inseam to size and then re-attach the original hem, trying to hide the new seam. I'm not a fan of this method either, especially if the denim has fading, which will become un-continuous once a piece of fabric is cut off.

I know all this is due to the fact that in-factory hems are "chain-stitched" and most common sewing machines can't do that. So I'm wondering: what do you fellow loungers do? What did they use to do back in the good ol' days?

 

[Edward]

Chain stitching is your only option if that's what you want.

AFAIK, back in the day all jeans came in one long length. If that worked for you, your wore em; if it was too long, you rolled them up first. I've been cuffing jeans for so long now myself they look totally wrong without it. I make sure to buy en plenty long enough to get enough to roll up decently.

 

[56FordGuy]

Length is one reason I try and stick with Wranglers, I usually buy a 36 inseam but would buy a 38 if I could find it. While a bit long, the extra length just rests on top of my boots when walking but they fall much better when horseback. The extra length keeps them from getting pulled up.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

There are some tutorials on TouYube on how to shorten jean legs whilst retaining the original hems.

 

[GHT]

Here where I live, it's almost impossible to find different inseam sizes for jeans. They all seem to be L34 or L36 and, for me, that's awfully long.

Well the answer must be, if your size is not available locally then buy, in your size, on line.
When you take up the bottoms of any trousers, not just jeans, unless the style is that of a straight leg, in other words, there is a taper to the leg, you will increase the hem and the higher you go to shorten them the wider the bottoms become. To be honest, I've never heard of a sewn on cuff, not brand new, off the peg anyway. I can't see the point of it, because it's creating additional work and therefore, additional cost. I might be able to understand more if you could post a photo. And also, chain stitching might have more than one definition, you see a chain stitch is one that can be pulled loose with ease, it's used on garments that are being made to measure, to enable the tailor to put the client's garment together and then, after a fitting, remove the chain stitch and either let out or take in that which requires adjusting.

 

[shadowrider]

I've never heard of a sewn on cuff, not brand new, off the peg anyway. I can't see the point of it, because it's creating additional work and therefore, additional cost.

I don' mean they sell them with the cuffs already cut off, but that you can purchase the pants and then have their tailor cut them off and re-sew them at the correct lenght.

I just found out there are a few businesses in NY and Cali that will hem your jeans with a chain stitch for 25$. A bit much, but for sure a better alternative to moving the original hem up the leg.

 

[LuvMyMan]

Length is one reason I try and stick with Wranglers, I usually buy a 36 inseam but would buy a 38 if I could find it. While a bit long, the extra length just rests on top of my boots when walking but they fall much better when horseback. The extra length keeps them from getting pulled up.

I purchase jeans a bit long and then instead of doing any altering, just FRY them a few times in the dryer after soaking in hot water. If you are wearing a 38 inseam, you must be a fairly tall person. My husband used to wear a 36 inseam but not now! Gravity! Haha!

 

[LuvMyMan]

I don' mean they sell them with the cuffs already cut off, but that you can purchase the pants and then have their tailor cut them off and re-sew them at the correct lenght.

I just found out there are a few businesses in NY and Cali that will hem your jeans with a chain stitch for 25$. A bit much, but for sure a better alternative to moving the original hem up the leg.

When ever I have had to do jeans (few times) our tailor just cuts off the bottoms, rolls the pant leg up to the new desireed length and then sews it. They look exactly the same as from the factory, her machine has a variety of different stitch patterns. Maybe you could search for a tailor or seamstress near you that can do that and save yourself some problem about having the jeans the length you need?

 

[bn1966]

With the type of jeans currently worn, I just turn them up these days

 

[dudewuttheheck]

just send them to one of the many denim shops that offer chain stitch hemming. I do it for all my jeans and pants. I think Blue in Green SOHO and Self Edge do it best.

 

[casechopper]

You'll get the thick textured hem whether they're chain stitched or not in my experience. It just takes a few washes for the shrinking cotton to pull against the hem thread and create the wrinkles. None of my hemmed jeans have been chain stitched and they're all forming that texture with wear.