How to Alter Pants

So, you have a nice pair of jeans, which unfortunately is oversized and doesn't fit you properly. Or maybe you wish to resize pants that belonged to someone else to your size. If you wish to just alter the length of a pant, then it is possible to do so by using a thread and needle, and you can also use this method to turn your jeans into pair of capris.

But, if you wish to alter pants which are made of tough fabrics like denim or alter cotton pants at the waist, then a sewing machine will be required. Finding that perfect pair of jeans or pants can be a mission that is as difficult as searching for the lost city of Atlantis, but alteration of pants can give you that perfect pair.

Depending upon your requirement, you will need to make alterations to the pair of baggy pants that you wish to resize. If you want to alter the waistline, then you will need to mark the seams under the crotch area. If you wish to alter the pants' length, then just match it up with your old pants' length.

• Take a pair of pants which fits you right to use it as a reference while resizing the baggy pants.
• Turn both the baggy and the good-fitting pants inside out.
• Keep the baggy pant on a clean floor surface and overlap the good fitting pant on it properly. Match the front and back of both pairs of pants properly.

• Now according to the alterations you want to make draw the marks on the pants.
• If you wish to reduce the length of the pants, then make a mark on the bottom of the baggy pant but make sure you always keep a seam allowance of 1 and a half inch.

• If the pants are loose at your calves and thighs, then you will have to consider marking the inner leg area too, but remember to give a seam allowance at this area of the pants too.

• If the crotch of the baggy pants is larger than the old pants that fit you right, then you might also want to make marks under the crotch area with the seam allowance. Ensure that the marks for the seam are an inch below the zipper area. As the zipper can't be altered and even if you try to do so, it will be tedious and you might mess up the zipper totally.

• Now using scissors cut out the marked excess material out of the baggy pants.
• Using the sewing machine, start sewing the areas which have you cut with the scissors. Try on the pants and check if they fit perfectly.

Hopefully these instructions on altering pants help you, and you don't have to throw away an old pair of pants or oversized pants because they don't have that perfect fit. So, use these instructions and resize pants to make them fit you perfectly!