How to stretch jeans

Jeans are a universal thing! They are worn with pleasure by children, youth and older people, because they are fashionable and stylish, comfortable and practical. Therefore, you feel especially upset when you notice that your favorite trousers have become too tight! But in this case, you should not be upset, but stretch your jeans!

What areas require stretching?

Pants cease to be comfortable if the parameters of their owner change or the fabric shrinks.

The most problematic area in most cases is the waist. But pants can become tight also in the thighs or even along the entire pant leg. And if you come across a product made from low-quality material with a high content of synthetic fibers, the trousers may become smaller not in a separate area, but as a whole. This is also possible with models made from high-quality fabric with stretch (stretch jeans).

In any case, denim can be stretched using one of the methods that we will talk about.

We stretch jeans at home

Changing the volume of trousers occurs due to physical stretching of the material or by altering the trousers.

Several methods of mechanical stretching of jeans have been successfully used.

Stretching tissue using physical exercises

Modern fabric from which jeans are sewn necessarily contains special synthetic fibers. Under certain conditions they stretch or contract. Taking advantage of these properties of synthetics, You can stretch your jeans by putting them on yourself and performing physical exercises, exercises or warm-ups in trousers.

Important! To achieve the goal and make the jeans more spacious, the set of exercises performed should be dominated by those that involve the legs: squats, swings, lifting from different positions, etc.

The fabric will stretch gradually, so warm up in jeans until they reach the desired size.

Stretching jeans with water

Wet fabric stretches better, so it's no surprise that water is often used when stretching jeans. But they are not just soaked in water, but forced to change sizes so that they fit the figure. Therefore, you will have to plunge into the water while wearing jeans.

Important! The time for complete wetting of the fabric fibers is at least 15 minutes, the water temperature is warm, but not hot.

You need to make sure that there is enough water in the bath to completely submerge all areas of the pants.

After finishing the water procedures and allowing the water to drain, the jeans are not removed, but are subjected to mechanical stretching with the help of physical exercises.

Stretching jeans using an iron and steam

Mechanical stretching of dry or wet jeans during charging occurs with the entire thing.If there is no such goal, but the trousers need to be stretched in a certain area, an iron with steam function or steamer.

When working with them, the problem area is thoroughly doused with steam, ensuring that the material becomes wet, and the synthetic fibers begin to straighten and lengthen under the influence of steam.

Important! A greater effect can be achieved if you put on damp jeans after steam treatment and wear them for 1–1.5 hours. This will prevent the drying fibers from shrinking more than the figure will allow them.

Using the Extender

"Extender" is a device used by professional tailors to stretch trousers at the waist. You can purchase an expander by visiting specialized sewing stores or online. The device replaces the human body by mechanically stretching the pants. The principle of operation of the mechanism is similar to the stretching of worn jeans.

Sequencing:

• Waist measurement.
• Moisturizing the waistband of trousers. It is convenient to do this with a spray bottle.
• Fastening the buttons or zipper on the fly and the top button on the waistband.
• Placing the extender at the waistline inside the jeans.
• Set the required dimensions on the device.
• Drying jeans with an expander placed in them.

Important! Do not artificially speed up the drying of your trousers. A longer mechanical effect on the fabric during the natural drying of the product will reliably stretch the fibers to the desired size.

How to alter jeans to make them bigger

Stretching changes the trousers only temporarily, but after the next wash they may become tight again. In order not to systematically stretch your trousers, you can alter them by choosing one of the alteration options.

Make the allowance minimal

This method is suitable if the jeans need to be increased in volume quite a bit, up to 10–15 mm.

Operating procedure

• Open the side seam, being careful not to damage the fabric while removing the threads.
• Sew a basting stitch, reducing the seam allowance.
• After fitting, machine stitch the side seam.
• Process the modified seam.
• Repeat the action on the other leg.

Adding an insert to the trouser leg

If slightly stretching the jeans by reducing the seam allowances is not enough, you can use another alteration method - inserting stripes. This way you can add 2 sizes to your favorite pants! For inserts, you can use companion fabric, contrasting or decorative fabric.

Important! When choosing a material for inserts, you need to pay attention not only to its color, but also to its density. Choose a material that matches the density of the denim fabric, then the connection of the fabrics will be of high quality.

Operating procedure

• We calculate the width of the stripes. Having measured the waist and hips, we find out the desired size of pants increase. Since the inserts are made on both sides of the trousers, we divide the resulting number by 2.
• We select a suitable fabric and make a stripe blank, adding 1 cm on each side for allowances. In the upper part of the stripes we add an additional width of the belt, in the lower part - 2-3 cm for the hem.
• Carefully cut the pant leg near the side seam to preserve it.
• We sew the insert to each part of the leg and try on the trousers.
• We make a machine seam and process it.
• We hem the upper part of the stripe so that it complements the belt, and turn up the trouser leg.
• We repeat the work on the other side.

How to stretch jeans in different parts

Having become familiar with the main methods of stretching jeans, we choose the most suitable one for a specific problem area.

Stretching at the waist achieved with the help of water, physical education, and also by changing the fastener. To do this, a new button is added to the opposite side of the belt. The two buttons are held together with a strong elastic band. When walking in trousers connected in this way for 2-3 hours, the belt will stretch at the waist.

The most effective result of stretching in hips occurs when wearing wet trousers.

An iron and steam give the desired result if you need to stretch your pants in the calves.

If you need to stretch the product in length, apply mechanical stretching of wet trouser legs by hand or alteration: adding inserts or cuffs to the trouser legs.

How to care for jeans so you don't have to stretch them

As you can see, stretching jeans is quite possible, although you will have to work hard for it.

Little tricks to eliminate the need for stretching

• Do not machine wash items with this care instruction. Hand washing will be more labor intensive, but will not tighten the fibers as much as machine washing.
• Do not use hot water: synthetic fibers may react to it by shrinking.
• Dry the product naturally, immediately after washing. When drying, jeans should be secured to the waist, allowing them to stretch out freely.