Every woman has to face a situation when her husband’s suit trousers become a little tight, or a teenage child just doesn’t want to part with his favorite jeans that no longer have a zipper. What to do in such a situation so as not to give up your favorite thing and not experience discomfort when wearing it?
There are several simple ways to solve this problem.
How to stretch a denim skirt
If your favorite item shrinks after washing or simply becomes too small, the situation can be easily corrected. A denim skirt can be expanded at the hips by steaming or stretched when wet, and decorative elements can be sewn in.
Ferry
To increase the volume by 1 size using steam you need:
- Wet the skirt or do not dry it after washing.
- Place on ironing board.
- Iron thoroughly, stretching the sole of the iron in different directions. The evaporated moisture will soften the material and make it susceptible to expansion.
- Put on a skirt and wear until it completely fits your figure.
A steam generator is used in the same way. First you need to thoroughly treat the skirt with hot steam. After that, put it on and wear it out. Pay special attention to problem areas.
This option is suitable for stretching any denim clothing. For example, jackets or trousers.
By water
The wet method is used to stretch jeans:
- Wet your skirt.
- Place the model on a wide hanger. Provide maximum tension in problem areas. You can use a special screw mechanism for stretching.
- Wait until it dries.
- Put on the model and walk around in it. The skirt will follow the contour of the body.
To stretch a wet product, you can use the back of a chair or a board of the desired size.
You can also immediately put on denim clothes and wet it on yourself. This will give it your shape. The jacket and pants are prone to unwanted sagging at the elbows and knees.
Joining
If stretching the material does not help, sew in a decorative element. Thick ribbons, stripes or zippers are suitable for this.
You can request a service from a studio or do it yourself. To do this you will need 2 ribbons, the length of which is no less than the length of the skirt. The work flow is as follows:
- Carefully open the side seam.
- Undo the belt and cut where the tape is sewn in.
- Sew the ribbon to both sides of the skirt on each side, starting at the waistband and ending at the bottom. Fold the edges at the top and hem.
- Finish edges and iron.
You can also sew in decorative zippers or thick lace. The model will fit perfectly. You need to adjust the width by the size of the tape. Try to choose an insert so that it looks organic.
Advice! To prevent your denim item from shrinking, follow the recommendations on the label. Wash at temperatures up to 40 degrees and do not use the drying function.
Sprinkling with water
When starting active actions, decide on the area on the product that needs to be stretched. Typically there are three or four such areas: thighs, buttocks, waist and calves. Next, the selected areas are sprayed with plain water and stretched wide. The product should be sprayed with a spray bottle and only with warm water. The desired area should be thoroughly wet. If we stretch the hip area, we stand with one foot on the part near the pocket. We take in our hands the opposite part of the product in the hip area and pull it towards ourselves. We stretch the product approximately 10 times with gentle movements.
You can put the product on and spray it with water on yourself. The selected areas should be wet on both sides. Before the stretching process, the product can be measured, even on yourself, to compare with the parameters after the procedure. After wetting the product, it can be removed and sections stretched in different directions on a hard flat surface. The final data is measured after complete drying.
If we are stretching the waist area, it is recommended to unbutton the button so as not to tear the jeans. You need to pull by the base of the item, not by the pockets or decorative elements. After the procedure, the product must be measured with a centimeter and tried on.
How to widen trousers at the waist
You can increase the waist size of skinny denim pants using a wet method. Moisten the problem area with water and stretch as much as possible.
In addition, you can try another effective method:
- Sew a button near the fastening loop.
- Tie the buttons together as closely as possible and wear the jeans for a while.
- When you can fasten your pants in the usual way, the button with the elastic band will need to be removed.
- Walk around in your trousers a little more to consolidate the results.
Now you can safely wear trousers when going out. The effect of stretching may be temporary. After washing, the pants will return to their original shape. Then a more radical method is suitable - sewing an insert.
Stretching trousers after washing
Many people are familiar with the situation when their pants shrink after washing. It’s not clear what to do in this case, because you really don’t want to throw away the whole product. Of course, if the pants get too long and start to look more like breeches, there’s nothing you can do about it. But if after washing the product has simply become a little narrow, a few tips will help to stretch it. For example:
- Don't wait for it to dry completely. As you know, many modern fabrics have the ability to stretch when worn. If you put on something that is still wet and wait until it dries on your body, then you will have no problems putting on your favorite trousers until the next wash.
- Steam the product. To do this, you don’t have to buy a special steamer or use an iron; just fill the bathtub with hot water and hang your pants over it for half an hour. You can also place them in a steam shower. The method has been tested by many and works 100%.
- Use a special expander when drying. If this is not available, a regular stick will do, which is inserted into the waistband of wet, buttoned jeans and left until completely dry. Thus, the expander will simply prevent the fabric from drying out, and putting on the product will be much easier.
Thus, with the help of these small tricks and ingenuity, you can not only extend the life of your favorite trousers, but also significantly save your family budget.
Master class on the topic: How to increase the waistband on jeans with your own hands
You can sew a rectangle, a wedge of knitwear into the waistband of your trousers, or even replace the belt with an elastic band, a scarf, or any other element.
You can insert a rectangular fragment like this:
- Undo the loop.
- Cut the belt under the loop.
- Sew in our rectangle as discreetly as possible.
- Sew the loop in place.
Advice! The insert will look more natural if it is cut from the same material. For work, it is better to use threads that match those that are already on the seams.
Wedges must be cut from elastic stretch fabric. They can be placed along the side seams of the waistband. This is done like this:
- Mark a side seam line on both sides of the waistband.
- Carefully steam out the belt in these places.
- Cut according to the markings.
- We baste the insert in the right place.
- We measure the model.
- We sew and process the seam.
- Sew the belt back to its original place.
For wedge-shaped inserts, any materials that match in color and texture are suitable. Women's models can be decorated with thick lace or bright colored patches.
As a last resort, we completely remove the belt and attach the original silk scarf in its place, placing the ties to the zipper. A good option would be knitted elastic with laces.
Expander
To adjust the waist area, you can use a special device “Belt stretcher”. Before using it, jeans are wetted from the outside and inside. The device is placed in the waist area and fixed. The width of the device must be gradually increased. Stretch denim lends itself well to such operations.
The elasticity of denim is not limitless. Most stretchy jeans can only go up a few sizes. If the fabric does not give way, do not make sudden movements, because this will not help. You can give away small jeans to someone, sell them, go on a diet and strive for the size that fits these jeans, or just buy yourself new ones.
Good jeans are an integral part of the wardrobe of any modern person. Comfortable and beautiful, they are simply irreplaceable in a series of everyday life and everyday tasks, be it peeling potatoes for lunch or shopping. And if this thing is also loved, then you will not want to part with it under any circumstances.
If your favorite jeans suddenly shrink, or you suddenly gain weight, you need to try stretching them. Of course, success depends on many factors: the fabric from which they are sewn, the method of exposure, etc. Here are some effective tips on how to stretch your jeans yourself.
How to sew stripes into jeans
The original finishing element will help out if you need to increase your trousers by 2 sizes. For stripes, it is customary to use bright ribbons that run along the entire length of the side seam.
Choose a tape that will harmoniously complement the model and get to work:
- Remove side seams.
- Open the waistband at the sides and cut along the seam line.
- Carefully baste the tape.
- Try on the model.
- Remove and stitch.
- Finish the cut lines.
- Put the belt back in place.
- Iron the stitch lines.
Women's trousers can be beautifully decorated with stripes with lurex rhinestones or lace.
Soaking
This method is no longer as easy as the previous ones, because it requires the direct participation of the owner of the item. We fill the bath with warm water. We put on jeans. We plunge into the filled bath in jeans. The method is not suitable only in cases where the product cannot be worn due to its too small size. You can add foam to the bath, which will help soften the item. Do not use detergents as they may cause skin irritation. You need to sit in this position for about 15 minutes. During this time, the product will stretch a little and become looser. Next, lightly stretch the fabric of the item for another 10 minutes.
To enhance the stretching effect, as well as to avoid staining the body, you can apply a nourishing cream (not oil-based) to your legs before the procedure.
We drain the water from the bath, but do not get out of it. The fabric should drain a little and dry. Also, the dye may stain the floor or rug, so wait a little longer. Next, we transfer to a pre-prepared oilcloth or towel. We do physical exercises for our legs to stretch our jeans even better. We remain on the oilcloth or towel until the product is completely or partially dry to maintain the desired size and shape. It is prohibited to dry items using artificial heat sources. Drying in the dryer also threatens the item with shrinking again. Therefore, if it is not difficult, you need to wait for it to dry completely in an open space without removing them from yourself. You can dry the item a little with a towel, but nothing more.
It is not recommended to initially buy jeans that are too small for you in order to later stretch them according to your parameters. For a better fit or natural silhouette. In order to, in principle, stretch a thing and maintain its presentation, you need to be able to put it on. Localized stretching can cause the item to warp incorrectly and not look as good as before.
If you need to stretch your jeans a little, you can simply wash them by hand several times in a row. The item will retain the desired shape and increase by one or two sizes.
Let's start water procedures
If neither physical exercises nor an iron help, then it’s time to use water. Use a spray bottle to spray water into which you can add fabric softener. You only need to wet the top of your trousers. Soon this part will soften and you can put them on easily. Now you can dance a little so that the jeans finally take the desired shape. Just be careful! After all, if the denim is too thin, you can easily tear the wet fabric.
Are your jeans not meeting at the waist? Pull the belt and hold until the fabric dries. You can use a regular plastic water bottle, tucking it between your belt and waist. Do not remove the bottle until the fabric is dry. Denim will dry out and “remember” the required sizes. The method is especially good for cotton jeans or those with the addition of elastane. The same cannot be said about synthetics, because stretching them is always quite difficult.
Gymnastics and sports
If you washed your jeans and they shrunk and are now very tight, try stretching them with gymnastics. Stretch the denim and don't zip it up yet. Squat and lift your legs while wearing jeans. Fasten your belt and repeat the exercises. After 5 minutes of such gymnastics, the pants will become loose.
You can climb into a bathtub filled with water in tight jeans. When the fabric is completely wet, drain the water. Don’t rush to get out of the bath, sit in it for a while. After this, sit on a towel and, in wet pants, raise your legs and squat. Sit in wet jeans for 30 minutes, then take them off and dry them on a line. Please note that after the next wash in the washing machine, the jeans will shrink again. Therefore, wash them by hand the first few times and do gymnastic exercises in wet and dry pants. To avoid completely soaking the entire item, wet only the area that needs to be stretched. Stand on the pant leg and pull it where it is very tight.
