My hubby, Steve, calls them his “high-water” pants. It seems that when he and his brother were young, they did a lot of fishing in a small stream in the woods behind their house.
In fact, they blocked part of it to make a small pool to collect minnows and other small bait. They wore pants with hemlines several inches above the ankles. Supposedly this kept the pants dry while wading, preventing them from dripping all over their mom’s clean floors when they got home.
I don’t know how well that worked, but here is one thing I do know. If your pant leg hem is a little off, it can make a big difference in the look of the garment.
Before you mark and hem your pants . . .
This can happen quite by accident. And it happens a lot on new clothes that are altered. So here’s a tip that I give all my clients when they want alterations done, especially on trousers and pants.
Wash clothes before hemming
Always wash new clothes at least once before measuring for alterations. Most fabrics will shrink a bit after washing the first time. If you get fitted before washing them, the hem may ride up enough to be noticeable. It won’t be a lot, but it does make a difference
Now, if your clothes are marked for dry-cleaning only, this doesn’t apply. That type of laundering shouldn’t affect it at all. But if you wash your clothes, follow the manufacturer’s directions and give them a quick cleaning before having them altered.
You should do this for any garment you have fitted, not just pants.
Have a “Sew Great” day!
Mary Maurer
About Mary Maurer