How to Wear Pants That Are Too Big & Look Great

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Learn quick hacks to adjust the waist or length for a better fit
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Oversized pants are no fun—they leave you with an uncomfortable fit and make you feel like you need to pull up your pants all day. While the best solution is to slip into a pair of pants that fit you comfortably, we’ve gathered the best quick fixes to help your pants fit more snugly throughout the day. We also spoke with wardrobe consultant and stylist Taissha G. LeReau to get her expert advice about dealing with too-large pants. Plus, if you have a few minutes to spare, there’s a quick alteration you can try that won’t take more than 5 minutes.

How to Make Big Pants Fit: Overview

To tighten the waist, hook your belt loop over the button or wear a cinched belt. Roll up long pant legs and secure them with a hair tie. For more permanent fixes, sew a piece of elastic into your waistband or hem the pant legs to your preferred length.

Section 1 of 3:

Adjusting an Oversized Waist

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  1. If your pants are a little loose, grab the belt loop to the left of your pants button and loop (or “cinch”) it around the button. At this point, button your pants as usual. Buttoning your pants will hold the belt loop in place.
  2. 2
    Buckle your pants through the button hole to make the waist smaller. Place the side of your pants with the button hole into the center of your belt buckle. Push the frog of the buckle through the button hole. Button the pants and then buckle the belt.
    • This works best with jeans or other pants made of sturdier materials.
    • The frog is the straight piece that goes through the holes in the belt when you close the buckle.
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  3. Start by pulling your pants forward so you can see how oversized they are. Fold and pinch the excess fabric into 2 large pleats at the front. Pleat the fabric until the waistband is taut and comfortable around your waist. Hold the pleats in place with 1 hand and thread a belt through the loops. Once you’ve tightened the belt into place, you’ll be ready to go! [2]
    • The size of your “pleats” depends on how oversized your pants are. Extremely oversized pants might need two 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5.1 cm) pleats, while slightly baggy pants will only need small pleats.
    • If you would rather keep the front of your pants flat, gather the pleats at the sides of your waist.
    • Alternatively, pull your belt through only 3 belt loops: one on each side in the front and the center loop in the back.
  4. 4
    Use a safety pin to tighten the waist on hook-and-bar closure pants. This method works for pants that have a flat hook and bar to close them, rather than a button. Put your pants on and pull the hook past the bar until the waistband feels tight enough. Mark the spot.
    • Push a safety pin from the inside of the waistband at that spot.
    • Then, push the pin back through the waistband, leaving enough exposed pin for the hook to loop over it.
  5. According to LaReau, most people are in between sizes and are never going to be able to buy the same size for every pair of pants. [3] Depending on the fabric of your pants, you can wash, soak, or steam them to make them a little smaller. Choose a method that works for the material your pants are made of: [4]
    • Machine-wash cotton, denim, jersey, hemp, or linen in warm or hot water to shrink the material that way. Then dry the clothes in a dryer on a high heat setting.
    • If you have corduroy, denim, khaki, cotton, silk, or drill pants, soak them in warm water for up to 6 hours. Then, hand-wash them with detergent. Rinse out any suds, and then let the pants air-dry.
    • Shrink silk, cashmere, tweed, camel, boucle, and mohair pants with a steam iron. If you’re shrinking velvet, turn it inside-out before steaming.
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Section 2 of 3:

Shortening Long Pant Legs

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  1. Take a bit of time to roll up the extra fabric along the bottom of your pants. Roll up the fabric slowly, keeping it flat and about 1 1 ⁄ 2  in (3.8 cm) wide against your ankle. You can also flip up the bottom of your pant legs to create a 4 to 5 in (10 to 13 cm) cuff. [5]
    • You don’t want to roll up the fabric too quickly, or it’ll look bulky and awkward.
    • Try a tighter pinroll by pinching the seam away from your ankle. Fold the pinched fabric tightly toward your heel. Then, fold the hem up 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) 2 times.
  2. Lift and roll up the bottoms of your jeans so they’re a comfortable distance away from your shoes. Stretch a hair tie around this rolled cuff, then fold the exposed pant hem down over the hair band. [6]
    • As a finishing touch, roll the banded cuff into your pants completely, so it’s invisible.
  3. To hem the legs of your pants , measure the length of your inseam . Note how long you want the pants to be. Flip your pants inside-out so you have a better view of the existing hem. Measure the pants’ inseam and use your inseam measurements to mark how long you want the pant legs to be. Cut away the excess material. Then, fold and sew to secure the hem in place at your desired length. [7]
    • Your inseam starts at the crotch of your pants and goes to the very bottom of your pant leg.
    • To keep the excess length, fold the hem twice before you sew it.
    • For a quick fix, fold the hem up inside the pant leg and secure it with safety pins.
  4. 4
    Use instant hem tape to hem your pants without sewing. To use instant hem tape , turn your pants inside out and fold them up to your desired length. Cut a piece of instant hem tape to match the width of your pant leg. Stick the tape to your pant leg. Press with an iron set to medium heat (150 C or 302 F). Allow it to cool, and you’re ready to wear your pants!
    • Some types of instant hem tape require you to soak it in water before you apply it to fabric. Read your hem tape’s packaging for the specific directions.
  5. 5
    Pin up your pant legs to shorten the length. Turn your pants inside out. Fold up your pant legs up about 2 inches (5cm) or to your desired length. Then, insert a safety pin through the fold sideways on each leg. Unfold your pant legs.
    • When you put your pants on, your pant legs will bunch up slightly where you pinned them. This will make them shorter so they won’t drag on the ground.
    • This method works best for pants that are a little slouchy.
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Section 3 of 3:

Adding an Elastic Band

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  1. According to LaReau, “There’s no point in wearing something if it doesn’t fit you… You’re not going to feel good in it.” [8] That means it’s worth taking a little extra time to make your pants fit. Take off your pants and lay them flat on the ground so the inner waistband is visible. Grab a fabric marker and draw a vertical line at the center of the inner waistband. [9]
    • Make marks at the left and right sides, equally distant from the center mark.
    • These marks are where your elastic band will go.
    • The back, inner waistband refers to the inner portion of your pants that touches the back of your waist.
  2. Grab a pair of fabric scissors and gently cut along each mark. Try to avoid cutting through the outside layer of the waistband. The goal is to cut out several openings, so you can slip your elastic band inside the waistband.
    • This strategy works especially well with jeans, but it works with any kind of pants with a hemmed waistband.
  3. Cut out a stretch of elastic that’s about 2 inches (5 cm) shorter than the 2 outer marks you sketched on your pants. Safety-pin the end of the elastic to the waistband outside of the left side hole. Insert 1 end of the elastic into the left opening. [10]
    • Double-check that the safety pin is secure and not visible outside the pants.
    • Use your fingers to pinch and pull the elastic through the waistband. Continue doing this until you’ve pulled the elastic out of the middle cut in your waistband.
    • This may seem a bit tricky at first, but don’t give up! The cut in the center of your waistband will make this easier.
  4. Take the loose, unpinned end of the elastic and stick it back into the waistband. As you did before, pinch and pull the elastic with your fingers until you can pull it out through the right side cut on your waistband. [11]
    • It’s okay if you have a lot of extra elastic—you can always cut it off later.
  5. Pull on the elastic to tighten the back waistband of your pants in the same way you’d tug on a drawstring. Continue pulling on the band until the waistband tightens to your desired amount. [12] Secure the elastic on the right side of the waistband with a safety pin.
    • Try on your pants and make sure they fit comfortably with these new adjustments.
    • If they’re still too big, unpin the rightmost safety pin and pull on the elastic band a little bit more. [13]
    • Snip off any leftover elastic, so it doesn’t bunch in the pants, making them uncomfortable to wear. [14]
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What’s Your Advice for Styling Oversized Pants?


Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    What is the benefit of tailoring?
    Taissha G. LaReau
    Wardrobe Consultant & Stylist
    ​​Taissha G. LaReau is a Wardrobe Consultant & Stylist based in Albany, NY. With more than three years of experience, Tai specializes in helping people maximize their wardrobes by creating functional, everyday outfits that are tailored to their lifestyle and make them feel polished. While she offers virtual and in-person closet editing, personal shopping, and outfit creation, she also has a knack for helping people shop strategically, discover new brands, and experiment with new styles. Taissha holds a BS in Marketing from The State University of New York College at Oswego.
    Taissha G. LaReau
    Wardrobe Consultant & Stylist
    Expert Answer
    Most people are in-between sizes and are never going to be just one size, so tailoring helps you feel good in what you're wearing.
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      References

      1. ↑ Taissha G. LaReau. Wardrobe Consultant & Stylist. Expert Interview. 19 Jan 2022.
      2. ↑ https://youtube.com/watch?v=hVCPEChoPAA&t=1m36s
      3. ↑ Taissha G. LaReau. Wardrobe Consultant & Stylist. Expert Interview. 19 Jan 2022.
      4. ↑ https://sewguide.com/how-to-shrink-clothes/
      5. ↑ https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/how-to-hem-your-pants-at-home-step-by-step-guide/10343198
      6. ↑ https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/8862114/clothing-hack-roll-jeans-hair-bobble/
      7. ↑ https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/how-to-hem-your-pants-at-home-step-by-step-guide/10343198
      8. ↑ Taissha G. LaReau. Wardrobe Consultant & Stylist. Expert Interview. 19 Jan 2022.
      9. ↑ https://youtube.com/watch?v=BWxrDBGlSnQ&t=1m27s
      1. ↑ https://youtube.com/watch?v=BWxrDBGlSnQ&t=2m16s
      2. ↑ https://youtube.com/watch?v=BWxrDBGlSnQ&t=3m20s
      3. ↑ https://youtube.com/watch?v=BWxrDBGlSnQ&t=3m35s
      4. ↑ https://youtube.com/watch?v=BWxrDBGlSnQ&t=3m40s
      5. ↑ https://youtube.com/watch?v=BWxrDBGlSnQ&t=3m44s
      6. ↑ https://youtube.com/watch?v=BWxrDBGlSnQ&t=0m48s
      7. ↑ Taissha G. LaReau. Wardrobe Consultant & Stylist. Expert Interview. 19 Jan 2022.

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