I hate every hemline on every pair of shorts ever sold in stores. I feel like this is a universal experience that unites us all, yes? Why is the hemline on every single pair of shorts uniquely unflattering and/or impractical? I just want a length that reads masc and has room for good pockets but doesn’t make me look like a 1990s dad who bought all his vacation clothes at Old Navy. As always, the only real solution is to DIY it! You have to put in the effort for precise measuring, cutting, and sewing if you want the perfect fit, but that perfect fit IS possible via DIY. Here’s how!
Materials
Here’s what you need to DIY your perfect pair of shorts:
pants. These pants should fit well in the waist, hips, and thighs, and should have the kind of ease you’re looking for in the legs. For instance, my main issue with store-bought men’s shorts is that the legs are soooooo baggy, so I thrifted pants that were a little more slim-fitting. Yes, you can alter the fit of the legs if you find an otherwise perfect pair of pants, but it’s more on the fiddly side than I’m looking for when I’m actually supposed to be packing for my imminent beach vacation, ahem. measuring, pinning, and cutting tools. You’ll need chalk for marking the length of the first pants leg, and a cloth tape measure for matching those markings on the second pants leg. I like plastic fabric clips for most sewing but for tailoring, there’s really nothing to compare to good old straight pins. And obviously, you should have at least one pair of fabric scissors that everyone else in your life fears to touch because of the look of murder in your eyes whenever they so much as get within arm’s reach of them. sewing tools. Matching thread is a must, and you can accomplish this project with either hand- or machine-sewing.
Step 1: Measure and Mark Your New Hem
As with all good tailoring, this project requires some hands-on work. Ideally, get a full-length mirror and a trusted friend, chalk in hand, to help you. Bonus points for a stool so your trusted friend doesn’t have to crawl around on the floor for this favor. Turn your thrifted pants inside-out, then put them on, zippers and snaps and all. Stand facing the mirror in a natural stance, ideally on your stool. If your pants are way too long (the pants in this project were about seven inches too long!), cuff them so that they’re not pushing up and distorting the drape of the pants legs. Tell your partner where to put a chalk mark on the inner thigh side of one pants leg. This is similar to how I mark pants hems, but requires a lot more “Up a smidge… no, that was too much. Down a little more… little more. That’s too far, go up just a micro-smidge.” When your partner has marked the perfect mark on the inner thigh side of one pants leg, they need to match that mark on the outer thigh side. They can pretty much eyeball it, or they can use a level. If you don’t measure but instead just match the inseam on the outer thigh side, your shorts are going to be longer on the inner thigh than the outer thigh. If that’s the look you want, though, then go for it! But after you take your pants off, you CAN use your cloth tape measure to match those measurements on the other leg. Use a straight edge to connect the inner thigh and outer thigh marks on each pants leg so that you have a perfect line representing the future bottom hem of your shorts. Use a ruler to measure below that hem line to create the seam allowance and cutting line. I like a huge seam allowance whenever I hem, because I’m always afraid I’ll mess up or change my mind–and sometimes I DO mess up or change my mind, and in those cases that huge seam allowance saves me! So if you, too, are a nervous nelly, then you, too, can make your seam allowance a whopping 2″. That will include a double-fold, so it’s really not completely crazy–but it’s still a lot!
Step 2: Cut and Pin the New Hem
Cut along your chalked cutting line, and set the cut pants legs aside for a future project. Keep your pants inside-out for the folding and pinning, because this seam is going to be on the inside. Double-fold the hem by first folding the cut edge up to the chalked hem line, then ironing to crease it. Then fold up again at that crease, giving you a perfect double-fold that perfectly meets your chalked hem line. Pin the snot out of it, because even with the creases ironed it will be reluctant to stay. At this point, if you’re worried that you messed up or changed your mind, turn the shorts right-sight-out and CAREFULLY try them on. Those pins WILL cut you if you’re not careful! Because of the way bodies are, it’s really not uncommon to want to make a bit of an adjustment at this point to get the bottom hems exactly the way you want them. Just focus on messing with one leg while you’re wearing them, and then match the new measurements with the other leg later.
Step 3: Sew the New Hems
Turn the shorts right way out so that you can monitor that your stitching is pretty, then use a straight stitch to sew around each seam once near the bottom, then again just below the top fold. The double line of stitching looks tidy and nearly invisible with matching thread, and will keep the seams extremely secure. If you happen to be making multiples using the exact same style of pants, then you can simply copy over your measurements, but if you have a different pair of pants that you also want to make into shorts, then alas, you do have to go through the entire rigamarole of trying them on and tailoring them all over again, for every different pair of pants is… well, different! But the good news is that with this technique, all the shorts you make from them will be perfect!
