Fabricista Refashion: Wide Leg Pants to Skinny Pants!
I don't know about you, but I have a lot of clothes in my closet that I want to wear, but they don't "suit" my needs. They may be too baggy in the crotch, too long, a bit too tight or I'm just not sure what to wear with it. I have had a pair of navy blue trousers for a couple of years that are hardly worn, but hated to give them away. So finally this past weekend I decided I was going to turn them into skinny pants! The pants were already too big so I had plenty to work with in case something didn't work out.
These are the "before" pictures. The pictures are not that great, but you can see they are a little baggy and definitely too long. They were best worn with heels in their previous life. When doing this yourself, I would recommend picking pants that have some stretch to them. If you look at most ready-to-wear skinny jeans/pants, they have stretch so they move with you. See the following pictures and instructions on how to create your own skinny pants!
1) I put the pants on inside out. It is best to work this way so you can literally pin them on you. Pull on the seam till you feel comfortable. (Depending on how tight your pants are at the top already, you may not have to do this step.) On the right picture, you can see I took in about one inch on one side (I did this also on the other side.) I also took about 1/2 inch in at the crotch. I did not have to touch the zipper or waistband in this step. (Thankfully!) Another tip for this step would be to make sure both layers of fabric lay flat. You don't want puckers or folds created when sewing.
2) Pin all the way down both legs to the desired width. Sew along the pins. Try them on to make sure they fit you the way you want. Then cut/serge off the excess. If you had to cut off the hem, sew a new hem. I made this ankle length, just like some skinny jeans I already have.
It is as easy as that! Go dig through your closet and find some pants you're ready to change! It was a lot of fun and it cost $0!!!
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Posted on August 22 2013
How many sizes too big would you suggest be the max for using this method. It would be great to modify rather than give away the jeans I currently own. They are all big enough they are all much too long. However, would rather give them away than attempt to alter and create something no one will wear.
I would recommend doing it on pants that already fit you or maybe one size larger. These pants specifically were one size too big and could have been taken in at the waist if I would have taken them apart. These pants were also more of a wide leg pant, therefore I had a lot to bring at the legs. I hope this helps!