How to Hem a Pair of Trousers When You Don't Sew Often

The first trousers I hemmed myself were a pair of work trousers that came two inches too long. The tailor I would normally have taken them to was on holiday. I had a pair of scissors, some thread I had inherited from somewhere, and an evening with nothing else to do. I watched a YouTube video twice, did the work slowly, and ended up with a perfectly acceptable hem.

Hemming is genuinely the most useful piece of basic sewing for adults. Trousers come in standard lengths that suit nobody specifically. Jeans bought online almost always need adjustment. Old trousers that have stretched at the hem need to be redone. With a sewing kit and forty minutes of patience, you can produce a hem that looks professional.

The kit

Sharp scissors (fabric scissors if you have them; sharp household ones work for occasional use)
Thread in a colour matching the trousers
A few sharp needles (a basic hand-sewing needle size 7-9)
Pins (8-10 should be plenty)
An iron and ironing board
A measuring tape
Tailor’s chalk or a pencil
Optional: an iron-on hemming tape (sold as “Wundaweb” or similar, for hems without sewing)

Total cost if buying fresh: under fifteen pounds, and the kit lasts for years of small repairs.

Step one: measure twice

Put on the trousers with the shoes you will wear with them. Stand naturally. Have someone fold the trouser up to where you want the hem, or use pins to mark the spot.

The classic measurement: the hem should sit just touching the shoe top at the front, with a slight break (a small horizontal fold) in the fabric.

Mark this position with a pin or tailor’s chalk on both legs. Take the trousers off carefully.

Lay the trousers flat on a clean surface. Compare the markings; they should be at the same height on both legs. If not, average the two measurements.

Step two: plan the fold

The hem is created by folding the bottom edge of the trouser up and inside, then sewing it in place. There are two layers in the fold:

The first turn-up: about a centimetre, which tucks the raw edge of the fabric inside so it cannot fray
The actual hem turn: the main fold that determines the length

So if you want the hem to sit at the marked position, you need extra fabric below that mark for both folds. Plan for at least 3-4cm of fabric below the final hem line. If your trousers came too long by 5cm and you want to shorten them by exactly that, you have plenty of margin. If they came only 2cm too long, you may need to trim more carefully to keep the hem looking right.

Step three: cut (carefully)

Lay the trouser flat. Measure 3cm below the marked hem position. Mark a horizontal cutting line at that point. Cut along this line through both layers if you are cutting both at the same time; otherwise, cut one leg at a time using a ruler to keep the cut straight.

Cut squarely across; a wonky cut produces a wonky hem.

Better than scissors: lay the trouser flat and use sewing chalk to mark, then cut with scissors keeping them parallel to the floor for an even result.

Step four: press the fold

Turn the trouser inside-out. Fold up the bottom edge by about 1cm; iron flat. This is the first turn-up that hides the raw edge.

Then fold up again by the depth needed to reach your marked hem position; iron flat. This second fold is the main hem; it should now be neat, even, and the right length.

Pin every 5cm around the folded edge to hold it in place.

For straight-sided trousers (most casual and dress trousers) this is straightforward. For tapered trousers (where the leg narrows toward the ankle), you may need to take in a small amount of fabric at the side seam during the fold to keep the hem flat; check before sewing.

Step five: hand-stitch the hem

Thread your needle with about 60cm of matching thread. Knot the end.

Start at the inseam (the inside leg seam) so the start and end of your stitching are hidden. Push the needle through the folded hem layer from underneath, bringing the needle out at the top edge of the fold.

The classic invisible stitch (sometimes called the “ladder stitch” or “blind hem”): take a small bite of the main trouser fabric (1-2mm only, just enough to catch the thread); then pass through the fold of the hem at the same height; then take another small bite. The stitches travel along the inside of the hem, almost invisible from the outside.

Work around the entire hem. The spacing between stitches can be about 8-10mm; closer for fine fabrics, wider for sturdy ones.

When you reach where you started, take three or four small stitches in one place to anchor the thread, then cut.

Step six: press one more time

Press the finished hem from both sides. The iron settles any irregularities in the stitching and gives the hem a crisp, professional look.

For trousers in fabric that takes a sharp crease (wool, linen, some cotton), press a vertical crease down the front of each leg at the same time. The trousers now look properly tailored.

The no-sew alternative

If you really cannot face sewing, iron-on hemming tape provides a usable alternative. Cut a strip of tape to the length of the hem. Position it inside the folded hem. Press with a hot iron through a damp cloth for the time specified on the tape.

The result: a hem held in place without any sewing. The drawbacks: less durable than a sewn hem (may eventually come loose after many washes), can leave a visible line on light-coloured fabrics, may not be entirely flexible for fabrics that drape softly.

Iron-on hems are fine for emergency situations, last-minute adjustments, or specific garments where sewing is impractical. For long-term durability, sewing is better.

The sewing machine option

If you have access to a sewing machine and basic experience, a machine-sewn hem with a blind hem stitch is faster than hand-sewing and looks similar from the outside. Most modern machines have a blind hem stitch built in; check the manual. The setup requires folding the hem in a specific way and using a blind hem presser foot.

For occasional hemming, hand sewing produces good results without the setup time of a machine; for frequent hemming (sewing as a hobby, alterations for family), a machine is worth learning.

For other beginner clothing repairs, see our mending holes in jeans and repairing a broken zip.

For a related angle, our piece on Why Your Black Clothes Fade So Fast (and How to Slow It) covers a closely connected problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

How short should I cut the trousers before hemming?

Leave at least 3cm of fabric below the final hem position. This allows the first turn-up (1cm to hide the raw edge) plus a main hem (2cm or more). Most trousers came with enough excess for this; if you cut too short, the hem becomes thin and unstable. If you have very long trousers and want a shorter final length, cut conservatively first; you can always trim more, but you cannot add fabric back.

Should the front and back of the trousers be the same length?

For dress trousers, slightly longer at the back (about 5-8mm) creates the classic angled break. For casual trousers and jeans, equal lengths work fine. To create the angle: when marking the hem position, mark the front first, then mark the back 5-8mm lower. The angle is subtle but gives a more professional look on tailored trousers.

Will iron-on hemming tape damage my trousers?

Generally no, but check. The adhesive can leave a slight residue if washed at very high temperatures or used on heat-sensitive fabrics. For everyday cotton, wool, or polyester blends in normal washing, iron-on hems are fine. For very delicate fabrics (silk, fine linen, anything that says "low iron only"), test on an inconspicuous area first. Iron-on tape is also not as durable as sewing; expect to redo the hem after 50-100 washes.

Can I hem jeans the same way?

Yes, with one difference: jeans have a thick, finished hem already at the bottom. If you want to keep that original finished look (the "original hem" or "lock-stitch hem" look), use the alternate technique: cut off only what you need from above the original hem, then attach the original hem back below using your stitching. This preserves the worn-in look of the original. It is fiddlier but produces a professional result on quality jeans.

How long should hand-sewn hems last?

Done with reasonable care, hand-sewn hems last for the life of the garment, typically 5-10 years through normal washing. A loose thread occasionally needs re-anchoring; this is a quick repair (5 minutes with needle and thread). Hand-sewn hems are often more durable than machine-sewn hems because the bite into the main fabric is smaller and less likely to be pulled out. Quality work outlasts the garment.

Senior Contributor

Smit Sharma

Smit Sharma writes and edits Repair Habit. He is not a licensed technician of anything. What he knows about repair he picked up the ordinary way: watching his father fix things around the flat rather than throw them away, spending two summers as an apprentice in a small electronics shop, and, once he had his own place, running through the mistakes himself on his own washing machine, kettle, chairs, and car. He is a working parent, a slow buyer of new things, and a slightly obsessive maintainer of the ones he already owns. He does not believe repairing your dishwasher makes you a better person. He believes it is often the cheapest and quietest response to a small problem, which is roughly all the philosophy this site carries.

105 articles written Contributor since 2021 Updated regularly