How to Stretch Out Jeans (12 Hacks)
Your favorite jeans got to shrink, you stretch out your jeans if you buy tight jeans; does not a big problem. A new pair of jeans seems like a pair of shoes that rarely fits the first time. And you always feel like a quest that perfectly fits, not too tight, not much loose. Don’t drop them in the secondhand shop or donate them if you look for more space in your jeans’ waist, leg, foot hole, hips, or length.
Fortunately, you don’t have to give up on style if your pants seem little snug. You can add up to 1-inch to 2.5 inches of space on your denim by stretching them out. Just find out the tricks on how to stretch out jeans to make them in size.
There are many ways to size your denim, like exercising, wetting the pants, using waistband stretchers, etc. If you are not in a hurry and have patience, there is no need to apply any method, wear a week thrice, and do routine work. But it makes it torturing to put on tight jeans again and again or wear wet pants and do your activities. So, it’s better to apply the stretching method for your convenience.
Before going into a lengthy discussion, immediately move to the next section to learn different techniques.
Top 12 Ways to Stretch Out the Waist of Your Jeans
Here are the multiple interesting methods for jeans to broaden the size by stretching. You may use it any way according to your desire or resources.
1. Doing Squats or Lunges
After putting on your jeans, make sure to button them up before trying to widen them from the waist, hips, or thigh sides. Though they are tight and a little difficult to wear, you can wear them.
- Standing up straight with your feet about hip-width apart would be best.
- Now, bend at your knees to lower your hips and bottom as you are going to sit in a chair.
- Return back to your starting position.
- You must repeat the exercise for about 1 minute.
Now try to squat for up to 5 minutes. The longer time you do squats, the more stretched the fabric will be. You can also make lunges in addition to squats to make your jeans more comfortable. Now, note the fitting of your denim by walking, standing, and sitting.
However, if this method is not applicable or you don’t feel comfortable, try the below plans for better stretch according to your ease.
2. Give Your Jeans a Bath
This method might sound crazy, but it works quickly.
- Wear your jeans that are too snug in the bathtub, and fill warm, not hot water, which will help you lose or extend the denim a little bit.
- But you have to apply this trick in advance to make them dry. Relax in the tub for about 15 -20 minutes.
- Air dry the jeans when you are done.
3. Wetting Your Jeans to Stretch Out
The easiest trick to stretch out a pair of pants is through lukewarm water. Take a spray bottle and mist a small section with water one at a time. Make sure the fabric feels wet but doesn’t need to be soaked. After it gets wet, deliberately pull on the fabric where you think it can be stretched.
Again apply this step if your denim is hard to broaden, and feel free to pull manually in any direction while trying to stretch the denim. Then, wear them after they get dry.
Moreover, another thing you can do is that if you have liquid fabric softener, add about 1 teaspoon (4.9mL) to your spray bottle before wetting your pants so they can stretch more easily.
4. Using the Method of Heat
An additional method where you don’t need to wet the jeans; in a minute, use your hairdryer directly onto the areas you want to stretch.
- As you heat the jeans, hold the blow dryer above 6 inches approx; move it continuously evenly to get each part is heated.
- After heating the front side of the jeans, apply this step to the other side.
- Using your hands and arms, pull the jeans in each area to extend in the opposite direction to broaden.
Another way is to put your hands in the pocket of denim, and then use your arm strength to push away the opposite ends of the waist or thigh area from each other.
For example, if you want to broaden the thigh side of your pants, hold each side of the pant leg in each hand. This way helps you to widen the pants leg.
However, it may be easier to unbutton the pants and pace your bent elbows inside the waistband to get a bigger waist of pants. After that, to widen the fabric, move your arms apart. After finishing the stretch process, if your pants cool down, blow dry them if necessary.
Related: How to use Tumble dry low mean for drying clothes
5. Try a Foam Roller
Celebrity Stylist suggests using a foam roller to broaden your jeans from the thighs and just laying your jeans on the flat table first. The next step is to wet both sides of the jeans from the bottom of the pocket to the knee with a spray bottle, then put a foam roller into the leg for approx. 10 minutes. Repeat this step for the other leg.
Furthermore, if you don’t have a foam roller, you can also use a roll of paper towels—the width of the foam roller determines the broadness of your jeans.
6. Use a Waistband Stretchers to Stretch Jeans
According to NYC- based fashion stylist Lana Blanc she says that it is magic when trying to extend jeans. She thinks waist stretchers are similar tools to stretch shoes. It sounds silly, but it is true.
- First, the method is to wet the waistband with warm water until it gets damp.
- Place the stretcher on it, and turn the grip to make it bigger.
- It is better to insert the stretcher overnight if you want more than half-inch loss.
- Check again and again every few hours and give it a few more turns.
Moreover, You can also go through how to use pant extenders below down.
7. Remove the Waistband
Removing the waistband carefully of your tight jeans is another technique for perfect fitting.
- First, scratch the side seam of your pants about 2-3 inches down.
- Cut the waistband at the same position.
- Finally, to enlarge the size of the waist of your jeans, add a separate piece of denim or some other fabric like leather.
8. Use Your Head
According to the founder of Inspired Fashion, Chrissy Horton, she suggests that using your head to widen the pants.
- Put leg jeans on your head and wear them like a scarf.
- Pull their ends with one hand; grasp the half material with the other hand.
- Then, extend and pull with more force.
- Repeat this process for five minutes per leg.
9. Use a Pants Extender to Stretch Out Jeans
According to fashion stylist Lana Blanc, after her first trimester, she came across this Pant Extender hack during pregnancy.
She didn’t want to retire to leggings full-time and was not ready to pay almost $200 for a pair of maternity jeans, so she googled pant extenders and bought a pair on Amazon. She says, “They were an absolute game changer.”
You need to fasten the Denim Pant Waistband Extender to the existing button of your jeans through one of two buttonholes on the extender and then button the extender button part through the buttonhole on your clothes.
However, it only costs $8.99 for a 3-pack, and you are good to go.
10. Bake Your Denim – Styling Tip
According to the creative director of Blush Mark, Daniel Sanchez said,” baking jeans is a styling tip that dates back to the 1970s.”
- You need to wet your jeans with a spray bottle full of lukewarm salt water or vodka.
- Enjoy damp pair in the sunlight until it fully dries on your body.
Moreover, he says,” Make sure to break them in throughout the ‘baking’ process. If you can then Squat, bend down, stretch and practice your handstands”.
11. Grab a Wooden Hanger
A wooden hanger is a perfect waistband stretcher if you won’t zip or button up the pants. But keep in mind that the hanger must not be half the waist size.
- Start dampening the waistband with a spray bottle of warm water.
- Thoroughly wet the pants and pull the jeans to both ends of a wooden hanger.
- Now dry your jeans on the wooden hanger, and then try it.
However, if you still face trouble buttoning your jeans, repeat this process with a bigger hanger.
12. Adding a Small Extension to Stretch Jeans Out
Add a small extension option if you want to stretch your jeans’ waist. Follow the given steps:
- Cut 2 to 3 inches to the top of the yoke in V-shape stitched line across the pants between the pockets and the waistband.
- Pick a similar color fabric and make the fabric twice the length of the cut.
- Now fold it in half and ensure that it stretches the folded part at the top.
- Apart from this, you can also use elastic on jeans. But it will show if you get to wear a tucked-in shirt.
- Place the fabric and use sewing pins to join the pieces from both edges.
- Sew a zigzag stitch along the edges of the jeans and cut the excess fabric from the inside.
Conclusion
It is not hard to stretch your jeans to make them at ease while wearing them. Hopefully, the above methods make you happy that you can apply them to your pants. So, there is no need to throw or pass them away, and you can use them any way according to your preference. Do let us know your views about the article in the comment box.