DIY: Darting Jeans

…Because some of us have 3D rears


I haven’t quite mastered the art of making jeans, because if I had, I would not have needed to do this D.I.Y.

I rarely buy jeans from Primark as they simply do not fit me, and when I do find a pair that fit there will ALWAYS be a massive gape at the waist. I’m convinced Primark’s suppliers cut their jeans on a 2D brick shaped cardboard cut out because I am yet to see a dress form that flat in the back.

I’m obsessed with the colour burgundy at the moment, so when I saw these jeans in Primark I just had to have them, and decided that I’d do what I normally do to jeans/trousers when they gape at the waist and dart them.

Here’s how you do it:

•Wear jeans inside out

•With each hand above its corresponding butt cheek at the waist band, pinch fabric till the jeans are taught and fit nicely around the waist.

•Free up one hand (in my case my left hand) but remain holding the waist of the other side (again, in my case, my right hand) and use the free hand to pin the excess fabric at the waist and downwards to create a dart.

•Remove trousers.


•Using the side that has the dart, measure from the outside of the waistband to where the first pin of the dart is. Then, measure both side of the dart, and the length of the dart (measuring from the first to the last pin.


•Go to the other side of the trouser which you didn’t dart (for me this is the left side) mark you measurements that you took on the other side so that you are duplicating the other dart you made.


•And pin all the way down (You may also want to use chalk to get your lines).


•Turn the jeans outside in so you and make sure the dart lines are straight.


•Pick your thread.
I’ve chosen the two colours below because my red wasn’t dark enough and I thought I was being smart by mixing it with the beige thread. I really wasn’t.


•Then sew…


•Press/iron your seams and admire your handy work.


[Sidebar 1] The pockets will jut out a bit, but if you need to dart your jeans, you probably wont be worrying about that.
[Siderbar 2] I never realised just how poor the finishing in Primark jeans were. But hey, I purchased them for around £12 so I can't complain.
ETA [Sidebar 3]I'm AWFUL at explaining things, so if you can understand what I typed then gold star for you!

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