How to Stretch the Waistline of Your Pants

Co-authored by Paul Julch, MA

Last Updated: March 19, 2023

If your pants have gotten a little too small in the waist for comfort, or if you perhaps bought a pair a little too optimistically, don’t give up. Before you banish ill-fitting pants to the dark recesses of your closet, try stretching the waistband a bit first. There are a number of different techniques you can try first to get them into a shape that works for you.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Using “Jean Aerobics”

1
Put on the pants. Pull your pants on as far as you can, ideally to the point where you can zip/button them up.^{[1]
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- Laying down while buttoning/zipping your pants can also make them easier to get into.
- If you can’t get the pants on far enough to zip them up, first do a little manual pulling. Use your arm strength to pull and stretch the waistband enough that you can pull the pants on. For extra muscle power, step one foot into the waistband, using your foot to hold it to the ground, then grasp the waistband with both hands and pull as hard as you can in the opposite direction.
2
Start moving. Squat down, do lunges, pull each leg up to your chest, or do any other movements that will help pull and stretch the fabric of the pants.
- But be careful not to go so far that you tear the pants.
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3
Walk around. Test out the pants to see if you’ve stretched them out sufficiently. If not, repeat step two.

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Using a Spray Bottle

1
Put on the pants. Pull them up as far as you can—if you can zip or button them all the way, you’ll be able to stretch them better.
- If you’re struggling to get the pants all the way on, try laying down while buttoning/zipping the pants—it can make them easier to get into.
2
Get the waistband wet. Use warm water to fill a spray bottle and spray the waistband until it’s thoroughly damp.^{[2]
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- It is much easier to stretch jeans when they are wet.
3
Start moving. Squat down, do lunges, pull each leg up to your chest, or do any other movements that will help pull and stretch the dampened waistline of the pants. Do this until the waist has reached the desired level of stretch.
- But be careful not to go so far that you tear the pants.
4
Let the pants dry. Wear the pants until they’re dry so that the stretch will hold.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Using a Hanger

1
Put on the pants. Pull your pants on as far as you can, ideally to the point where you can zip/button them up.
- Laying down while buttoning/zipping your pants can also make them easier to get into.
2
Dampen the waistband. Using a spray bottle or similar, get the waistband of the pants thoroughly wet.
3
Stretch the dampened pants over a hanger. Find a wooden hanger that’s at least larger than half your waistband’s size. Pull the waistband over both ends of the hanger.
- Make sure the waist is stretched tightly across the hanger. If it isn’t, you’ll need to find a larger hanger to use.
4
Dry the pants. Keep the pants on the hanger until they’re thoroughly dry.
5
Try on the pants. If you need more stretch, repeat the previous steps using a larger hanger.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Using an Iron and Ironing Board

1
Get the iron ready. Turn on an iron and set it to the highest temperature and steam settings.^{[3]
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2
Get the pants ready. Zip or button up the pants and pull them over the ironing board until the waist is stretched as far as it can go.
- If you don’t have an ironing board, you can also stretch the waist across a wooden chair (cover it first with a towel to protect the wood) or across a sturdy wooden board like a cutting board.
- You can pull on the waistline at this point as well for some extra stretching.
3
Steam the waistband until it’s thoroughly damp. Then pull as hard as you can on the waistband.
4
Iron the pants. Begin ironing (not steaming) the waistband with one hand while continuing to pull on it with the other. The goal is to iron the waistband until dry.
- Do this around the entire length of the waistband. Don’t, however, go below the stitching of the waistband—if you do, you can end up with pants stretched out in odd places.
5
Repeat as necessary. If you need more stretch, repeat the process again until the right stretch is achieved.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Using the Bathtub

1
Put on the pants. You’ll want to pull them up all the way if possible in order to get the best stretch. You can try laying down while buttoning/zipping your pants if you’re not able to pull them all the way on while standing.
2
Get in the tub. Fill a bathtub with warm water. Get into the bathtub wearing your pants; stay sitting in the water until the pants are completely wet through.
3
Get out of the tub. Dry off any excess water. Continue wearing the pants until for half an hour or until mostly dry.
- If you want more stretch, you can do squats, lunges, pull each leg up to your chest, or do any other movements that will help pull and stretch the fabric of the pants. Do this until you’ve reached the desired level of stretch.
- But be careful not to go so far that you tear the pants.
- Note that this approach will stretch not only the waistband but also the rest of the pants, too.

Community Q&A

Question

Does this work with other pants beside jeans?

Community Answer

I tried it with polyester pants and it worked. You should try Step Two for work pants.
Question

How long does the stretch last on my waistline of my pants?

Community Answer

For me, it lasts until the next machine washing. But it also depends on the material.
Question

I have leggings and want to stretch the legs only. Any ideas?

Community Answer

Before you put on leggings, take both the legs of the leggings and step on the part goes by your ankles, then pull upward at the crotch to stretch them out.