How to Turn Your Flare Jeans Into Skinny Jeans

Co-authored by Mia Danilowicz

Last Updated: September 26, 2022 Approved

Transforming a pair of boot cut jeans into a pair of skinny jeans is a quick, easy process. It is also a nice way to breathe new life into an old pair of jeans. As long as you have a sewing machine and some basic sewing knowledge, you should be able to complete this project in less than an hour.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Pinning the Jeans

1
Gather your materials. Turning a pair of boot cut or flare jeans into skinny jeans is easy, as long as you have the right materials. You will need:^{[1]
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- a pair of boot cut or flair jeans
- pins
- a sewing machine
- thread
2
Turn your jeans inside out and put them on. To figure out how much of the material you will need to take in, you will need to try on your jeans. First, turn them inside out and then put them on normally, with the zipper in front.^{[2]
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Decide where to take in the jeans. Stand in front of a mirror and figure out where you want to take in your jeans. This will depend on how loosely the jeans fit you and how tight you want them to be.^{[3]
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- For example, if the jeans are tight around your hips and thighs, but loose around your calves and ankles, then you will need to take them in around the calves and ankles.
4
Pin along the outer edges of your jeans. Once you have decided where you want to take in your jeans, place pins to secure the material along the edges of the outer seam.^{[4]
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- If the crotch is baggy, then you might want to pin along the inside edges of your jeans instead. That will make it easier to take in the crotch as well. If the jeans are extremely baggy, then you may need to pin the inner and outer edges of your jeans.^{[5]
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- Skinny jeans are often made with a lot of stretch so they're easy to take on and off. If your flare jeans don't have stretch, make sure you leave enough space so you can still easily get them over your ankles and feet.^{[6]
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  Mia Danilowicz
  Master Tailor
  Expert Interview. 8 January 2021.}
- When you are happy with the placement of your pins, you can take off the jeans. Remove them carefully so that the pins do not come loose.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Sewing and Finishing the Jeans

1
Sew a straight stitch along the pinned edge. Sew a straight stitch along the pinned edge of the jeans. Try to sew right along where you placed the pins, but pull out the pins as you go. Do not sew over the pins or you may damage your needle.^{[7]
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- Remove the pins as you sew.
- Sew the other leg after you finish the first one.
2
Stitch along the outside of the first stitch. After you finish the first straight stitch on the outside of each pant leg, sew another straight stitch alongside the first one. Try to make the stitch about ¼” away from the first one.^{[8]
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- Repeat the same stitch on the other leg.
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Add a zigzag stitch to the outside of the second straight stitch. To make sure that the stitches are firmly in place, you will need to sew a zigzag stitch along the outside of the second straight stitch. Place the zigzag stitch about ¼” away from the second straight stitch.^{[9]
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Cut off the excess material. After you have finished stitching the zigzag stitch, you will need to cut the excess material next to the zigzag stitch. Do not cut any of the zigzag stitches though, just cut off the fabric outside of the zigzag stitches.^{[10]
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- Try to leave about ¼” to ½” of fabric past the zigzag stitch.^{[11]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Adjusting the Hem

1
Determine if you need to adjust the hem. Try on your new skinny jeans and inspect the hem. If the hem is lower than you'd like it to be, then you can easily adjust it. This is really up to you. If you like the look of a longer hem, then you can leave it. However, if you'd rather have the hem up around your ankles, then you will need to adjust it.
- Try on a pair of shoes that you want to wear with your skinny jeans to determine if the hem looks right.
- Keep in mind that you can always fold, tuck, or scrunch up the bottoms of your skinny jeans if you decide not to hem the bottoms.
2
Fold over the hem and pin it in place. When you have decided where you want the hem to be, fold the bottoms of your jeans up to level where you want the new hem to be. Add a few pins to hold the hem in place while you take the jeans off.
3
Determine where to create the new hem. First, measure the distance between the bottom fold and the original hem. Use a measuring tape to find the distance between the bottom of your jeans and the beginning of the original hem. Write down or remember this number.
- Then, divide the distance between the bottom fold and the start of the original hem in half. For example, if the distance was three inches, then 1 ½ inches is your new number.
- Measure from the edge of the original hem to the new number. Then, pin the bottom of your jeans at this level.
4
Stitch near the original hem. To make your new hem permanent, stitch along the edges of the original hem. Stitch all the way around the pant legs. When you are done, flip the edges of the pant legs down and try on your jeans.

Expert Q&A
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Question

Can you turn bootcut jeans into skinny jeans?

Mia Danilowicz
Master Tailor
Mia Danilowicz is a Master Tailor who works onset and on the red carpet in Los Angeles, California. With over a decade of experience, Mia specializes in bridal and gown couturier fittings, garment reconstruction, and custom design. Mia has worked at the Oscars, Grammys, SAG Awards, and Golden Globes. Her clients include a long list of entertainment and fashion industry headliners, major fashion magazines, luxury consumer brands, and popular media. Mia was trained at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and received her AA in Fashion Design and BS in Business Management.

Mia Danilowicz

Master Tailor

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Yes, just take them in from the point where they start to flare out. Just keep in mind that most skinny jeans have some sort of lycra or spandex blend so you can easily put your ankle and foot into them. Make sure you don't take the bootcut jeans in so much that you can't put them on.
Question

Should I leave the flat-felled seam alone? In other words, all the allowance is taken in on the inner seam, right?

T. Chinsen

Top Answerer

Your deduction is correct - the instructions are for the inseam. It would require a lot of work to take out and resew the outer seam and still keep it uniform.

Warnings

If you are using a sewing machine keep your fingers away from the needle while the machine is running. If you don't have any experience in sewing you might want to ask someone you know who does have experience to help you out.

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