Wrong purchases—but especially diets—are among the main reasons why people want to take in their trousers and change the size. In some cases the problem of trousers slipping down can be solved by adding a new hole to the belt, but in others they need to be taken in. Think, for example, of a tracksuit, sports trousers or leggings… they cannot be worn with a belt! And you can’t be expected to buy new clothes every time you need a different fit. That’s why learning how to take them in at the waist yourself becomes more than useful—it’s essential!
The following tutorial is therefore ideal for elasticated trousers and skirts and mainly requires the use of a standard elastic band. We say standard elastic because there are also special elastics designed for taking in trousers: they have holes where you can sew small buttons onto the waistband, which hold the elastics in place and allow you to tighten or loosen them as needed.
1 Make a small cut on the inside of the waistband at the first belt loop. If it is a jumpsuit or a pair of trousers without belt loops, measure about 5–6 cm from the center of the waistband, which is exactly at crotch level. When making the cut, it is very important not to cut through the outer part of the waistband. This is a delicate step and must therefore be carried out carefully.
2 Repeat the same operation on the opposite side, again taking great care not to cut through the outer layer of the waistband.
3 Take the elastic, fasten a safety pin to it and thread it through the waistband. As you can easily guess, you need to pass the elastic through the opening created in step 1.
4 Push the safety pin through the waistband with your fingers until it comes out of the other opening you created.
5 Put the trousers on and determine the correct length by pulling the elastic, then mark the point where the seam needs to be made.
6 Secure the elastic and close both openings with needle and thread, either by hand or with a sewing machine, and finally trim off any excess elastic with scissors.
As an alternative to this method, there are darts, which also allow you to take in trousers at the waist simply and quickly. In fact, the term itself comes from the French verb “pincer”, meaning “to pinch, to tighten”; darts are therefore pleats sewn on the inside to shape or take in garments. Some items of clothing are made with darts from the outset, while others acquire them when they are taken in at the waist.
When taking in trousers, you usually make two darts at the back, at the two belt loops or at the midpoints of the two halves. Here too it is important to measure carefully and divide the total centimeters in two. If, for example, a pair of trousers needs to be taken in by 5 centimeters, you will mark two triangles with a 2.5-centimeter base. The triangles must have the tip pointing downwards and will serve as a guide for cutting.
The next step is to overlap the fabric so that the parts come together, and finally you will need to sew them.
The advantage of this method is that it is durable and looks aesthetically acceptable. Furthermore, given how simple the steps are, it can be done even by less experienced hands and by those who do not have a sewing machine. In fact, the stitching can be done by hand with needle and thread.
