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No more wet and dirty trouser hems: this is my favourite hack right now

30.5.2024

Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson

I love the look of overlong pants. From a hygiene perspective, however, I hate it when they touch the ground. This dilemma is no more thanks to this simple trick.

Extra-long baggy pants are everywhere right now. If your pants are dragging along the ground, this is no longer a legit reason to turn to a tailor for help. At least not in the world of fashion. However, this will turn the hems into shoe soles with all the dirt you’d expect.

Does this mean you have to choose between being hip or hygienic? Nope. Let me show you a quick fix I’m currently using all the time.

Long in front, short at the back

All you need are two small safety pins and 30 seconds of time. First, roll up your pants a little more than the length you want them to be. Then fasten the safety pin at the back in the middle. Make sure you don’t place it too closely to the hem, but more to the middle of the part that’s turned over. Otherwise, the upper part won’t cover the lower part in the next step.

Roll up your pants, fasten the safety pin, roll down again, done.
Source: Stephanie Vinzens

Now you can roll down the trousers again. The front of the trousers retains its length and neatly covers your shoes. At the back, there’s a subtle pleat that lifts the hem off the ground.

Looks a bit strange in mid-air, but works when you’re wearing them.
Source: Stephanie Vinzens

Not perfect, but casual, simple and adaptable

If you can spare the time and have some sewing know-how, you could also shorten the hem permanently at a bit of an angle. But the safety pin trick is perfect for lazy sewers and fans of flexible clothing. It gives you the option of adjusting the length of your pants to suit the weather and your shoes. Maybe you have a pair of trousers that are the perfect length when you combine with heels, but not with sneakers. Or perhaps you’d prefer some distance between the hem and the puddle-covered ground on rainy days.

When you’re wearing them, it almost looks as if the pants fall that way naturally.
Source: Natalie Hemengül

The look’s less clean than a neatly sewn trouser hem, but still has a casual charm about it. Kind of like rolled-up sleeves or a shirt that’s only half tucked in. Besides, it’s definitely nicer than dirty hems.

Header image: Stephanie Vinzens

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