Denim. One of the more fickle fabrics in life. And although your jeans may fit like a glove when you first wear them, they rarely stay that way.
Whether your jeans are too tight or too big, we’ve got a few tricks to help get them back to the size and shape that suits you best.
If you’re struggling to get into your jeans (or they’re a bit snug once you do), try one of the following solutions:
Spray and stretch
Lukewarm water will help to stretch your jeans back to the size you need them. Simply fill a spray bottle with lukewarm water, lay your jeans on a flat surface and spray the areas that need more ‘give’. For a more robust stretch, place your jeans on a clean section of floor after spraying, stand on each leg and pull them up from the cuff – this will help to add length to the legs.
Add elastic
Similar to pregnancy jeans, you can give yourself some extra room to move by snipping the waistband at the sides and inserting some elastic. Unless you’re a pro when it comes to sewing, this tactic is probably best delegated to an expert.
Take a bath
This is one to do in the privacy of your own home. Run a warm bath and get in with your jeans on. If this all sounds a bit too silly for you, submerge your jeans in warm (not hot) water then, using a salad spinner, spin out the excess water. While the jeans are still damp, put them on and do some stretches to loosen the threading. Once you’re done, hang them up to dry and they should fit more loosely when you next try them on.
Got the opposite problem? If you’re jeans are too baggy or keep falling down, try one of these quick tricks to shrink them back to size.
Hot water
Wash your jeans on a hot water cycle. Any jeans that are a high cotton content will shrink a size or two, so they’ll fit more snugly in future.
High and dry
The dryer is your best friend when it comes to shrinking denim. This trick works best when your jeans are wet but can be used on dry denim as well. Simply throw them in the dryer, turn up the heat and the hot air will constrict the fibres for you. And if you really want to shrink the suckers, wash them in hot water and then put them in the dryer.
And because prevention always beats cure, pre-empt the inevitable stretch that will undoubtedly occur by buying your jeans one size smaller than you usually wear.
Do you have any other tips when it comes to maintaining denim?
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