Trouser flare jeans makeover!

Trouser flare jeans makeover!

• 10.04.2016

This post feels like a throwback! But it's not, it's brand new. I used to share jeans and thrift store find alterations all the time. But now, years later, I'm still modifying unflattering jeans using simple techniques I honed all that time ago, before I wrote a book about it! In fact, this project is in DIY Wardrobe Makeovers (the take-in-jeans project on page 70) but this is a great variation!

So last week I made this pretty ruffle-edge trim loose top out of a fun print. I thought, wow, this would be perfect with 70's-ey high-waisted flares. But I didn't really have those. Saturday morning I went to Goodwill to look for stuff for the new house (I've decided I should just regularly pop into the Goodwills near me to see if the perfect furniture, lighting, etc. shows up!) and instead I found these HUGE trouser jeans. Huge in the legs, that is. I'm not a short person but these were too long for me even on high tiptoes! And the legs were massively boxy.

They were nice quality, with top stitching on the inseam and outer leg seam, so I definitely had to use the technique I describe in DIY Wardrobe Makeovers for demo-ing and recreating the seams when you want to take them in and change the shape! I added shape to the knees and reduced the flare a little. I also redid the hem, of course... I didn't think trouser jeans needed a typical, small jeans hem so I gave them a 1.5" (I think) standard hem which also works better with the scale.

Here's another before/after. Before: comical. After: Great for wearing with tall wedges!

Before... (seriously, who were these made for?!)

After!
Yeah, that hem looks way better!

As you can see, they worked great with the printed top!

On these side views you can kind of see where I started the tapering and redid the side seam. Luckily I had a heavy navy thread that matched almost perfectly!

You can pin for later! You may want to do this to a pair of jeans sometime!

If you like the look of these jeans, I did find some similar ones you can shop here. And if you think you'd like to DIY this or other easy, common clothing modifications and re-style projects, PLEASE check out my book, DIY Wardrobe Makeovers! (You can now get a new copy for only $10.99!)