How To Pin Your Clothes

Take in jacket sides

While wearing your jacket, stand straight and look forward while you have a friend pinch out any excess fabric through the back side seams. Pin the fabric until you reach your desired fit. keep in mind that you can only do a maximum of ONE INCH per seam, otherwise the fit of the jacket will become distorted and any pocket details on the front will shift towards the back sides. repeat this on both back side seams for a proper fit.

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Take in sleeve

Stand straight and look forward while a friend helps pinch out any excess fabric through the arm seams, making sure to start near the shoulder. pin the fabric until you reach your desired fit. if needed, pin all the way to the sleeve opening.

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Shorten jacket sleeves

Fold the excess fabric and pin into place, the folded edge is where your new hem will be. Don’t worry if the buttons are in the way, we just need to know the desired length!

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Letting out pants waistband

Pants that need to be let out must have at least a total of one inch seam allowance at the center back seam

Most men's pants will have this extra fabric at the back. jeans, and most women's pants do not have the extra fabric, and cannot be let out.

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Hem pants

Try on the pants you want to hem with the shoes you will most likely be wearing them with.
If you have a friend with you, stand straight and look forward while your friend folds the excess fabric back and places a pin to hold it - the folded edge is where your new hem will be.
If you want to wear heels with your pants, you might want a longer hem. the type of shoes you plan to wear will have an effect on the desired length.
If you are alone, pin the pants before trying them on where you think your new hem should be. After you have tried them on you can adjust the pin position until it is at the desired length. Keep in mind, you might have to do this step a few times to get the correct length.

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Hem shorts

While wearing the shorts, fold back the excess fabric and pin. The folded edge is where you want your new hem to be. This step can easily be done by yourself.

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Pants into shorts

While wearing your pants, place a pin where you want your new hem for shorts to be, keeping in mind that it is always easier to make them shorter in the future but adding length is not always possible.

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Taper pants

Stand straight and look forward while you have a friend help pin the side seams. If you want a full leg taper, start above the knee, pinch the excess fabric at the outside seam of the pants leg to the desired size, and pin it in place, pinning all the way down to the hem.

If you only want the lower portion of the leg tapered, start your pinning at knee height and work your way down to the hem, pinning the excess fabric at the seams as you go. Be sure that you can easily get your feet out of the pants, otherwise you have made them too tight and you should adjust your pins accordingly.

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Taper Shorts

Stand straight and look forward while you have a friend help pin the side seams. start above the knee, pinch the excess fabric at the outside seam of the shorts leg to the desired size, and pin it in place, pinning all the way down to the hem.<p >Be sure that you can easily get your feet out of the shorts, otherwise you have made them too tight and you should adjust your pins accordingly.

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Take in waistband

Make sure your waistband is sitting where you normally wear your pants. This is one of the most important steps because it could drastically affect the fit of the pants. If your pants are extremely loose, hold them in place at the front while a friend does the pinning at the back seam.

Stand straight and look forward while your friend pinches out the excess waistband fabric at the center back seam, place two fingers between your body and the waistband to make sure the pants aren’t too tight, place the pin as close to where the fabric meets on the pinched portion of the waistband.

If you are alone, repeat the steps, but pinch out the fabric at one of your sides where it is easiest for you to reach. DO NOT pinch out the excess fabric where any buttons or zippers are located because that will not give you a proper fit and you will not be able to get out of your pants.

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Shorten sleeves with cuff

Fold the sleeve to the desired length and place a pin through the sleeve. the folded edge is where you want your new sleeve length to be - don’t worry if it is folding on the cuff, we just need to know the desired length and we will take care of the rest!

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Shorten sleeve without cuff

Fold excess fabric and pin into place. the folded edge is where you want your new sleeve hem to be.

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Long sleeve into short sleeve

Place a pin where you want your new short sleeve hem to be, keeping in mind that you can always make it shorter, but you cannot always add more length back to it once it is hemmed.

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Taper shirt sleeve

Pinch out the excess fabric at the sleeve seam, place pins where you want your new sleeve seam to be.

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Take in shirt sides

Starting where the sleeve and body of the shirt meet, pinch out the excess fabric at the side seams. Place the pins where you want your new side seams to be, pinning all the way down to the hem of the shirt.

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Take in shirt shoulders

Take your shirt where the seam of the sleeve and shoulder meet, and pull the sleeve up to where you want the new shoulder seam to be, pin in place.

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Shorten shirt length

Fold the shirt hem to your desired length, pin into place. the folded edge will be where your new shirt hem will be.

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Shorten shirt strap

Pull the strap until it is at your desired fit, and pin it into place.

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How to mark clothes for repairs

If you are mailing in clothing that needs a hole repaired, button added, zipper replaced, elbow patches added, or any other kind of repair - place a pin on the garment where this repair or replacement is needed and make a note of what you need done.

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Hem dress/skirt

While wearing your dress or skirt, stand straight and look forward. Have a friend help fold the excess fabric to the desired length, then place pins at the center front of the dress or skirt hem. The folded edge is where your new hem will be. Do the same step for any lining layers, making them slightly shorter than the outer layer.

If you want the hem size to be the same all the way around, you can just use a pin or two at the front.

Take in skirt waistband - Make sure your waistband is sitting at a comfortable position on your waist, pinch out any excess fabric and place a pin on the waistband close to where the fabric meets. Keep in mind, you should try to avoid the zipper or buttons while pinning.

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