Bella got her first shipment of jeans in last night. They’re all sizes 7 & 8’s and since she’s always worn true to size and she’ll be 6 in December I figured that was perfect, should last her the 1st 1/2 of Kindergarten at least. I tried a pair on her and while they fit at the waist (what am I feeding this kid?!) they are way too long. The sevens not that bad but they have no room to grow at the waist and the eights are waayyy long with the normal amount of growing room, how they usually fit.
So, I wanted to know what to do because she couldn’t walk around like that.*
I tried to solicit advice on Twitter, and Betsey, Tara and MomBabe all tried to talk to me as if I knew how to operate a sewing machine, or even thread a needle, or had walked into a home goods store since the last time I went to visit Jason at work when he was over a Linens N’ Things.
What I was more looking for was like, should I return them and get her the plus versions of the jeans in smaller sizes (which doesn’t seem like a good thing to do, I don’t even know how plus jeans fit and it’d be my luck that she’d get taller and not gain weight and end up in high waters and there’s no fixing those), or should I take the jeans to a tailor and have them like…hemmed some sort of way that they can be released when she’s taller?
And, also, those are not all the same thank you very much which was what my mom said. As I explained here – my girls and I do not do frilly hems and butterflies and shit on our pockets. We like average, normal jeans that an adult would wear, only child sized and that’s why all of them are from Gap. Shirts and dresses and shoes are for crazy designs and frills not jeans! And as anyone with a pair of eyes can see, those jeans are all totally different! Different fits, washes, colors, etc.
Totally different. Here’s hoping her teacher has a pair of eyes and doesn’t think she’s wearing the same pants almost every day.
Alright, so what do I do?
*I would have shown you a photo of her wearing the jeans, but she’s sick and said “no pictures for the internet!”
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I love you, Maria. Of course, I also have no clue how to operate a sewing machine but I can introduce you to the joy of hemming tape, available at craft and fabric stores, and which is used with an iron (another appliance I can barely operate). It’s probably best on lighter fabrics but should do okay on denim.
And who says adult jeans can’t have butterflies and sparkly shit? :-)
My advice is to stay away from tailors because the last item I took to get hemmed was a simple as hell dress for my daughter and it set me back an astonishing $25. If you can find someone to do it for like $7 a pair, I’d grab that, if not TAPE.
Oops just realized it’s called Stitch Tape, hemming tape is for people who can actually sew.
I buy all of my kids’ jeans at Old Navy. They are very well made – those things have gone through almost every boy in my family once Travis outgrew them. And their girls jeans don’t have all that frilly crap on them which is why I buy them for my daughter.
He is really tall and really skinny so even the slims aren’t slim enough for him. He’s seven and a half and only weighs forty-seven pounds and he is up to my boobs already (I’m 5′4″). Old Navy’s jeans have the extend-tab waist band so I can buy the bigger size I need for length but can pull the tabs in so that they fit for his waist. And they don’t look bulky or anything when you pull the tabs in.
So, I guess my advice to you is to start shopping at Old Navy :)
Speaking from horrible, awful, experience (which I’m still too traumatized to speak of), take thee to a tailor. If you go to the seamstress at the dry cleaners, they usually charge around $7 or $8 a pair.
Roll em up. She’ll grow eventually. Vivian has the same issue, so she’s stuck with either slightly tight 6’s or longish 7’s. I’m not hemming something she’ll wear normal later, and when she grows it’s like watching trees sprout.
I’m with you on the sparkly crap for the most part. Thankfully the local thrift store usually has tons of old navy/gap jeans-which I’d never buy new, but which fit the hipless wonder perfectly.
I have a sewing machine. The layer of dust is impressive.
NO! I said HEM TAPE. You iron it on. It’s like double stick tape for clothing. AND you can even get it at Walmart. You don’t even have to walk into a fabric/craft store.
August 15, 2009 at 10:54 am
BUT HOW!?! You just…fold it? Will the bottom hem part still show, or will it look like they’re just tucked under? I’m all confuzzled. :(
It’ll look like it’s tucked under.
I was going to suggest Hem Tape, but I see Mom Babe already had it covered.
Plus, you can always bust out with the stapler.
If there’s a gap kids near by, I would suggest going in the store having her try on the jeans and just exchanging them there. Making sure you get the perfect waist band and length on every single pair. If this is not an option, I’d say measure her and use their guidelines to figure out what size she needs and just reorder them in the appropriate lengths and waist sizes. You’d be wasting enough material to make skirts for Ari if you have them hemmed.
August 15, 2009 at 10:51 am
We’re going to Gap on Monday anyway, but I’m not sure we’ll have any real luck exchanging them – unless they had Petite 7s and 8s or the plus 6s were perfect, which seems unlikely, she’ll end up with jeans that will last her until next month, if that, if she gets any taller. I’m going to have her try on some anyway though, and if I find that they have some better fits I’ll exchange them.
I didn’t mean hemming as far as cutting off fabric – I meant temporary hems that can be let out when she’s older, they don’t remove the fabric so it wouldn’t be wasted. I just don’t want to roll them or tuck them under because the appearance of them would drive me insane.
we go through this every season with my kids….and Gap’s slims are the best fit ever for mine. I would totally roll them up or if you need a tailored look, use the stuff the above have spoken….it called STITCH WITCHERY. You can find it at Target or (gasp!) Walmart. You literally fold the portion to be shortened and put this tape looking stuff there, iron it and voila, it melts making a bonding agent. I have even gone back and ripped it out when I wanted to re-lengthen, scrapped the left over product off. I wouldn’t have the tailor do it, because they will cut the remainder off, then you will be right back where you started when she grows.
STITCH WITCHERY:http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat483848&PRODID=prd2975
Have them hemmed in a way that can be let down if she grows up faster than she grows out.
take them to the drycleaners (with a tailor) and ask them to do a tack hem (which is just a little stitch at four points in the hem) that way when she grows, you can have them ripped and they will release.
or give em to me and I’ll do it :P
Yep – I have that issue with my own daughter. We basically just suck it up and buy her the age appropriate size, or otherwise, they’re way too long.
And sadly, I cannot sew whatsoever, either.
Well a whole lot of good I am, huh?!
I’m with Flutter…temporary hem is the easiest option. Provided the hemmed bits don’t fade too bad during the time she’s wearing them.
I tried the tape method, which works fine for stuff you don’t wash and wear a heap.
Either way though…they’re going to look like you’ve folded them up. They won’t have a proper hem with that finished off look round the bottom.
You have to compromise, I guess.
1. Fold – could be too bulky, but looks reasonable most times.
2. Hemming tape – cheap and quick but may not last
3. Dry cleaner/tailor – temporary hem also cheap but will look unfinished at the bottom.
4. Dry cleaner/tailor – cut it off and hem properly.
My mum could do it for you ( I have never sewn a stitch!!) but we’re in NSW Australia….so…postage may be the kicker ;-)
Just started reading your Blog – LOVing it btw
I was going to suggest exactly what Flutter said. Tack hems are the way to go when it comes to kids pants that are too long. I spent most of my youth (I was, and am, a short-shit!), in Levis and other jeans with tack hems. And seriously Maria, you can eventually do that shit yourself. It’s easy and you don’t have to look like Martha Stewart or Betty Crocker. For real!
I have just the opposite problem with pants for Gaby. She won’t be 4 until late December but she’s as tall as a 5 1/2 year old and really skinny. Either it’s too short, or if the length is right, it’s too damned big around the waist. I wish I had that problem!
Ikea carries a hemming tape you can iron on: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50078746. It worked splendidly on our curtains. My jeans are always too long, so I tend to fold them on the inside, since I don’t like the cuffed look.
Everyone else has much smarter advice than mine, but Ikea’s nice and cheap!
Good luck.
I can’t sew and Bri hates jeans so I’m no help here.
My mom just used to fold them over if they were too long and make me go to school like that. But we didn’t have anything but straight leg or relaxed fit.
chop em off at the knees and buy her some boots…
LOLZ.
My kids just roll em up. But they are Emos. Don’t listen to me.
You either.. buy the jeans that have the adjustable elastic waistband thingie inside, or- do what we do… don’t buy jeans… my 7yo wears comfy little stretchy pants and leggings most of the time which are still perfectly hip for this age group. Good luck!
Why is my comment way up there? ::hmph::
Found the following site, which has GREAT directions for hemming, that gives you the option for keeping the jeans in tact so you can take the hem out at a later date:
http://www.daciaray.com/?p=38
This is the easiest way, and sturdiest way. If you have a friend who sews (if I lived closer to you, I’d do it for you as two pair would take only about 15 minutes or so), show them this page and see if they can do it for you.
I’ve got nothin’ for ya, dude. I’m just saying hi. I can’t sew either. Never have been able to. Once got one of those As Seen On TV handstitcher things to attempt some sort of craftiness by making pillows. I ended up looking like I’d been tarred and feathered. I suggest rolling.
ask this chick: http://whipstitchlounge.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OGJ6PZiyfA
“No pictures for the internet!” Were my sons 1st words… as for the pants, no idea girl! Good luck.
I fixed hems on a couple pair of my pants with duct tape on the inside of the pant leg (obviously). And it worked perfectly, you can let it out as she grows and it takes about 5 minutes and a roll of duct tape. And if you tape it really well it can be washed without the tape falling off! Maybe that makes me redneck and what not but it worked and I have no frickin clue how to hem!
I’d have them hemmed by a tailor and just get them cut off to make a normal hem. You have a younger child and might just be able to get double duty out of them. What’s working against you here is that most jeans styles are cut to have a snug fit and then a flared leg that is just not easy to deal with in terms of hemming; the wider part at the bottom is going to be very bunchy in the ankle area.
Rolled up just makes a tripping hazard that also soaks up rain puddles. My feeling is that there is no good way to turn up that extra fabric for re-use with a longer leg. It’s going to get wear marks at the hem edge you end up with.
I don’t think plus sizes are going to give you the fit you’re looking for, either. They will have a lot of butt and thigh room that you probably don’t need for your child. I’m a fan of Lands End for their adjustable waist bands.
I feel your pain and if you can’t find a brand that has a better fit, I feel like you are better off just to get these cut down to size. JMHO and BTDT.
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