Jeans are probably the most ubiquitous of all fashion garments globally. From the homeless to the billionaires, and probably even the queen, practically everyone has a pair of jeans.

And likely you’ve had some rogue thoughts on how you wish they were just that little bit shorter or longer, wider or narrower, so that they’d fit your unique body instead of being made to generic metrics.

I’d hear those thoughts in my dreams… if I ever sleep! They leave your mind and swim through the air into my Studio and cause me to sew through the night to ensure that the hems are just exactly, to the millimeter, where you want them ;) All in a day’s work.

The great thing about jeans is that, since they’re such a standard garment, they’re all put together in more or less the same way. And from many, many years of altering clothes, I’ve found there are generally five different types of jobs involving denims.

Winter Denim Promotion

This Winter we’re giving you the chance to bring your day dreams to life for just R80 each job, or R350 if you’re wanting to completely reshape those denims into your ideal vision.

Waist Alteration, Usually R200 – Unfortunately the thick denim fabric doesn’t allow for additional fabric in the center back of jeans, as happens with suit trousers. Thus we’re only able to reduce the waist of your jeans, not increase them :'(

If you want to know more about what makes denim so thick, check out this article.

J Seam Alteration, usually R250 – This is the join that runs from your fly, between your legs and up the center back of the pants. It’s an absolute nightmare to adjust due to its primitive nature, but that’s a whole ‘nother rant.

Generally the J seam is only adjusted if the waist reduction is sufficient to require it. Or if the butt of your jeans is saging in an unsightly manner, then the J seam adjustment is definitely required!

In Seam Alteration, usually R200 – Generally the inside seam of jeans is done with a double fell seam from one ankle to the other. Again this is not the easiest thing to alter, but for fashion one must sometimes suffer.

Side Seam Alteration, usually R150 – This seam is generally a regularly stitched flat or butterfly seam, and can be altered from below the pocket intersection. Some jeans can be altered above the pocket, though this depends on the construction of the individual pair.

Hems, usually R100 – This is probably the easiest alteration to get done at any tailor’s shop, and honestly the fact that you’ve waited till now to stop tripping over your own clothes is shocking! Shocking I tell you!! Check out this post if you want to know what hem length you should be going for.

So there you have it, any of the five common denim alterations for only R80 each, and the full works for a further discounted R350.

See you Thursdays ;)

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The Studio is at 625 Levinia Street, Garsfontein, and open every Thursday from 10am to 10pm. You can also subscribe to this blog by hitting the follow button, and join the monthly newsletter here for fashion scandal and awesome designs.