Video: Tips for Cutting Jeans (+ trick to prevent excess fraying)

How to cut too long jeans may be seemingly easy, but it’s been one of the top reader requests here over the past year!

I wanted to round up my tips in one pin-able blog post and share a quick step-by-step video. For the anti-fray product shown at the very end, you can find it at most craft or sewing stores or on Amazon.

Also, see my blog post on ways to style straight leg jeans!

I usually suggest starting with jeans that have already been machine washed and dried, just in case the length shrinks. But not a big deal if you don’t – you can always cut them conservatively to start, and cut them again shorter if needed.

To cut the hem on the first pant leg, follow steps 1 – 3:

1. Fold the jeans under and safety pin if needed to temporarily test out the length. Be sure to try them on with different shoes that you would wear them with, ie flats and heels.
2. Once you’re happy with the length, mark it with fabric chalk or pins. Note that the length might shrink a little tad if you have never machine washed or dry the jeans before.
3. Lay the jeans flat and use a pair of good scissors to cut straight across one of the legs where you marked it.

To cut the second pant leg, follow steps 4 – 6:

4. Fold the jeans in half down the center to match up both the pant legs.

5. Use the first cut leg as a guide to cut the second leg to the same length.

6. Cut straight across.

To get perfectly frayed hems:

Throw your jeans into the washing machine and dryer to get a fluffier frayed edge, and then trim off any too-long threads if needed. As an optional step to prevent further fraying, you can try applying an anti-fray product along the hems and letting them air dry.

Also followed this process for my beloved Levi’s wedgie jeans:

Levi wedgie jeans sz 24 in “shut up” wash, Everlane tee XS, Sam Edelman mules 5