How do you make jeans a size smaller?

Question

How do you sew a pair of jeans to make then a size or two smaller? Do a sew along the outside seams or what? I really like the jeans at forever 21 and their very affordable, but even their smallest sizes are huge on me.

Please don't say washing them, that doesn't make them small enough and I need to SEW them.

Please don't tell me to go buy smaller jeans, I can't afford that.

Please don't tell me to gain weight, that's hurtful because this is just the way I am.

Answer 1

Put the jeans on and then get someone check where the excess material is. Get them to mark the new outline of the jeans with chalk or pins. Turn the jeans inside out and sew them to the new size. It is not an easy job and very difficult to get the same quality of sewing that was done originally. Take care when marking out the new outline, mistakes are very costly.

Answer 2

after sewing them inside out along the INSIDE seam, cut the excess material or it will be uncomfortable with the bulging material on the inside of your legs...

Answer 3

I've always been very thin too.  I prefer my jeans looser now, but way back in the early 70's, I used to make them tighter and lower.  I turned them inside out and started to sew from the crotch seam down to the bottom (at the time it was bell-bottoms, so I would stop at around the knee and start to angle the stitching out), following the same thing on the other side.  This made the jeans "hip-huggers" (low-rise) and really tight on my chicken legs.  Of course this totally negates the double seam, but since it's on the inside it shouldn't matter too much and it was cheap!!!  I'd be careful doing it on the outside of the legs.  I would use a basting stitch at first to be sure you are not making it too tight, then do your final stitching when you are satisfied with the fit.  Good luck!!