Trouser and jeans hemming in Amsterdam: jeans, trousers and chinos

How much does hemming trousers cost

What hemming involves depends on the finish, not on the brand or the fabric. A regular hem or blind hem, jeans with the original hem, trousers with hem tape, or trousers with turn ups or a lining: each finish needs its own approach.

The fitting, pinning and finishing are always part of it. You hear the price in the studio before we start, with no surprises.

Shortening jeans with the original hem

With a regular hem we cut off the legs, fold the fabric over and stitch a new hem. On jeans you can see that: the original thick stitching, the wear and the faded edge of the hem are gone. The hem then looks newer than the rest of the jeans.

That is why we prefer to shorten jeans with the original hem. We cut the original hem off, remove the excess fabric and reattach the hem to the leg. The seam sits just above the hem and is barely visible after a wash. That way your jeans look just as they did in the shop, only shorter.

On very thin or stretch jeans this technique does not always look good. Then we tell you honestly and together we choose a regular hem with matching thread.

Shortening trousers with hem tape or turn ups

Smart trousers or suit trousers wear fastest at the back of the hem, where the fabric rubs over the heel. Hem tape is a narrow, sturdy strip on the inside of the hem that takes that wear. With hem tape the trousers last years longer.

A turn up is a visible folded edge at the bottom of the leg, around 4 to 5 centimetres wide. It looks classic and gives smart trousers or chinos a bit more weight at the bottom. If you have an existing turn up that is too long, we take it out and remake it at the right length.

Blind hem for smart trousers

With a blind hem no stitching shows on the outside. The hem is fixed with a special stitch that only catches a single thread of the outer fabric each time. This is the standard finish for smart trousers, suit trousers or wool trousers. Lined trousers are shortened with the hem and lining done separately.

For chinos or cotton trousers you can choose between a blind hem and a regular topstitched hem, as the factory did it. We look at what the original was and keep to that, unless you want it differently.

Getting the length right

Bring the shoes you wear most often with the trousers. A few centimetres of heel really makes a difference. You try the trousers on here, stand up straight and we pin the legs to the length that suits you.

The length also depends on how much the trousers may fall onto your shoe, known as the break. No break means the leg ends right at the shoe, clean and modern. A half break gives one light fold and is the most common for smart trousers. A full break falls looser and looks classic. Most people now wear jeans slightly shorter than they used to. We advise honestly, but you decide.

Tapering the legs too

Often trousers are not only too long but also too wide. Then we combine the hemming with tapering the legs, also on jeans with a flat felled seam. Tapering and shortening are done in one go, so you only need one fitting.

Taking in the waistband or letting out trousers is also possible. Everything about adjusting the fit is on the page Taking in trousers.

Turnaround time and rush jobs

Hemming trousers usually takes 3 to 5 working days. Need them sooner, for a job interview, wedding or holiday for example? A rush job within 48 hours is possible. Let us know when you drop them off and we will schedule it in.

You will find us at Wagenaarstraat 209 in Amsterdam East, near the Oosterpark and the Dappermarkt. The Dapperstraat stop with tram 1 and 3 and bus 37 and 41 is a 4 minute walk away.