According to the users using the original hem is the best way to shorten jeans compared to a regular or basic hem. Hem finishes are the most overlooked yet fundamental parts of your design. So, here are some comparison points between original and regular hems. But, the pictures will let you know the difference between hemming your jeans with an original or regular hem.
The Concept of Hem
Hems are located at the end of a sleeve or pant leg. A hem is where the fabric has been manipulated in order to prevent the material from losing or, worst, frying its shape. Hemming can be done by hand, but now we do this process in a machine. Hem length, stitching, and technique define your garment’s sophistication. Thus, choosing a hem should never be a left-out decision.
What is Original Jeans Hem?
The original hem is a hemming technique that keeps the original intake details of the hem. The original bottom hem is cut off the jean, which means you need to cut off the length. Usually, the original hem is sewn back on the bottom. Its job is to maintain the faded and worn-out look. In this way, the jean retains any kind of wavy texture at the hem.
What is Regular Jeans Hem?
Regular hem modify your hem to the perfect length. The process is just to cut off the extra length, then fold it up and sew it with a raw hem. This traditional tailoring technique is a common technique. The hem will not let by any details of the original or previous hem, nor have the wavy kind of look that most other jean hems have.
This technique involves cutting jeans and recreating a much more proper hem. Surprisingly it only needs a single stitch. Furthermore, most of the altered jeans lack detail, making them look obviously altered.
Comparison Between Original Hem and Regular Hem
Let’s see the differences below –
1. Cost
On the various websites, the regular hem cost 30$, but on the other hand, the original hem costs about 40$. The sewists can hem your pants for anywhere between $15-$30, and that depends on the pants. But the thing is, hemming by yourself will cost nothing and is very easy While some people prefer to get them hemmed for them, many people enjoy saving a little money and getting the job done themselves.
2. Advantages
The original hem indicates that your jeans’ end is still intact meaning no cut-off edges. So, if you want them to be flats, but ultimately you did not follow that decision and want those jeans to wear with heels, they can be taken out easily and re-hammed. Another possibility is if you accidentally hem them too short, you can correct it. Some customize and re-sell it, you can do that, but alterations usually decrease the value.
3. Disadvantages
Instead of re-hemming, if you decide to cut the end part of the jeans, there is no going back. You will lose the original hem as well as the original length of your jeans. But if we fold the end part and re-hemmed, it gets rather bulky, especially if you need a lot of the size taken off. Anyway, to some, this does not really bother them.
4. Deceiving Hem
On some jeans, if you take a close look at the hem, you will be able to tell that it was hemmed. As for the professional tailors, they do not sew just below the original hemline. First, they take out the original hem thread, place it over the seam, and sew directly on top of the original hemline. This process makes it difficult to tell whether the hemming was altered at all.
But, as for the regular hem, you can quickly identify it. The regular hem will not precisely match up with the other hems on the pant. They are also the cutting edges; no local tailors will be able to deceive you.
Altering Tips
Before you do any kind of alteration, wash and dry your jeans if they are new. It typically will shrink 1/4″ according to the tailors. Since jeans are thick, you will face some challenges handling them. If machine sewing, use a larger needle size. Then you can try the professional way or do a regular hem.
Warnings
An original hem makes the fabric too thick to cuff, reversible. You can cut off the long length, but there is a way to keep them; see that before doing so because there is no way to come back after cutting. On dress pants, you can cut, and a blind hem will do the job but on jeans, keep the original hem. The only problem you may ever face is that you had to hem over 4 inches on straight-leg jeans. It is tricky but possible.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
1. What does hem mean for jeans?
Answer: It basically cuts off the existing hem, folds up, and then topstitch it in place. Typically, the manufacturer’s original hem is cut away, and the end result shows a neat-looking hem. But this also means the jeans will no longer have the distressed look of the original jeans.
2. What does hem mean for pants?
Answer: The process of shortening pants is called hemming, and the finished edge of pants is called the hem. Hemming pants give us a polished, sophisticated look, and this simple alteration makes a big difference in appearance and our own unique personal style.
3. Why do jeans often turn up at the bottom?
Answer: It often happens when the end part has careless cut-off edges and hem with a regular stitch. And then, the jeans are stretched at the hem as they are fed through the hemming machine, which causes distortion. Thus, it causes the curling up or the curling in.
Conclusion
In the end, before hemming cutting the length of the pants or not is your decision. But the fact original hem is better than the regular hem will not change. Doing regular hemming will only decrease the quality and the look of your pants. On the other hand, keeping the original hem still will make your pants look original and sophisticated.
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