Wide waistband pants: is it serious? – CDL#93

Cover photo credit: Borasification

This is a subject regularly raised in the messages sent to us.

The one with the pants that don't fit perfectly at the waist.

It gapes, tends to fall a little low on your hips.

Is it serious?

What can be done?

Here is my opinion in one sentence:

If your pants are a little baggy at the waistband, that's not ideal... but it's not necessarily a disaster either.

Let's be clear: I'm not questioning the idea that pants fit you when you are well supported at the waist.

This is what you should aim for, ideally.

But reality is different from the ideal. Not all our clothes and pants fit us perfectly.

In this respect, I believe that just because a pair of pants has a little room at the waistband doesn't necessarily mean they're unwearable , that it's a lost cause.

Pants are more than just a waist size

You shouldn't focus only on waist size. It's not the only criterion that matters when choosing pants.

It is particularly important to distinguish between:

• The size that determines the waist circumference
• The cut that determines the leg width

Here are two jeans. At first glance, you can see that the one on the left is fitted and the one on the right is looser:

Nudie Jeans

At equal size, the waistline of these two pants is identical. On the other hand, the leg width (thigh, knee, calf) is different because the cut is different:

This is where I am going with this explanation:

To consider that only the waist size counts on pants is to omit the importance of the cut, of the width of the leg.

Pants that fit you are not just pants that provide good support at the waist. They are also (and above all) pants whose leg aesthetic appeals to you.

So, it can sometimes be interesting to choose your pants a little wider at the waist , if the visual effect is better on you that way, or if the lower size is a little too tight on your leg.

In this case, we make a compromise : we accept having a little margin on the waistband in exchange for a nicer leg line or more comfort .

Here is an example that illustrates this idea. This person wears two different sizes, for two different renderings, which can correspond to different tastes and desires:

This compromise is particularly important for people who have a slim waist, muscular legs and who wear fitted cuts.

In this specific case, I do not advise you to choose a size of pants that supports your waist very well because your legs risk not fitting, being too compressed.

"I'm well supported by the belt, so everything is fine. Right?"

Pants that are a little loose at the waist can be fixed

If a pair of pants fits you well in the leg but the waist is a little loose, there are several ways to improve the fit.

1. Tighten with the belt of the pants

Let me start by stating the obvious. If your baggy pants have:

• Belt loops = put on a belt
• A drawstring = tighten it properly
• Side clamping tabs = tighten them, even if it means pulling them as far as possible

So far, I haven't taught you anything.

To go further, I have a little tip to give you:

If your pants have belt loops or a drawstring, tuck the excess material onto the sides of the waistband.

When you squeeze on pants that are a little loose for you, there will be excess material.

If you put it on the front or the back, it might show, it's not very aesthetic. So the idea here is to distribute this extra fabric on both sides for a more discreet look.

I exaggerated a bit for the photo but you get the idea. Cadot pants, NN07 sweater

In fact, it is exactly the same concept as the side clamping tabs , which pinch the fabric at the sides:

Benevento pants, henley Seagale

2. Tuck the top into the pants

Another little technique that we don't necessarily think about: tucking a garment into your pants allows you to fill it out a little better at the waist.

You can of course tuck a shirt into your pants, but also a t-shirt or, a little thicker, a sweatshirt or a sweater.

3. Wear suspenders

I'm not going to elaborate on this accessory because I wrote an article about it .

You can, however, remember that properly adjusted suspenders will effectively hold the pants in place at a certain height, preventing them from falling down.

4. Make a touch-up

In case the pants are really too wide, or if you want a firmer hold, there is finally the alteration.

You can remember that it is generally possible to alter a pair of pants to tighten them at the waist .

This operation is carried out at the back of the pants.

Here are some subtleties to keep in mind about this retouching:

The difficulty level of the alteration varies depending on the pants

And more specifically, it varies depending on the belt mounting.

The waistband of a pair of pants can be made in one or two parts.

To see the difference, you have to look at the back of the pants, in the middle:

If there is a vertical center seam, the waistband is assembled in two parts . This construction is particularly found on dress pants.

It is rather easy to retouch in this case: the craftsman works using this seam.

BonneGueule Pants

If there is no central seam, the waistband is assembled in one part . This construction is found in particular on jeans.

It is a little more difficult to alter pants with a one-piece waistband because the craftsman will have to cut into the fabric and create a center back seam.

Jean Momotaro

Beware of back pockets

Altering the waist of a pair of pants means bringing the two buttocks together.

Doing this will also bring the back pockets closer together.

So, be careful not to touch up the belt too much, at the risk of having pockets that are too close together.

Here is an example.

The back of an unretouched pair of jeans looks like this, with the pockets straight and reasonably spaced apart:

Jean Norse Projects

Here is the rendering of two jeans that have been greatly shrunk in waist size. .

We can see the difference quite clearly: the pockets are slanted and are closer to the central seam.

The pockets are getting closer

The pockets are touching each other completely.