Putting on a pair of perfectly snug jeans that hit your waist just right is pure bliss. Putting on a pair of jeans that are, uh, *too* snug and start to dig into your sides? Not so much. We’ve all had that same experience of pants getting a tad smaller when you take them fresh out of the dryer—especially if they have some elastane in them. (If you're interested in how to shrink your jeans, we've got that answer too, fyi.) Making them bigger is a whole other game, but it is doable, and there are lots of ways you can go about it. Some can be more time-intensive than others, but if you don’t want to give up on your jeans just yet, these tips can be worth it! Whether the waistband is too tight or your thighs feel claustrophobic, we talked to some denim experts to help you get some extra breathing room.
And who are the experts you ask? We tapped Jill Guenza, Global VP of Women’s Design at Levi’s; Jennifer Kim, Senior Design Director at AG; Christine Chung, President of Sales and Marketing at Just Black Denim; Sixuan Li, founder and CEO of VIAVIA. Read on for their advice, and fingers crossed your journey to perfect-fitting jeans is a successful one.
Spray and stretch your denim.
“Fill a spray bottle with lukewarm water and spray the area you want to stretch out by either wearing them or gently pulling the area with your hands,” says AG Senior Design Director, Jennifer Kim. The key here is spraying both sides of the fabric—i.e., the inside and outside—for maximum stretch.
Steam your jeans.
Don’t have a spray bottle handy? Try steaming them. Jill Guenza, Global VP of Women’s Design at Levi’s says to stretch the jeans over an ironing board or the back of a chair after steaming them. “Using an iron or a steamer, steam the waistband of your jeans until they feel damp, and stretch them bit by bit to the desired size.”
Stuff your jeans.
Your time is precious, so if pulling at your wet jeans for a while doesn’t sound appealing, I feel you. Guenza also suggests inserting things like rolled-up towels, newspapers, or pillows into the waist or thigh area of your jeans when you're not wearing them. You can do this overnight or during the day when you’re at work to help maintain the stretched-out shape.
Use a waistband stretcher.
Speaking of stretching, there’s also a handy tool called a waistband stretcher. Kim recommends wetting the waistband with lukewarm water first, then you can insert the stretcher and leave it overnight. Easy!
Take a walk.
You always notice your jeans loosening up after putting in some steps, and that’s because the natural heat from your body along with movement “naturally opens up the fibers and the weave of the denim,” says Sixuan Li, Founder and CEO of VIAVIA. “I find this is the best method because it is the most natural and uses your body as the mold, so it’s the perfect fit.”
Christine Chung, President of Sales and Marketing at Just Black Denim, seconds this tip. “Denim material is mostly comprised of cotton, and the cotton thread is malleable to the body,” she says.
Or, do some stretches.
Chung also says stretches and light movement can help break in your too-tight jeans. Moves like lunges, forward folds, and squats can help loosen them up too.
Use a hair dryer.
This tip is really only for when you're in a pinch. Since, Li says direct heat can cause some damage and warns against applying intense heat if you don’t have to. “This rule applies especially for stretch denim as the elastic fiber in the jean will get damaged with heat, making them less stretchy over time.”
With that being said, if you’re in a bind, you can use a hair dryer over the areas you’d like to stretch. If it’s a hair dryer where you can adjust the temperature, try to avoid putting it on its hottest setting to make sure your denim stays durable.
Wash on a cold setting and air dry.
Combine two tips together by lightly washing your jeans with cold water and then hang dry with a waistband stretcher. Chung recommends air drying them for two days and ensuring the waistband is taught for the most give.
Wear your jeans in the bath.
You might not like wearing wet denim, but you also don’t like your pants being too tight, right? Guenza suggests running a bath with cool water, and sitting in the water with your jeans on. “Pull at the areas you want to loosen while in the tub. Keep wearing the jeans for a while once you get out to make sure the denim stays stretched.” Ideally, you'd let them dry on you, but you can also remove them and air dry.
Try button extenders.
There’s nothing more frustrating than a pair of jeans that fits perfectly everywhere else except the waistband. If this is the case, you can buy button extenders to allow a tad more give. The only thing is that these make it look like you have two buttons, so you can also use a belt to cover it up.
Go to a tailor.
Though this isn’t one you can do at home, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. Chung says a tailor might help increase the waistband size, but there are also elastic-size extenders or rubber bands you can use to loop through the belt loop and button for some extra give (only if you’re wearing something long enough to cover up the waist).
In the market for some new jeans? Shop some of our favorite styles, below!
Levi's 501® Mid Thigh Shorts
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Just Black Denim The Cargo Wide Leg
Eloquii The Barrel Jean
ETICA Stanton Relaxed Wide Leg
VIAVIA The High + Straight Jean in Copenhagen
I'm Cosmopolitan's Associate Fashion Editor and write about any and all trends, major celeb fashion moments, and why wide-leg jeans are basically the best. I originally moved to New York City to audition for RENT, only to find out that the play closed 10 years ago.
