3 Ways to Shrink Your Jeans at Home

Try these quick size-altering methods for when you need a fast fix.

While having your denim professionally tailored offers the best chance for a perfectly flattering fit, shrinking a pair of jeans at home is fast, easy, and extremely affordable. With these easy methods, you can finally wear your favorite pair of too-big flares, buy a pair of loose fitting jeans from the thrift store, or give your mom's best vintage denim new life.

Meet Our Expert

Hallie Abrams, stylist and founder of The Wardrobe Consultant

Related: How to Iron a Shirt

When to Shrink Your Jeans

How much you can shrink your jeans—and how long they'll stay that way—depends on their original size and fabric. You're likely to have the best success shrinking your denim if it's already close to the right size. "Expecting to shrink one number size down is possible—more than that, and for a more foolproof and permanent solution, I'd recommend tailoring," says Hallie Abrams, stylist and founder of The Wardrobe Consultant. "The shrinkage will be most permanent in length. The other areas will have warmth, tension, and friction and likely stretch out again with wear."

How to Shrink Your Jeans in the Dryer

To shrink your jeans at home, heat is key. "The easiest, quickest way to shrink denim is to wash and dry them on the hottest temperatures possible—similar to the way that washing your favorite sweater in hot water and putting it in the dryer is something you try to avoid because it will shrink," says Abrams

How to Shrink Your Jeans With Boiling Water

A similar technique trades the washing machine for a pot of boiling water on the stove, followed by a run through the dryer. "Boiling your jeans for 20 to 30 minutes and then drying them in a hot dryer will usually shrink them more quickly than the washer method—and shrink them slightly more effectively," says Abrams.

How to Shrink Your Jeans in the Bath Tub

Wearing your jeans in the bathtub may sound uncomfortable, but if you can get past the idea of wearing wet denim, it should result in a nearly-perfect fit, says Abrams. For this method, put your jeans on and fill the bathtub with warm water. While wearing your jeans, sit in the bathtub for about 30 minutes. When times up, get out of the bathtub and leave your jeans on until they're completely dry.

When to Take Your Jeans to the Tailor

If your jeans have one specific problem area—a gaping waistband or a drooping back pocket area—using a denim tailor is ideal. "Shrinking just one part of a garment in a DIY method can be really challenging—I would not recommend it," she says. Your end result also depends on the fabric content of your denim: If your favorite pair has more than 1 or 2 percent elastane for stretch, they're more likely to stretch out again. "It is the cotton that will be the agent in the jeans shrinking process," Abrams says. "So a 100 percent cotton denim will do a better job of shrinking and staying smaller for more wears."

Read the original article on Martha Stewart.