How to Crop Jeans with Levi’s®
Representing the past, present and future of style, Levi’s® jeans are a denim legend – at any length, in every iteration. Sometimes your jeans need some TLC, or even a new look – that’s why we’re here to show you how to crop your jeans for an updated style that you’ll reach for on repeat.
If you’re not so into the baggy trend, prefer cropped jeans, have a vintage pair you want to give a second life to, or just want to add your signature style to the iconic fit; you can give yours a personal touch by cropping the length and adding a raw hem for a boyfriend finish that will never go out of style.
Here’s our tailor’s guide to how to crop your Levi’s® jeans and create a raw hem.
What You'll Need to Cut Your Jeans
Before you get started with cropping your jeans, make sure you have everything you need to get a straight and symmetrical cut on both legs. To crop your jeans correctly, you’ll need:
Scissors
Tape measure or ruler
Tailor’s chalk or pencil
Tweezers
An iron
4 Steps to Cut Your Jeans
Whether you’re trimming some inches off a too-long pair of jeans or updating an old pair with an ankle-grazing, cropped hem, follow our tailor-approved steps to crop any jeans to a new length.
1. Choose Your Desired Length
Put on your jeans and fold each leg up to find the right length. Then, take off the jeans and measure the cuff length. If you plan on wearing your cropped jeans with a folded cuff, take that into account and allow for the extra length of the fold. If you’re going for a raw hem, just like this will do the trick.
2. Fold the Cuff and Mark the Cut Line
Fold down the cuff, then measure out and mark the cut line with tailor’s chalk or a pencil. An alternative method is to iron along the crease, which will leave a clear line. Make sure you’re completely happy with where the line is before you cut your jeans. You might want to cut a few inches below the cut line first to see how the length looks.
3. Make Your Cuts
Carefully cut your jeans along the cut line. If you want your cropped jeans to have a frayed hem, you can tweeze the edge to pull out a few threads. Or, hit the raw hem of the jeans against your hands to encourage a natural-looking fray, then complete it by rubbing with some sandpaper to get it just right.
4. Create a Cuffed Look
If you prefer a cuffed look, fold the legs to your desired length and measure to be sure both legs are even. Use an iron to lock the crease into place, or pop a small stitch on each leg where the top of the fold meets the inseam and outseam to make sure it’s extra secure.
Care for Your Cut Jeans
You already know the drill when it comes to keeping your denim in great shape, and cropped jeans are no different. Spot clean any marks and stains, turn your jeans inside out before washing and leave them to air dry.
Air drying is especially important for jeans with a raw hem, as the dryer can give your frays a fluffy look. Stay on top of fraying by trimming the edges whenever you need to so that they don’t get too long. If you have a fold in your jeans, you might need to re-iron it after each wash to keep it crisp and straight.
Check Out Our Cropped Jeans
Want a cropped style without the hassle? Discover our 501® Crop Jeans that reimagine our most iconic style with a modern cropped hem. You can also explore our full collection of timeless men’s and women’s jeans across a range of cuts to find new staples your wardrobe would feel empty without.
Ready to crop your own jeans? Breathe new life into an old pair with our tips for cropping your jeans, and get even more wear out of your trusty denim. Feeling brave? Turn tired jeans into shorts with our DIY denim shorts guide to keep your denim in your wardrobe rotation for longer.
