How to stretch jeans: at-home methods

The ‘wet and stretch’

Every blog, article and YouTube clip told me the same story: wet and stretch. This is because denim fibres become more malleable when wet and easier to pull and expand.

Using water and heat to stretch materials is one of the cornerstones of creating the clothes we wear, says Mark Liu, fashion and textile designer and research fellow at the University of Technology, Sydney.

“Water makes the fibres swell and the heat relaxes the fibres making them easier to shape,” Liu says. “The strategic spots such as waist, hips and bottom are the curviest part of garments and require the most stretching.”

By the guidance of the web, I grabbed a spray bottle full of warm water, liberally misted around the waistline, and went to town pulling the fabric.

Although denim can be pretty tough, after about 20 minutes of tugging the fabric, it definitely gave some.

Let objects do the work for you

The next technique involved wearing the denim while wetting, stretching and stuffing objects down the waistline to help it expand.

I sucked in and wriggled about as I pulled the jeans over my body. Then, I re-misted the spots I wanted to stretch, buttoned them up, and shoved some items into the waist area (I opted for a bottle of dry shampoo and face spray).

For the next 20 minutes, I let the products do the heavy lifting of pulling the fabric while I walked around the house contemplating what to have for dinner.

Was it comfortable? No. Did it stretch the denim? A little, yes.

Bath time

Although the denim was stretching from the previous methods, there was still a further step I needed to include: I was going to have to sit in a bath with them on, then, move about in them.

“This technique of sitting in a bath or shower with wet jeans was popularised in the ’60s and ’70s,” says Liu. “Theoretically, the fibres will be stretched into the shape of the person. Then, the process of moving around is to mechanically stretch the fibres.”

Liu also says another option is standing upright in a hot shower, though this may use more water.

So, I reluctantly lowered myself into the tub and sat in warm water for about 15 minutes enjoying the nice – if not odd – soak. Then, it was the fun part of moving about in sopping wet denim for half an hour. I’d recommend doing this on a warm day, just FYI.

What went down was a modified version of yoga in my bathroom with drenched jeans on while listening to music. I twisted, turned, squatted and spun, all in the hopes the denim would stretch and dry to the curves of my body. Plus, I got in a good hamstring stretch along the way – bonus.

I would rate the whole experience about four out of 10.

Also, it turns out getting wet jeans off is a lot harder than putting dry jeans on. Oh, and this method will leave you with a very wet bathroom floor and an even more amused housemate.

The results

After I peeled the wet jeans off my body and hung them out to dry for a few days while hoping the whole endeavour would amount to apparel I could eat a meal in, the results were in.

It was a success. The jeans now give more room around the waist and it takes a lot less of a wriggle to get them over my bum. The wet and stretch method has given me a few extra centimetres to play in.

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Liu says there are a few things to consider before embarking on this. He explains that denim is traditionally “virgin”, made only with cotton fibres, however the production of modern pairs (both luxury and affordable) can involve a variety of material and processes, such as stone washing, abrading and enzyme washing. These can make the process of wetting and stretching less effective. It’s why Liu recommends testing a small part of the garment first.

Liu also says the effects of DIY denim stretching can be temporary. “If you were to throw your jeans into a warm water wash and then into the dryer you would mechanically undo all the work of the process.”

So, avoid the dryer afterwards and wash your jeans in cold water.

All in all, looks like I’ll finally get to take my new pair of jeans out to the pub.