What You Need

  • Measuring tape and tailor’s chalk or fabric marker
  • Pins
  • Iron and ironing board
  • Needle and thread (matching colour) for hand sewing, or sewing machine
  • Scissors

Step 1: Measure and Mark the Hem

  1. 1

    Try on the garment and mark the desired length

    Wear the shoes you will wear with the garment (shoe heel height affects trouser length significantly). Have someone mark the correct hem length with pins or chalk while you are wearing it, or measure from the floor up. Mark evenly all the way around — not just at the front.

  2. 2

    Add seam allowance and cut

    Remove the garment. Add 2.5–3cm below your marked line for the hem allowance (the fabric you will fold up). Cut along this lower line with fabric scissors. Remove the existing hem stitching if altering an existing hem.

Step 2: Fold, Press and Pin

  1. 3

    Fold up the hem and press

    Fold the raw edge up by about 1cm (this is the turn-under to prevent fraying). Press with an iron. Then fold up again to your marked hem line. Press flat — a well-pressed hem is far easier to sew neatly. Pin in place every 5–8cm around the entire hem.

Step 3: Sew the Hem

  1. 4

    Slip stitch by hand (invisible hem)

    Thread a needle with matching thread. Starting with a small knot hidden inside the fold, work from right to left. Take a tiny stitch in the main fabric (catching just 1–2 threads so it is nearly invisible from the outside), then a stitch through the folded hem edge. Space stitches 5–7mm apart. The result is an almost invisible hem from the outside — ideal for dress trousers, skirts and dresses.

  2. 5

    Machine stitch (faster, visible stitch line)

    Sew a straight stitch around the hem 2–3mm from the folded edge. On the right side of the garment, this produces a visible stitch line — acceptable for casual and denim garments, less suitable for formal wear. Use a thread that matches the fabric and adjust stitch length to match the original garment if altering.

Iron-on hem tape (no-sew option)For a quick no-sew hem: iron-on hemming tape (Wonderweb, HeatnBond) is available from fabric stores and Spotlight. Place the tape between the folded hem and the garment, press with a hot iron for 10 seconds. The adhesive bonds the hem. Works well for straight hems on cotton and polyester fabrics. Not suitable for stretchy or delicate fabrics, and not as durable as a sewn hem for garments washed frequently.

Frequently Asked Questions

A regular (turned-up) hem has a visible stitch line on the right side of the garment. A blind hem (also called an invisible hem) uses a special stitch — either hand slip-stitch or the sewing machine’s blind hem stitch — so the stitch is hidden within the fold and nearly invisible from the outside. Blind hems are used for formal trousers, skirts and dresses. Regular visible hems are fine for jeans, casual trousers and casual wear.
Possibly — it depends on how much seam allowance was left when the hem was first sewn. Unpick the existing hem stitching with a seam ripper. Unfold the hem. If there is at least 2–3cm of fabric available, you can re-hem at a lower level. Wash and press the fabric to remove the fold line from the previous hem before re-hemming. If there is insufficient allowance, a hem extension (a strip of matching fabric sewn to the bottom to add length) is possible but complex.