How to Taper Jeans Professionally

You spent good money on those jeans—do you really want to trust them to general suit tailors, dry cleaners, or DIY shortcuts? Jeans are built differently than dress pants and require specialized knowledge, industrial machines, and construction techniques to alter them correctly. The best results come from true denim specialists who understand how jeans are originally made and how to preserve construction details and use the correct thread sizes during alterations.

In this video, denim designer Maurice Malone explains how to professionally taper jeans using the same construction methods found in jean factories. Watch as we taper a pair of flat-felled Williamsburg Garment Company jeans using a Union Special 35800 feed-off-the-arm, 3-needle chainstitch machine to rebuild the inseam, followed by a Union Special 56300 chainstitch machine at the hem.

Jeans are commonly constructed in one of two ways:

• Overlock + single-needle inseam
• Flat-felled (lap seam) inseam

Flat-felled seams are more common on men’s jeans, workwear, and denim, weighing up to about 15 ounces because the construction is stronger and more durable. Overlock seams become more common on very heavyweight denim because they reduce the likelihood of sewing problems when passing through the many thick layers of fabric concentrated in the crotch area. Overlock construction is also popular on women’s jeans and tighter-fitting styles because it creates less bulk and allows more flexibility and stretch in the seam.

This video specifically demonstrates how to taper jeans built with a flat-felled inseam—the more difficult and labor-intensive construction method.

One of the biggest mistakes we noticed while researching tapering videos online was how often jeans were tapered from the outseam instead of the inseam. That usually happens because the tailor or sewer doesn’t have the right equipment—or experience—to properly open and rebuild a lap seam. The flat-felled inseam scares a lot of people, and understandably so.

However, professional tapering should be done using the same methods and construction techniques used by the manufacturer whenever possible. Tapering from the inseam helps preserve the original side profile, leg shape, knee placement, and selvedge details of the jeans.

If you care about denim and want to understand the correct way to taper jeans, especially raw or selvedge denim, this video gives you a real factory-style look at the process.

Subscribe to our channel for more professional denim tailoring videos, raw denim education, jeans repair techniques, and behind-the-scenes looks at how jeans are made inside our Brooklyn studio.

For even more info, read our blog articles listed below. Those seeking this alteration service can order at the link below.

Williamsburg Garment Company Tapering Service
williamsburggarment.com/tapered-jeans-alteratio…

Blog article – Explains how to use tapering to get your desired fit
williamsburggarment.com/how-to-taper-jeans-how-…

Blog article - Guide for achieving perfect hemming & tapering
williamsburggarment.com/blog/hemming-jeans-tape…