Shoes and Pant Hems

Debbie Colgrove

When you read a book about hemming pants or skirts, they always say "with shoes on". You want to wear different shoes at different times... so how do shoes effect the hem line?

Not all shoes are the same. A heel will change the amount of space available on the front of the foot for a hem to hang freely. A flat shoe will almost follow the normal foot for hemline availability. Although a sneaker is usually a "flat" sole, the padding on the top of the sneaker will effect how a hem hangs on the front of the foot.

The same hemline will land on a different part of the foot depending on the type of shoe that is worn. With a heel the front of the pant leg has enough clearance to hang freely and not crinkle the line of the pant leg. A flat shoe or sneaker does not have that clearance and the pant leg is going to crinkle due to it riding on the top of the shoe.

What constitutes a straight hem? You want a hemline to be evenly horizontal to the floor. Where ever you measure the hem it should be an even distance from the floor. Notions are made to enable you to hem your own garments. The Deluxe Chalk Hem Marker by Dritz® is a perfect solution to hemming a garment by yourself. Without special tools you will need someone else to mark the hem for you.

How to Mark an Even Hem

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