I first learned about the “original hem” for jeans in 2010. I was talking with a boutique owner about alteration referrals and the owner asked if I hemmed jeans with the original hem, because that is what her clients wanted. I said, “oh yes” even though I had no idea what she was talking about. I then went home and started Googling “what is an original hem”.
I was confused. To me, it looked like a sewing hack that home sewers could do to shorten their jeans. You pinch the fabric just above the hem allowance on the inside and sew. Depending on the website (and your machinery), you then either press the extra fabric upward and tack, or serge the excess fabric down to a smaller seam allowance, press up and tack. While you do keep intact the original hem, you have all this excess bullshit fabric on the inside of your jeans and an obvious seam on the outside. You can’t cuff your pants. It’s lumpy. Worst of all, it does not look professional.
Where did this come from? Nobody can say for sure. But, I’m pretty sure it was invented to undermined tailors across the world. “Can you please hem my jeans in a way that virtually ruins them, but yet is trendy, so I want it done?”
I will say, in SOME cases, keeping the very bottoms of the jeans is the right choice, and we will recommend it. We have our own Silhouette Original hem, that tucks the excess fabric inside of the hem, so you can still cuff your pants. The drawbacks are that it’s still bulky and we can’t keep the original threading. However, we do color match as best as possible and keep the heavy thread look. It’s the best approach for vintage Levi’s and other non-stretch denim if the goal is to keep that perfect pattern of wear.
But on your 3% spandex skinny jeans? No way. What you will end up with is a super flared out hem. Think the Farrah Faucet flip, but on your jeans hem. Just let us hem your jeans professionally, and over time that wear will come back. It will be fine. Or, if you want to expedite the process, you can use sandpaper to re-create wear at the hem. Bam.
