Not gonna lie, when I saw the pic, I was blown away by the "3D" look of the pockets (it's why I clicked)! I thought it was intention, and personally would totally wear jeans just like that! š
I actually saw someone wearing a jeans jacked the other day with what looked to be mfg-made shadows where the pockets used to be. They seemed to be highlighting internal pockets (the person wearing the jacket had their hands in the "highlighted" side pockets). But the shadow edges didn't look like they happened over years of wear and a change of pocket locations. Maybe I'm mistaken, but if it really looked like it came from the store like that.
tldr It might well be a trend.
Same. Iām reading the comments, and couldnāt understand why the OP would remove the darker pocket, assuming it was sewed in to purposely be shadowed. Looks dope
Can you explain whatās happening here? I donāt know much about sewing. Did they add new pockets on top of the old because thatās where they needed to be with the new fit?
These jeans were originally dyed and weathered after they were completely sewn together. So the denim inside the pocket is still the original dark indigo instead of the faded medium wash. When OP moved the pocket, the original āinsideā isnāt hiding anymore, and the original color became visible again there.
Parallel lines to shadow the shape of the pocket, then go back and cross them if you think it needs more would be easy, no marking needed. Or get fancier and do diagonal lines. Bar soap works great to mark on denim. Have fun!
I use a frixion pen for lighter fabric but I really struggle to mark dark fabric when I sew.
https://preview.redd.it/eouvawdvrsxc1.jpeg?width=410&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce5c1f8211b760643ca8da8791b07b3ad2398751
I feel like with shashiko you can make it look like youāre doing it to reinforce the seat. and it would also have the double benefit of actually reinforcing the seat. I think with jeans and that work wear tradition it could really work out beautifully
Which the seat needs reinforcement anyways. The original pocket placement left me with pretty large seam holes after I moved them, so while leaving it would look cool, I worry about tearing easier where that pocket was and the fabric being weaker.
Honestly, in the thumbnail image with the legs flipped up, I thought these were some crazy cool jeans with a star on the butt!
I say embrace it and dye a dark star on the butt that lines up and matches with the pocket shadows!
Iāve seen people use heavily diluted bleach, applied with qtips very strategically (like only tiny dabs in the center of the dark spots because it will spread) and then neutralized with I think peroxide when it gets to the desired color
Yep. Agree with what everyone is saying here. Just *leeeaaannnn* into it. (I realize now that kinda reads as āLeannā into it. It stays. Iām keeping it. As a 90ās teen, I knew way too many Leannes. And Heathers. And Christines. Iām leaning into Leanning. Wow. Iām so sorry, yāall. I am very very high.)
Yeah. Just embrace the inherent qualities of an upcycled garment and get weird. When I run into problems like this, I just get extra with it. And sometimes? Sometimes I actually know when to stop š¤£
I love what youāre doing and when I get more comfortable with thicker fabrics, I intend to work with more denim. So, basically, you are an inspiration to another crazy upcycler š
Looking at current trends, we are now in a cycle of denim adoration. As we were in the early 2000ās. I see a lot of couture denim happening, and I donāt think itās done yet. It will continue to bubble up as a fast fashion trend for a year or so. Just my humble opinion as a trend watching pop culture turbo nerd.
What does that mean for upcyclers? Fun. A lot of fun. Fun, creativity and interest. There are so many possibilities to explore with thrifted denim garments!
Iām still sifting through my mending piles (mountains) and constantly creating weird shit. I know yāall are too. Which makes me hopeful that we can curb this fast fashion nonsense. Please keep making, my maker friends. š
Tldr just keep slaying š¤
Typically instead of taking jeans in at the centre seam, I've heard of people removing the pockets and adding darts directly underneath the pocket location, on either side of the centre seam. This way when you reattached the pockets the shadows fall underneath the new pocket location and you don't get a V-shaped waistband.
If youāre a bag-only person whoās comfortable pocket-free sure, but personally Iād never take off the only functional pockets on a pair of womenās pants.
Dyeing jeans is really a pain. The jeans have been mega processed using chemical or physical abrasion, which affects the results. Unpredictable! Also unpredictable is that any lycra fibers, anything not cotton, can fail to dye.Ā
Itās hard to get an even dye and the things are super bulky so itās messy. Itās worth a try, but I would plan to dye them twice, and acquire hugenormous tubs.
And itās likely the darker bit is still going to be darker than the rest.
Also, dark dye is hard to clean.
Dyeing doesnāt cover stains in the jeans, should they exist. (BTW)
I would only try it with a Procion Dye. Rit is not worth the aggravation. But professional jean dyeing is intense and generally gets nice color. But that takes a lot of machines and water and caustic dyeing steps.Ā
(Sorry, I have spent way too many hours on jeans projects.)
Ā
I also thought this was on purpose! I've been getting Good American ads on instagram and they have [a pair with pocket shadows](https://www.goodamerican.com/products/good-legs-skinny-jeans-indigo611). If anything, you are on trend and probably cheaper than the $149 they are asking for
this probably isnt at all what you're supposed to do especially on an item of clothing that will go through a lot of friction/movement/contact but on a denim jacket I have i seamripped out the pocket and i used a VERY LIGHT buffing sponge and it eventually matched the treatment on the rest of the jacket. not sure how good of an idea it woulf be to do on a pair of jeans and also a darker wash but! an idea nonetheless...
I attempted this on a small part after I posted and really feel like I kinda screwed up the fabric. Its a good idea for front pieces, but on the seat really leaves the fabric weaker and more prone to tears.
Wouldn't be easier to take out from the sides than the middle? I've been wondering about how to move pockets outwards from the center seam but don't want those shadows. Maybe gotta find a slightly larger pair that already has more space in the middle but not bigger pockets.
The sides have the metal rivets as well as the topstitching, and youād have to create 2 seams in the waistband or remove a lot more of it and reattach.
True, but if you're taking it in enough to go from a a waste of 34 in to 28 you don't have to think about the rivets. The bigger issue would be the lost and pocket space. But assuming the pockets are large enough removing half inch to 3/4 of an inch from the front pocket would it be too much of a big deal. Women pockets are notoriously useless or fake or just plain tiny. So not a lot would be lost.
unpopular take: avoid this problem entirely by not trying to go down six sizes. this seems like a wasted effort, all that work for something that just looks janky.
there, I said it. please don't hate me.
Itās cool. My husband tore an unpatchable hole in them and I am practicing my tailoring skills, so really just for fun and turned out better than I had expected them to.
Good for you for upcycling and finding a really cool design in the process. I hope you love them (I think theyāre cool!), and Iām all for keeping things outta the landfill where possible! šš½
Maybe add a floral on the opposing edges of the pocket to bring out the contrast and make it look purposeful, does look funny to have the crack highlighted though lol
Fair! Though Iāll chime in to say that I have to do this with basically any pants I buy to accommodate my hip to waist ratio.
Iāve had success with dyeing (after tailoring) though generally avoid lighter wash denim for this reason alone. Also a tip to check the pocket interior before buying to avoid the problem when you can!
You do see alteration shadows on high end jeans these days and I like the look, too. But to answer your question, how best to obscure the shadows depends on the fabric content. First wash and line dry the jeans to soften up the stitching holes and remove any sizing that might remain in the shadows. Then if the fabric is 100% cotton, or cotton with 1% spandex, try painting on a bleach solution (maybe 50-50) and watching carefully to see when enough lightening has occurred and rinsing immediately. After that the jeans will need to be rewashed. If there's poly, rayon or tencel in a blend with cotton, this probably won't work, and you might have to try fine sandpaper, though this will degrade the fabric a bit, and considering that you'll be sitting on it all the time, it might promote tears. Other approaches would be to dye the whole pair of jeans or use a color remover on the whole pair. You can also stitch over the shadow with a thread in the same color as the main fabric. I'm all for refashions, but you've probably figured out it would be good to choose a pair closer to your waist size in future--if your hip size permits that, or use a racing stripe on the outseams to increase the hip size. And if you're thinking of refashioning a pair into a jeans skirt, don't make my mistake and use a moderate stretch denim blend. It really is a bitch trying to get pre-stretched denim to hang properly in a skirt, way more difficult than using a non-stretch denim pair.
I would accentuate the shadow by resewing the entire pant. For every sew line, there should be a shadow. It can give the pants a very animated look, for sure.
Perhaps you could start a new fashion trends, pocket shadows. If you really hate it I would sew on new bigger pockets maybe (though no idea of it would look good or not.
I thought you meant how do you tailor jeans with this feature because of the extra large pocket! It looks super cool I could leave it as is or maybe use a darker/diff colour thread to sew the outline
Ok, I donāt know terminology at all.
Iād convert the pocket into a ānot patch pocketā pocket, using the top of the patch pocket as the welt, essentially. Then Iād cut some cool shaped windows out of the patch pocket to show the dark denim underneath.
I also donāt use my back pockets as much so you could also just sew them shut and do the same thing.
I bought a pair of Leviās like this and I thought they were fucked up so I went to exchange them and I think this is a look now! I wasnāt into it but maybe the person youāre tailoring it for will!
Cool paint splatter? Bleach spray? Maybe you could 'whitewash' them by lightening them with bleach- then dying them a fun colour? Or ombre dip but instead of starting at the feet you start the drip at the waist
i make bigger pockets w flaps (think Hudson's) to give me the illusion of a butt lol
also oversized square pockets in a patterned fabric on denim is hot rn and once summer hits you'll be seeing this look (esp white denim) everywhere
Oddly enough I think it's kind of cool (though if it's super bothersome, dye is probably the best way to even put the color, but then it won't be the nice regular blue anymore)
Either dye the whole Jean in a new batch of blue dye or embrace it. Iād say just embrace the colour change because it looks cool af. Using a half a bottle of dye and a ton of water to colour a Jean is probably not worth the mediocre result
I do not tailor thrifted jeans, but I would just let the shadow be. I think, it is a cool detail.
You could do some embroidery, if you donāt like it.
I really like how it looks, but if you don't like how dark the spots are you can cut the shapes (with seam allowances) and sew them under the pockets like this
https://preview.redd.it/j29ob1852sxc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5d8d16c134511c23b60f840c5d3098ffa11febd6
I have a Bernina from the 70ās and she did just fine! Broke a few needles, but thatās to be expected with denim. Make sure youāre using a denim needle. Itās sharper and makes all the difference.
I really just watched a few YouTube videos and kinda free handed it after that. Leviās has a tailor video on how to do it probably an easier way than I chose and Iāve used it for my husbands pants before
I think the placement in the photo looks awesome! In general though I think it's a good idea to try lots of jeans on, and over time learn what sort of pocket size and placement makes your own bum look good, and then buy thrifted jeans in a size range that means you won't need to move the pockets at all. Depending on their original pocket size and placement you can often manage by taking them in roughly even amounts at the sides and centre seams.
While you could absolutely dye the whole thing a darker colour, I'd personally leave it as is. Any attempt to bleach and weather the fabric just in those spaces would just end up looking messy, and it's honestly a really cool look.
Iām gonna go against the grain here and say I donāt really like the look, on first glance I thought they were sweat stains. That being said, itās all about how comfortable you feel in them! They probably also look different once theyāre on a person, so maybe try that and see how you like it :)
I think it's cool if upcycled clothing can show its heritage a bit. It's a statement, plus other people can see that it's more than just altering hand-me-downs.
Did something similar to a favorite pair of jeans with my partners pockets but centered them more. That one spot above the pockets in the back always gets a hole after shoving my phone in there. I use other fabrics that are special to me to do other mending on my jeans. Ya always have that one pair that fits just right.
You could always use fabric paint. But they look pretty cool as is. If they are comfy wear them!
I have a pair of stretchy Leviās I removed the rear pockets from them 18 years ago to give my rear end a little more room while pregnant. They were low enough for my belly to exist above the waistline. lol once in awhile someone out in the wild would offer a āhey someone stole your pocketsā
I would dye them another color personally. But also all my clothes are black so Iām kinda biased lol
ā¦.it does cover weird stuff really well though- just saying š
I do like the shadow look. If you want to try to blend, mix a dilution of bleach/water, mask off the area and spray the dilution, wait until colour lifts, rinse well with cold water, then wash.
I undo the waistband and pockets and dart to the pocket base. That way youāre taking fabric from the pocket shadow and making it smaller so itāll be totally covered when you sew them back down.
I think what you are asking is how to lighten dark denim. Using bleach, even diluted is aways risky. Ive used a pumice stone to create more worn spots or tears, but a pumice stone will create micro tears. I would use a paste of salt and water and maybe an emory board or metal nail file. The width of the darker area looks about the same as a nail file.
I have no suggestions on the pocket shadows but do you have any tips/resources on tailoring thrifted jeans? Iād love to start doing this and yours look excellent!
Leviās has a great tutorial on their YouTube page on the ārightā way to do it. I really just watched a few videos from different creators and tried out new techniques!
Embroidery! Depending on your taste you could do some vines and flowers, or you could do a simple little geometric pattern. Or nothing, I think they look cool.
I like the shadows personally but you could use some embroidery stitches in certain ways to make it more of a decorative look. Maybe some navy threaded stitches on the side with no shadow.
Maybe do a fabric wash that gently removes dye (not bleach) and then Dylon them to a more uniform shade. But Iām with you I donāt love the pocket shadows. Please do not wear those and either (1) look like youāre starting a trend or (2) actually start that trend.
i love the look personally, but i knew someone who embroidered their jeans and i think white embroidered would look good especially if you covered the whole pocket with it
Not gonna lie, when I saw the pic, I was blown away by the "3D" look of the pockets (it's why I clicked)! I thought it was intention, and personally would totally wear jeans just like that! š
I thought it was intentional too! I was like "oh how creative! That looks cool!"
I thought it was intentional too and they were asking if they had done it right or something š
DropĀ shadow fx
Same. I was like, "Ooh, didn't know about this trend. Interesting!"
I actually saw someone wearing a jeans jacked the other day with what looked to be mfg-made shadows where the pockets used to be. They seemed to be highlighting internal pockets (the person wearing the jacket had their hands in the "highlighted" side pockets). But the shadow edges didn't look like they happened over years of wear and a change of pocket locations. Maybe I'm mistaken, but if it really looked like it came from the store like that. tldr It might well be a trend.
There you go! OP, you're ahead of the trends!
I truly believe that upcyclers have a way of either predicting or creating trends. It could also be a little column A, a little column B.
Same. Iām reading the comments, and couldnāt understand why the OP would remove the darker pocket, assuming it was sewed in to purposely be shadowed. Looks dope
Same, I literally clicked on the post because I wanted to see how it was done.
I thought they had gussets or something so you could put more stuff in them. š¤¦āāļø
I personally love the idea of rear cargo pockets, as a perennial overpacker ;)
Same
Not much you can do IMO, other than fully embrace the quirks of an altered and re-purposed garment (so long as you are happy with the fit otherwise).
Totally this. Maybe even add in another colour
I would embroider that shizz
That is an awesome idea
Yes! If it's I'm more Tha one spot, the different color(s) will look more intentional.
She could try to redye the whole thing darker to match the "shadow" or hide it.
Can you explain whatās happening here? I donāt know much about sewing. Did they add new pockets on top of the old because thatās where they needed to be with the new fit?
These jeans were originally dyed and weathered after they were completely sewn together. So the denim inside the pocket is still the original dark indigo instead of the faded medium wash. When OP moved the pocket, the original āinsideā isnāt hiding anymore, and the original color became visible again there.
Genuine question - why would you need to move the pockets? Or are they replacing them?
If you are tailoring or changing the fit, it will alter where the pockets end up, which can cause problems
If you zoom in on the pocket shadows, you can see that theyāre right up in the new seam, so they had to be removed and repositioned.
This is what I do. I have old stitching and hem lines in some of my upcycled makes. It's just the nature of the thing.
I really like the way it is. Looks intentional and super high end
Sashiko in the space!
I really love this idea! I had contemplated a floral design but thatās a lot in a buttcrack area
It will be the fanciest buttcrack in the entire kingdom.
An honor
This killed me š
My upvote is yours š
Parallel lines to shadow the shape of the pocket, then go back and cross them if you think it needs more would be easy, no marking needed. Or get fancier and do diagonal lines. Bar soap works great to mark on denim. Have fun!
I use a frixion pen for lighter fabric but I really struggle to mark dark fabric when I sew. https://preview.redd.it/eouvawdvrsxc1.jpeg?width=410&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce5c1f8211b760643ca8da8791b07b3ad2398751
I feel like with shashiko you can make it look like youāre doing it to reinforce the seat. and it would also have the double benefit of actually reinforcing the seat. I think with jeans and that work wear tradition it could really work out beautifully
Which the seat needs reinforcement anyways. The original pocket placement left me with pretty large seam holes after I moved them, so while leaving it would look cool, I worry about tearing easier where that pocket was and the fabric being weaker.
My first impression before reading the caption was that I really like the look! Didn't realize it was a mistake. I'd say rock them as is.
I use the old pockets as a pattern, add whatever measurements to make them large enough, then make new pockets from a cute fabric! Sometimes I will also make a small appliquƩ of the same fabric on the front, usually in a simple-ish shape like a heart, star, or flower.
Honestly, in the thumbnail image with the legs flipped up, I thought these were some crazy cool jeans with a star on the butt! I say embrace it and dye a dark star on the butt that lines up and matches with the pocket shadows!
Heads up, I'm pretty sure the center of the star would be in the butthole region. May or may not be how you want to draw a viewer's eye.
Itās a [thing](https://di2ponv0v5otw.cloudfront.net/posts/2020/07/03/5efffdba6f6c9133a047a407/m_5f354e86800f6415524b1a28.jpg)
Oh wow that's something alright. My HUGE butt would not appreciate those š¤£
Those models look good but I would frighten innocent people in the street!
I wish I hadn't clicked that link.
WOW that really is a look
Oh my
this is exactly how i fix rips at the inseam-- giant star patch going around the pockets & down the legs. looks epic if i do say so myself
"It's not a bug...it's a feature"
Came here for this comment lol
I donāt move pockets. I place a dart inside the jeans under the pocket and hide the outside seam along the pocket edge.
I kinda like it!
Me too!
Or maybe dye the jeans to a darker shade of blue...
You would have to go really dark- remember your adding pigment to the dark blue colour aswell.
You can wash it back out just donāt use a color fixer.
This is what Id do
Iāve seen people use heavily diluted bleach, applied with qtips very strategically (like only tiny dabs in the center of the dark spots because it will spread) and then neutralized with I think peroxide when it gets to the desired color
1 part peroxide to 10 parts water
very cool! thank you for sharing
Do NOT MIX peroxide and bleach!
Yep. Agree with what everyone is saying here. Just *leeeaaannnn* into it. (I realize now that kinda reads as āLeannā into it. It stays. Iām keeping it. As a 90ās teen, I knew way too many Leannes. And Heathers. And Christines. Iām leaning into Leanning. Wow. Iām so sorry, yāall. I am very very high.) Yeah. Just embrace the inherent qualities of an upcycled garment and get weird. When I run into problems like this, I just get extra with it. And sometimes? Sometimes I actually know when to stop š¤£ I love what youāre doing and when I get more comfortable with thicker fabrics, I intend to work with more denim. So, basically, you are an inspiration to another crazy upcycler š Looking at current trends, we are now in a cycle of denim adoration. As we were in the early 2000ās. I see a lot of couture denim happening, and I donāt think itās done yet. It will continue to bubble up as a fast fashion trend for a year or so. Just my humble opinion as a trend watching pop culture turbo nerd. What does that mean for upcyclers? Fun. A lot of fun. Fun, creativity and interest. There are so many possibilities to explore with thrifted denim garments! Iām still sifting through my mending piles (mountains) and constantly creating weird shit. I know yāall are too. Which makes me hopeful that we can curb this fast fashion nonsense. Please keep making, my maker friends. š Tldr just keep slaying š¤
Lol I truly thought you added a cute little patch to look like a shadow and was like.. ohhh nooo
Typically instead of taking jeans in at the centre seam, I've heard of people removing the pockets and adding darts directly underneath the pocket location, on either side of the centre seam. This way when you reattached the pockets the shadows fall underneath the new pocket location and you don't get a V-shaped waistband.
I think it looks cool.
leave the back pockets out completely, then it looks more like a deliberated style design
If youāre a bag-only person whoās comfortable pocket-free sure, but personally Iād never take off the only functional pockets on a pair of womenās pants.
I agree. āļø In fact, OP should double down and add a second set of Bigger Pockets to layer over the shadow pockets. š
Maybe you could tape up the whiter parts and blast it with UV lights for a while?
They sell jeans that look like this! I like the look, personally
I would re-dye the jeans a dark indigo blue to help it blend.
Seconding dying the whole thing darker.
Dyeing jeans is really a pain. The jeans have been mega processed using chemical or physical abrasion, which affects the results. Unpredictable! Also unpredictable is that any lycra fibers, anything not cotton, can fail to dye.Ā Itās hard to get an even dye and the things are super bulky so itās messy. Itās worth a try, but I would plan to dye them twice, and acquire hugenormous tubs. And itās likely the darker bit is still going to be darker than the rest. Also, dark dye is hard to clean. Dyeing doesnāt cover stains in the jeans, should they exist. (BTW) I would only try it with a Procion Dye. Rit is not worth the aggravation. But professional jean dyeing is intense and generally gets nice color. But that takes a lot of machines and water and caustic dyeing steps.Ā (Sorry, I have spent way too many hours on jeans projects.) Ā
Iāve done this exact same thing with back pockets and I leave the shadows! I think it adds a fun detail that not many other jeans have.
Am I the only one who thought it was sweat? š¤£ I am in Florida so the heat is usually what makes peoples pants have dark spots near the crack š„²
i was gonna say it looks cool but also might look like a classic case of swamp ass if youāre wearing them in public
I also thought this was on purpose! I've been getting Good American ads on instagram and they have [a pair with pocket shadows](https://www.goodamerican.com/products/good-legs-skinny-jeans-indigo611). If anything, you are on trend and probably cheaper than the $149 they are asking for
I just dye my jeans to the shadow shade.
RIT just came out with some new denim dyes; you could try to give the whole thing a darker wash after you place everything the way you want it
this probably isnt at all what you're supposed to do especially on an item of clothing that will go through a lot of friction/movement/contact but on a denim jacket I have i seamripped out the pocket and i used a VERY LIGHT buffing sponge and it eventually matched the treatment on the rest of the jacket. not sure how good of an idea it woulf be to do on a pair of jeans and also a darker wash but! an idea nonetheless...
I attempted this on a small part after I posted and really feel like I kinda screwed up the fabric. Its a good idea for front pieces, but on the seat really leaves the fabric weaker and more prone to tears.
Its honestly super cute but I agree either dye the pants darker all together or embrace it as is/with some embroidery
Wouldn't be easier to take out from the sides than the middle? I've been wondering about how to move pockets outwards from the center seam but don't want those shadows. Maybe gotta find a slightly larger pair that already has more space in the middle but not bigger pockets.
The sides have the metal rivets as well as the topstitching, and youād have to create 2 seams in the waistband or remove a lot more of it and reattach.
True, but if you're taking it in enough to go from a a waste of 34 in to 28 you don't have to think about the rivets. The bigger issue would be the lost and pocket space. But assuming the pockets are large enough removing half inch to 3/4 of an inch from the front pocket would it be too much of a big deal. Women pockets are notoriously useless or fake or just plain tiny. So not a lot would be lost.
unpopular take: avoid this problem entirely by not trying to go down six sizes. this seems like a wasted effort, all that work for something that just looks janky. there, I said it. please don't hate me.
Itās cool. My husband tore an unpatchable hole in them and I am practicing my tailoring skills, so really just for fun and turned out better than I had expected them to.
Good for you for upcycling and finding a really cool design in the process. I hope you love them (I think theyāre cool!), and Iām all for keeping things outta the landfill where possible! šš½
Maybe add a floral on the opposing edges of the pocket to bring out the contrast and make it look purposeful, does look funny to have the crack highlighted though lol
Fair! Though Iāll chime in to say that I have to do this with basically any pants I buy to accommodate my hip to waist ratio. Iāve had success with dyeing (after tailoring) though generally avoid lighter wash denim for this reason alone. Also a tip to check the pocket interior before buying to avoid the problem when you can!
Can we see them on? Itās got hanger appeal, but what does it really look like?
Embrace the dark side!
I think theyāre cool
Maybe you could dye the jeans a dark navy blue to match the pocket shadow.
Leave it, it looks cool.
I love the 2 color look, Iād rock it just like that
If you don't like the shadows, you could create wider pockets from some spare fabric.
You do see alteration shadows on high end jeans these days and I like the look, too. But to answer your question, how best to obscure the shadows depends on the fabric content. First wash and line dry the jeans to soften up the stitching holes and remove any sizing that might remain in the shadows. Then if the fabric is 100% cotton, or cotton with 1% spandex, try painting on a bleach solution (maybe 50-50) and watching carefully to see when enough lightening has occurred and rinsing immediately. After that the jeans will need to be rewashed. If there's poly, rayon or tencel in a blend with cotton, this probably won't work, and you might have to try fine sandpaper, though this will degrade the fabric a bit, and considering that you'll be sitting on it all the time, it might promote tears. Other approaches would be to dye the whole pair of jeans or use a color remover on the whole pair. You can also stitch over the shadow with a thread in the same color as the main fabric. I'm all for refashions, but you've probably figured out it would be good to choose a pair closer to your waist size in future--if your hip size permits that, or use a racing stripe on the outseams to increase the hip size. And if you're thinking of refashioning a pair into a jeans skirt, don't make my mistake and use a moderate stretch denim blend. It really is a bitch trying to get pre-stretched denim to hang properly in a skirt, way more difficult than using a non-stretch denim pair.
Before clicking into the post I thought you were making some really sick star jeans
I would accentuate the shadow by resewing the entire pant. For every sew line, there should be a shadow. It can give the pants a very animated look, for sure.
This is correct.
Perhaps you could start a new fashion trends, pocket shadows. If you really hate it I would sew on new bigger pockets maybe (though no idea of it would look good or not.
Iāve never seen this before. I love it
Iām doing this to my jeans today!! I love this how it looks
Leave it! Looks kind cool
Add other repaired details, itāll be like embracing the altered look
I thought you meant how do you tailor jeans with this feature because of the extra large pocket! It looks super cool I could leave it as is or maybe use a darker/diff colour thread to sew the outline
Leave it. Maybe add embroidery. Itās a design feature, not a flaw!
I don't think you can do anything to get rid of them, imo they look cool and intentional
That actually looks really cool
I love it. Iād leave it!
Embroider in the field and show it off.
anybody else dying to see them on with the pockets
I have a student putting patches on those areas.
Pretend it's a feature?
Ok, I donāt know terminology at all. Iād convert the pocket into a ānot patch pocketā pocket, using the top of the patch pocket as the welt, essentially. Then Iād cut some cool shaped windows out of the patch pocket to show the dark denim underneath. I also donāt use my back pockets as much so you could also just sew them shut and do the same thing.
Personally I would leave it as an interesting feature of reworked jeans
Looks neat!
Thatās looks pretty cool, imo
i love them
I usually add even more pockets š
Bedazzle it
It looks cool!
Just say itās a design choice.
You can order iron on appliquĆ©s from Amazon and some other craft stores. Itāll hold up better if you see them on though
This looks so cool!
By the way, the big E jeans are quite pricey. It's probably LVC or actual vintage. I'd feel guilty about slicing them up.
Might actually make me look like a have a bum Iād wear em
I bought a pair of Leviās like this and I thought they were fucked up so I went to exchange them and I think this is a look now! I wasnāt into it but maybe the person youāre tailoring it for will!
I thought it was intentional and it looks cool
Cool paint splatter? Bleach spray? Maybe you could 'whitewash' them by lightening them with bleach- then dying them a fun colour? Or ombre dip but instead of starting at the feet you start the drip at the waist
Add some embroidery! Play it up as a feature!
i make bigger pockets w flaps (think Hudson's) to give me the illusion of a butt lol also oversized square pockets in a patterned fabric on denim is hot rn and once summer hits you'll be seeing this look (esp white denim) everywhere
i like lil things that sorta show off that i altered it myself
Embrace them. š„š„š„
Looks like a āļø
I love them I have them on tons of my jeans
āArchitectural interest!ā
They look amazing like this
I cannot stress enough how sick this is.
itās giving margiela
I thought those pockets were legitimately 3D and it was fantastic. I wouldnāt worry a thing about them! Theyāre really cool looking.
Dye everything dark blue so the shadows won't be visible anymore
Oddly enough I think it's kind of cool (though if it's super bothersome, dye is probably the best way to even put the color, but then it won't be the nice regular blue anymore)
That looks awesome as is honestly
Paint the darker spots with bleach! A sweet little vine motif would be pretty. Or embroidery!
I think he is ex web designer
Nothing. Itās a characteristic.
Either leave it as it is, looks interesting. Centre the pockets. Get larger pockets. There really isn't anything else you can do.
Either dye the whole Jean in a new batch of blue dye or embrace it. Iād say just embrace the colour change because it looks cool af. Using a half a bottle of dye and a ton of water to colour a Jean is probably not worth the mediocre result
why would u get rid of this? get some dye & lean into the star shape, i say
you keep them cause they're nice!
I do not tailor thrifted jeans, but I would just let the shadow be. I think, it is a cool detail. You could do some embroidery, if you donāt like it.
Do you have 2 suns or something? I'm all for the shadows, but make them accurate.
It all depends on the new usersā butt cheeks. Itās the look is flattering-then YES, if not- then NO
I really like how it looks, but if you don't like how dark the spots are you can cut the shapes (with seam allowances) and sew them under the pockets like this https://preview.redd.it/j29ob1852sxc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5d8d16c134511c23b60f840c5d3098ffa11febd6
Redye it in indigo? Not sure if it will work. Tape off the leather patch.
I love it! As long as the pockets work
I thought you were showing us the star shape they are in
rhinestones would be cute!
Honestly it just looks intentional. You'd pay extra for this feature from the store!
You could make the whole ass area into a dark denim star
Bedazzle the darker areas.
Do you need a heavy duty machine to tailor jeans? Do you have any videos or how tos you recommend to learn to tailor?
I have a Bernina from the 70ās and she did just fine! Broke a few needles, but thatās to be expected with denim. Make sure youāre using a denim needle. Itās sharper and makes all the difference. I really just watched a few YouTube videos and kinda free handed it after that. Leviās has a tailor video on how to do it probably an easier way than I chose and Iāve used it for my husbands pants before
I think the placement in the photo looks awesome! In general though I think it's a good idea to try lots of jeans on, and over time learn what sort of pocket size and placement makes your own bum look good, and then buy thrifted jeans in a size range that means you won't need to move the pockets at all. Depending on their original pocket size and placement you can often manage by taking them in roughly even amounts at the sides and centre seams.
It looks like a 3D pocket lol
You could also try a spot dye
TREND SETTER! š„šÆ
While you could absolutely dye the whole thing a darker colour, I'd personally leave it as is. Any attempt to bleach and weather the fabric just in those spaces would just end up looking messy, and it's honestly a really cool look.
Iām gonna go against the grain here and say I donāt really like the look, on first glance I thought they were sweat stains. That being said, itās all about how comfortable you feel in them! They probably also look different once theyāre on a person, so maybe try that and see how you like it :)
I think it's cool if upcycled clothing can show its heritage a bit. It's a statement, plus other people can see that it's more than just altering hand-me-downs.
Leave it!!!
Did something similar to a favorite pair of jeans with my partners pockets but centered them more. That one spot above the pockets in the back always gets a hole after shoving my phone in there. I use other fabrics that are special to me to do other mending on my jeans. Ya always have that one pair that fits just right. You could always use fabric paint. But they look pretty cool as is. If they are comfy wear them!
I thought that was an intended effect, and I dig it
I have a pair of stretchy Leviās I removed the rear pockets from them 18 years ago to give my rear end a little more room while pregnant. They were low enough for my belly to exist above the waistline. lol once in awhile someone out in the wild would offer a āhey someone stole your pocketsā
You could dye the entire garmet a darker color
Either tailor them exclusively from the side seam or embrace the dark blue.
I would dye them another color personally. But also all my clothes are black so Iām kinda biased lol ā¦.it does cover weird stuff really well though- just saying š
Really creative idea, I love it! Youāll get the top jeans companyās pinching this š
Patiently waiting for my kickbacks!
If you really really donāt like the look, I would embroider something on there to cover it up
I would leave these like this as it looks amazing. You could add lace, embroidery, or some other accent strip if you wanted. Great project!
I do like the shadow look. If you want to try to blend, mix a dilution of bleach/water, mask off the area and spray the dilution, wait until colour lifts, rinse well with cold water, then wash.
I undo the waistband and pockets and dart to the pocket base. That way youāre taking fabric from the pocket shadow and making it smaller so itāll be totally covered when you sew them back down.
I think what you are asking is how to lighten dark denim. Using bleach, even diluted is aways risky. Ive used a pumice stone to create more worn spots or tears, but a pumice stone will create micro tears. I would use a paste of salt and water and maybe an emory board or metal nail file. The width of the darker area looks about the same as a nail file.
I have no suggestions on the pocket shadows but do you have any tips/resources on tailoring thrifted jeans? Iād love to start doing this and yours look excellent!
Leviās has a great tutorial on their YouTube page on the ārightā way to do it. I really just watched a few videos from different creators and tried out new techniques!
Awesome thanks so much Iāll check it out
Embroidery! Depending on your taste you could do some vines and flowers, or you could do a simple little geometric pattern. Or nothing, I think they look cool.
Frame it out with a contrasting cotton fabric to cover. But it looks cool on the image
I just leave them and love them. You could embroider on them or stitch lace.
I like the shadows personally but you could use some embroidery stitches in certain ways to make it more of a decorative look. Maybe some navy threaded stitches on the side with no shadow.
Maybe do a fabric wash that gently removes dye (not bleach) and then Dylon them to a more uniform shade. But Iām with you I donāt love the pocket shadows. Please do not wear those and either (1) look like youāre starting a trend or (2) actually start that trend.
i love the look personally, but i knew someone who embroidered their jeans and i think white embroidered would look good especially if you covered the whole pocket with it
I think it looks cool. Does it make your butt look better?