Summer is finally here! And now it’s too hot to wear jeans and trousers (well, fingers crossed the sun sticks around!) It’s the time of year when updating your wardrobe feels like so necessary, but jeans are expensive. This time of year, I take my old, worn denim and upgrade it to make it fresh again. Here’s how…

Who Likes Short Shorts?

I’m a huge fan of short shorts, and have no problem with bearing all, though I don’t have the greatest, model like legs. These are classic and the easiest to do. They also are a great way to upcycle more worn denim.

Personally, I usually cut at this length above, and then roll a hem, for a neat edge. The rule is that the higher the waist on your jeans, the higher you can cut into the leg. I love a high waisted short with a short short cut. This length is a little more forgiving though.

Fold your jeans in half, and use the first cut to make sure that the leg length is even. Then, either fold up to create a hem, or gently pull on or sandpaper the edge to get that lived in, boho frayed edge. These also look great with iron on patches or ribbon details, so get creative. Easy!

Vintage Style Capri Pants

If you’re not one for baring it all, or you want something that’s cooler but you can still wear in a smart/casual setting, then capri length is a good one for you.

You can chooses a few different lengths with these, but the best tip is to have the bottom edge crossing the widest part of your calf, just below the knee. This makes your legs look longer, where other lengths, like just below the knee, are not as flattering to those of us with shapely legs.

Fold your jeans like this, so that your leg lengths are perfectly even. Capri’s are casual, but a frayed edge really doesn’t suit these. Fold them up and use a few stitches to keep a neat hem on them.

Ankle Grazers

All the jeans and trousers on Instagram lately are ankle grazers. These are pretty easy to do, work as well hemmed or unhemmed, and suit all kinds of trousers, not just jeans.

This length means the bottom of your jeans will sit at the top of your ankle, so you want to try them on, and cut in wear they will sit just above your ankle bone, where the leg starts.

This length is a boon for us petite girls, since most jeans and trousers are too long for us anyway. Just chop off that part that you usually have to just fold up and voila! These style best with heels or boots, which lengthen the leg. Flats tend to draw focus to the ankle and make look slightly chunky.

So there you have it, new and updated denim from recycling your last years jeans. Now I just have to come up with a creative idea for the off cuts… Have you tried any of these? Do you have any further tips and tricks? Leave a comment below, and if you liked this post, look out in future post for my favourite ways to customise my boyfriends shirts into cute tops and even dresses…