Once the rise, seat and waist are right, the leg should fall cleanly to the shoe. This third part of the master list covers issues 22 to 32: legs that swing or twist, knock knees and bow legs, knees that bag, calves that strain, hems that drag, pool or flap, and the body that is not the same on both sides.
What you’ll learn
- What makes a trouser leg hang straight, and what pulls it off line.
- How knees, calves and leg shape change the leg of the trouser.
- Hem problems and how to choose the right length and break.
- How to fit a body that differs from side to side.
What a good leg looks like
- The side seam hangs straight down from the hip to the ankle.
- The crease (if any) falls to the centre of the shoe.
- No diagonal lines between thigh and hem.
- The hem sits level all round, or slightly lower at the back by design.
- Walking, the leg moves freely and does not catch on the shoe.
Three causes behind most leg problems
- Grain: if the leg was cut off grain, it twists, and no fitting will fully fix it.
- Balance: how the front and back legs are set against each other. A full tummy or full seat, or a body that tilts forward or back, pulls the side seam off line.
- Leg shape: knees, calves and the line of the leg move where the trouser needs room.
Hems and breaks
The break is how the hem meets the shoe. No break: the hem just touches the shoe. Slight break: one soft fold at the front. Full break: deeper folds. Wide legs usually have no break; tailored trousers often a slight one. Always hem with the shoes that will be worn, and stand naturally.
For Indian trousers: a churidar’s gathers sit above the ankle bone; a salwar’s cuff or a palazzo’s hem should clear the floor in sandals; a pyjama is usually ankle length.
A quick hem check at home
- Put on the trousers with the shoes you will wear, and stand on a hard floor.
- Ask a helper to pin the hem at the back of the heel, then at the front.
- Walk a few steps and sit down; check the hem still reaches where you want.
- Measure both legs; pin each to its own length if they differ.
Leg line issues 22–25
22 · Side seam swings forward or back
Who: fuller tummies or seats; bodies that stand tilted forward or back. Symptom: the side seam slants instead of hanging straight. Cause: the balance between front and back legs does not match the body.
- Lift or lower the trouser at the waist, front or back, to see what makes it hang straight; then re-set the waistband.
- Add length to the front or back rise, as needed.
- Rebalance on the pattern: move the side seam at the waist.
Prevention: check side-seam hang in a toile with a plumb line.
23 · Leg twists, especially after washing
Who: any; common in denim and twill. Symptom: side seam spirals to the front at the hem. Cause: cut off grain, or twill fabric torque.
- Unpick and re-sew the inseam, easing to straighten (limited success).
- Press firmly with the crease re-set on grain.
- Accept a little twist in some denims; it is in the cloth.
Prevention: cut exactly on grain; pre-wash cloth; mark grain on every piece.
24 · Lines towards the inner knee (knock knees)
Who: people whose knees come together; common in young children as a stage. Symptom: diagonal lines to the inner knee; hem swings out. Cause: the knee sits further in than the pattern expects.
- Let out the inseam at the knee and take in the side seam to match.
- Choose straight or wide legs, which fall clear of the knee.
- Shift the lower leg inward on the pattern.
Prevention: note knee shape on the fit card.
25 · Lines towards the outer knee (bow legs)
Who: people whose legs curve outward; common in toddlers as a stage; some adults. Symptom: diagonal lines to the outer knee; hem swings in. Cause: the knee sits further out.
- Let out the side seam at the knee and take in the inseam.
- Choose straight legs in a firm cloth.
- Shift the lower leg outward on the pattern.
Prevention: note leg shape; avoid very slim legs if you dislike the effect.
Knee and calf issues 26–27
26 · Knees bag
Who: children, people who kneel or sit a lot; stretch trousers. Symptom: bulges at the knee after wear. Cause: cloth with poor recovery; too slim a knee.
- Wash and dry to recover cotton-stretch.
- Press with steam from inside, shrinking the bulge gently.
- Choose cloth with good recovery, or slightly more knee room.
Prevention: test stretch recovery before buying; a half lining to the knee in tailored trousers.
27 · Calves strain; churidar won’t pass the heel
Who: athletes, dancers, people with full calves; ankle-fitted styles. Symptom: lines across the calf; tight ankle opening. Cause: too little calf or ankle room.
- Let out the inseam and side seam at the calf.
- Add a short zip or slit at the ankle.
- Cut churidar on the true bias with enough width at the calf.
Prevention: measure calf and heel-round (around the heel and instep) for any narrow leg.
Hem issues 28–30
28 · Hem drags at the back, short at the front
Who: knees that lock back; full seats; older men wearing below the stomach. Symptom: back hem catches the heel; front hem high. Cause: the back hangs lower than the front.
- Fix any waist slip first.
- Angle the hem: about 1/4–1/2 inch (6–12 mm) longer at the back than front is normal; adjust from there.
- Check the back rise.
Prevention: hem standing naturally, in the right shoes.
29 · Cloth pools at the ankle
Who: petite bodies; ready-made trousers. Symptom: deep folds at the shoe. Cause: too long.
- Shorten the hem, keeping the original finish where possible.
- For tapered or flared legs, shorten above the knee too.
- Choose ankle-length cuts.
Prevention: buy petite or short lengths.
30 · Hem flaps or catches on the shoe
Who: any. Symptom: a wide hem flaps; a narrow one catches on the shoe or boot. Cause: hem width wrong for the shoe or style.
- Taper or widen the lower leg.
- Add a small back slit at a narrow hem.
- Change the shoe to match the cut.
Prevention: choose leg shape with your usual shoes in mind (bootcut for boots).
Side-to-side and crease issues 31–32
31 · One leg looks longer; waistband tilts
Who: people with one hip higher or one leg longer; scoliosis; after injury; very common in small amounts. Symptom: uneven hems; one side of the waist higher; pulls on one side only. Cause: the body differs from side to side; the trouser is the same.
- Measure each side separately, and alter each side to its own measurement.
- Hem each leg to its own length.
- Raise or lower the waistband on one side.
Prevention: measure both sides every first fitting; never average.
32 · Crease falls off-centre
Who: any; after alterations. Symptom: crease drifts to the inside or outside of the shoe. Cause: width taken from one seam only, or pressed off grain.
- Re-press the crease on the grain line.
- Rebalance the alteration between both seams.
- Mark the grain line with thread before pressing.
Prevention: always split leg changes between side seam and inseam.
Tips, tricks and hacks
- Hang a plumb line from the hip in photos; any slant shows.
- Mark grain with a thread down the centre of each leg in the toile.
- Hem in shoes, standing on a hard floor, not a thick carpet.
- Pin the hem at the back of the heel first, then the front.
- Leave a deep hem allowance on made-to-measure and children’s trousers.
- Weigh down wide legs with a slightly deeper hem; they hang better.
- Use a blind hem for tailored trousers and a topstitched hem for denim.
- Shorten flares above the knee as well as at the hem.
- Check both legs; never assume they are the same.
- Walk in the trousers before the final hem.
Check yourself
- Can you describe what a well-fitted leg looks like?
- Do you know the three causes behind most leg problems?
- Could you tell knock-knee lines from bow-leg lines?
- Do you hem each leg to its own length?
Key terms
- Balance: how front and back leg pieces are set against each other.
- Plumb line: a weighted string that hangs straight down.
- Torque: the twist built into some twill cloth.
- Break: how the hem meets the shoe.
- Heel-round: the measurement round the heel and instep.