How to: Cuff your denim

Rolling up the bottom of your jeans is an easy way to add a little extra detail to your fit. Cuffing also lets a stylish pair of shoes or boots stand out. Simply turning up the hem isn’t quite enough though—that looks sloppy. Here’s how to properly cuff denim.

Step 1: Pinch

Pinch the fabric along the inside seam so that the bottom hem fits snugly around your ankle.

Step 2: Pull

Pull the excess fabric back to lie flat.

Step 3: Fold

Holding the pinched fabric, fold the hem up to the desired size of the cuff. An inch or so is about right. Make sure the cuff is an even height all the way around.

Step 4: Lock

Fold the fabric up one more time, again making sure to keep the cuff size even. This will lock the cuff in place.

Almost any pair of jeans can be cuffed, although it tends to work best with a more tapered fit. In the photos above Allan is demonstrating with Paige denim, one of his favorites because of its comfortable stretch fabric. Classic raw denim, which often features a contrasting selvedge on the inside of the seam, is also a great choice for cuffing.

Keep in mind when shopping for denim that cuffing requires a couple inches of fabric, so you might want to have your new jeans hemmed a little longer than usual if you plan to cuff them often.