Raise your hand if you have rtw jeans that stretch out in the waistband and sag after a few hours of wear! Stupid stretch denim - it's great for the first couple hours and then just gives up.

I finally got around to fixing mine because I'm tired of constantly hiking them up every time I stand up or have my phone in my back pocket. The jeans fit great and are really comfortable, but the back waistband never seems to hold on tight enough to stay up where it's supposed to be. (It doesn't gap, but this would also solve that problem too.)

I used a strip of non-roll elastic that fits between the waistband stitching (in my case, 1.25 inches wide) and cut it to be a long enough to go from side seam to side seam. The "leather" brand label had to be removed because it was stitched through all the layers, and then I carefully cut a slice inside the waistband on both sides (inside only!) - just past the side seams and side belt loops.

Insert elastic, adjust the fit, and zig zag openings & elastic tails through all the layers. I ended up cutting about an inch and a half off. Just a little stitching evidence can be seen from the outside (second pic) but I never tuck in my shirts anyway.

Now I have a couple more pairs of jeans in the same brand to fix...

#sewingtips #alterations