Quick fix for Pants Pocket Buldge

Fashion.

Have you ever not gotten a pair of pants because the pocket buldge?

Yes, I know what you are thinking…if they buldge, then they don’t fit? Not in all cases.  I have had many pairs of pants that the pockets just won’t lay flat. They usually are made cheap, but also in my case my back side tends to make the pants fill out in the back section causing the pockets to stick out.

I recently bought these cut, light chambray fabric shorts from my favorite store, TJ Maxx. My plan for them was to get them for our upcoming summer vacation.  They are cute enough to wear with heels and a nice top, but also cute enough to wear with sneakers and a t-shirt.  The only problem was, the pockets wouldn’t stay down.  I bought them for $16.99 and have worn them, but the pockets drove me absolutely crazy the entire time.   I didn't want to waste my money so I decided to take care of this problem.

There are two fixes for this, but one requires tools that not everyone has.

Option #1
Sew the pocket shut from the inside and cut off the excess pocket.  If you have a serger or sewing machine, this is an easy solution for you.  My mother is a master seamstress and has done this for me many times, but she is in NY and the miles between us have increased since moving.  I don’t think it would be fair for me to bring up projects for her when we only get a few days together at a time. You can also go to a tailor and get it taken care of for about $20.  If the cost to get that done is more than the pants/short, then I would rethink that decision.

Option # 2
Iron tape.  Yes, the stuff that comes with the IKEA curtains to hem them?  Yes, that stuff.  You can actually buy it at a craft store for pretty cheap and it is easy to do.  Cut the tape to the size of the pocket.  This particular tape had paper on either side that can be pulled off and cut to fit.  It wasn't sticky and can easily be handled with your bare hands.  

Put the tape in between the pocket where it cannot be seen, but close enough to the edge that when ironing, it won’t be seen.  Iron according to the package directions.

I ironed on the inside of the pants seam as well as the front of the pants seam.  Make sure you iron is set on the proper temperature according to the fabric of your pants.

Done.  It took a few minutes and now my pockets dont bulge   The only down side is that you dont have any pockets to use.  Yes, annoying, but women store things in their bags, usually not so much in their pockets.  I also see it as getting use out of a pair of pants you might not have worn otherwise. 

I also taped and ironed the cuff of the shorts all the way around.  They weren't really an issue, but I thought I would prevent them folding down and becoming annoying.  It was easy with the materials and iron already out.

Remember, you have solutions to fix these little issues.  If you love them, get and fix them!  It's the frugal Food Fashion Home way!

<3 mk