bits and bobbins

clip those skinnies!

two of the biggest staples of my closet are a.) skinny/slim cut jeans, and b.) boots.

you too?

ever notice the pesky bunching that happens about the knees when wearing them together?

yeah?

sucks, doesn’t it? wanna do something about it?

then this post is for you!

page 122 of the march 2007 issue of lucky magazine had a great little blurb about the elastic pant clips used by equestrians, and how they are a brilliant trick for avoiding the bunchy fabric that happens when one tucks the aforementioned slim or skinny jeans into the aforementioned boots.

here it is!:

okay, yes, you COULD just simply buy the elastic pant clips from an equestrian supply store such as dover’s saddlery (the source mentioned in the lucky piece)…

OR you could make them yourself, like i did!

interested? up for a little DIY? it’s RIDICULOUSLY easy!

what you’ll need:

-two (2) pieces of elastic, 3/4″ wide, and 7 1/2″ long
-four (4) suspender clips (1″ size)
-four (4) sewing pins
-ruler
-scissors
-sewing machine
-polyester thread to match the color of the elastic
-pinking shears (optional)

for starters, you need to measure out two (2) lengths of 3/4″ wide elastic. each one of these lengths needs to be about 7 1/2″ long.

tip: if you desire a cleaner look and less fraying at the ends of these lengths of elastic, you can use a pair of pinking shears to make a smart zig-zag edge.

slip each of the ends of the elastic into the oval-shaped rings of the suspender clips (two for each length of elastic, natch), folding approximately 1″ of the elastic down towards what will be the backside of your elastic pant clips, and pin in place, as in the photo above.

now it’s time to head over to the sewing machine!

sew the fold down 1/4″ away from the pinked/cut edge, and approximately 1/4″ or 3/8″ away from the clip, to hold the clip in place.

i recommend using a very, very narrow zig zag stitch, if your sewing machine has one, to give the stitch some stretch (as it’s in that super stretchy elastic) so the stitches won’t pop and break. i actually did two rows of stitching, one over the other, to make the stitching super durable.

and you’re done!

March 15 2007 | Posted in creative dabblings., make it yourself!

1. March 15 2007 at 1:02 pm

   stephanie

   these are awesome–i had a pair back in my high school days that i would use to clip my over-the-knee socks to my miniskirts (a la garters). they’re so deceptively simple to make, why did i ever think of buying mine? great tute!

   
   

2. March 15 2007 at 1:20 pm

   stacy

   Great idea! Thanks!

   
   

3. March 15 2007 at 1:46 pm

   anushka

   Aah! Stirrups. Great

   
   

4. March 15 2007 at 3:12 pm

   jenny

   brilliant! thanks tricia!

   
   

5. March 15 2007 at 5:50 pm

   Nichola

   Great! How do they feel when wearing them though? Especially with tight fitting boots.

   
   

6. March 15 2007 at 5:59 pm

   tricia

   nichola: they feel fine! the clips are pretty low profile. as far as tight-fitting boots…you’d have to be wearing them skin tight (like those weird stretchy ones) for them to show through, i’m thinking.

   
   

7. March 15 2007 at 8:38 pm

   Robin

   Such a good idea! wow. Thanks.

   
   

8. March 15 2007 at 10:28 pm

   copper

   once was old is new agian…aint it?…lol

   stir-up are back…….

   
   

9. March 15 2007 at 10:36 pm

   tricia

   they aren’t stirrups in the sense that they’d be worn on the outside….NOT like the ones from the 80s. strictly utilitarian.

   
   

10. March 16 2007 at 10:42 am

    sunshine

    Remind me of the mitten clips I made my kids wear before the age of five so we wouldn’t loose them. Also reminds me of the 80’s when the same type of thing was added to the backs of dresses and billowy shirts. The 80’s yikes high school. Not to mention all the stirrup pants that killed the bottom of your foot

    
    

11. March 16 2007 at 12:34 pm

    hoyan

    brilliant! but where do you find suspender clips? I’ve actually been looking for them but haven’t found them here (in the Hague).

    
    

12. March 16 2007 at 12:36 pm

    tricia

    i found the clips at a store that carries fabrics and notions (fabric store) here in the US. not sure where you would find them in your area.

    
    

13. March 16 2007 at 10:53 pm

    Gladys

    I’m going to date myself here, but back in the 80’s I had a pair of these. They were widely available at shoe stores and accessory departments of many clothing stores. Sadly, I got rid of them thinking I would never use them again, yet this winter I was tucking my skinny jeans into my boots! Thanks for the tutorial - I plan to make a pair and this time I will keep them!

    
    

14. July 4 2007 at 2:48 am

    ingvild

    thank your for the tip, I’ve made a pair myself only with button fastenings for my legwarmers and now they stay in place perfectly with all kinds of shoes:)

    
    

15. December 19 2007 at 12:18 pm

    ANITA

    My pair of many years finally broke, nothing works better.

    
    

16. April 28 2008 at 1:26 pm

    Lalla Lydia

    Totally useful and you’re right, it LOOKS really easy…Now if only my sewing machine and I didn’t have a love-hate relationship…Though I actually think I *might* be able to manage this one…Thanks for sharing!

    
    

17. September 2 2008 at 3:19 pm

    Janet

    ahaha. they sell pants like that now. I just bought some =p

    
    

18. October 23 2008 at 7:57 am

    Molly

    I had ripped out this idea from Lucky and went to buy it and the shipping was outrageous. What a great suggestion. To green in up a bit I think I will go to the Thrift store and buy an old pair of suspenders to make these. Thanks for the idea.

    
    

19. December 4 2008 at 9:20 am

    how do women keep their jeans in their boots?

    [...] Make your own: clip those skinnies! | bits and bobbins [...]

    
    

20. December 29 2008 at 10:09 am

    Shannon

    I too had these in high school but tossed them just a few years ago figuring I wouldn’t possibly wear them again! Who would have thought? Thanks for the idea and the how-to.

    
    

21. December 30 2008 at 8:44 pm

    Pant Clips?! « J’S NoteBook

    [...] accessory. Thus, I went on searching. Next I came upon this website bits+bobbins where they had a d.i.y. pant clips tutorial. All you need to make your own “stirrups” or pant clips are a few objects you can find [...]

    
    

22. January 23 2009 at 5:01 pm

    Inspiration File #5 | Coral Stars

    [...] Trouser clips - for any skinny jeans wearers out there, these may be incredibly handy! (from Bits + Bobbins) [...]

    
    

23. January 25 2009 at 2:00 am

    cheryl

    Tricia, This is really a great idea, but I don’t have access to a sewing machine. Is it okay to just sew them together with needle and thread?

    
    

24. January 25 2009 at 8:10 am

    tricia

    cheryl: that’s your call. just be sure your stitching is really strong?

    
    

25. January 30 2009 at 3:45 pm

    kellie

    this is just what i have been looking for. didn’t want to spend $8.00 bucks plus waiting for delivery for these. thanks soooo much for the idea. i knew it should be simple.