How to Keep Jeans From Flaring Around the Ankles

Dec 10, 2011 / By Tom Ryan

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Your jeans should start out on the snug side.

Photo: BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images

Jeans that flare out around the ankle are useful and stylish, but not for every outfit. And if you aren't careful, your jeans could stretch and flare without you wanting them to. Keeping your jeans from getting too loose and stretched out starts the moment you try them on in the store fitting room -- so know what to look for when you're shopping for new denim. If you don't, it could be just a matter of time before your pants turn themselves into bell bottoms.

Buy smaller jeans -- yes, smaller. That pair that fit you so perfectly in the store is going to stretch out -- as much as a quarter-inch all around. When it happens, that denim that once hugged your calves and ankles is going to flare and flap around. Buy jeans that feel just a little tight, so when they stretch out after a few wears and washings, you'll have a perfect fit.

Air-dry your jeans once you get them to the perfect shape. When you dry your jeans, they lose their elasticity and their shape like an overused rubber band. When your jeans fit, keep them that way by skipping the dryer and hanging them up after every wash.

Wear boot-cut jeans with boots. Jeans like skinny jeans just aren't designed to be worn with accessories like high boots, so when your stretch them out to accommodate your footwear -- or even a thick pair of socks -- they stay stretched out. If you want your jeans to stay snug around your calves and ankles, don't try to squeeze anything else into them.