How To Make A Raw Hem At Home

First off, what exactly is a raw hem? Well, it's a popular denim style these days — it's coming back into fashion, after its last burst of popularity back in the 2000s — and it's startlingly easy to DIY. It might seem like something of a daunting task at first, but it's actually not too difficult to make a raw hem at home. Its simplicity makes it a great option for switching things up in your wardrobe with minimal cost and minimal effort — after all, it's basically just a little standard seam-ripping and/or cutting, and voila: You've got newly trendy pants.

Depending on the type of pants you're rocking (and, of course, their length), there are a few options on how to get the look. After all, logic dictates that you're not going to want to lengthen too-long flared jeans, and likewise, you're not going to want to shorten ankle grazers, lest they veer too close to Bermuda shorts-ville. So, to go along with that, there are two ways you can get the look — either by cutting (which is best for pants that are too long), or seam-ripping (which is best for pants that are too short).

There are a few schools of thought on how to best achieve the look, but most agree on a few basics: First off, your pants should be clean and relatively wrinkle-free (after all, you want your cuts to be as precise as possible), and you're going to want to muss the hem up a little bit after the fact to get that desired frayed look.

Erica Domesek of P.S. — I Made This... explained to Fashionista.com that the best method is to start off with drawing a line as a guide for where to cut, then cut with heavy-duty fabric scissors, and finally use a seam ripper to artfully pull out a few denim fibers from the hem. A few cycles through the washer and dryer later, and you've got the perfect clean-yet-deconstructed look.

Now, your other option is to rip the existing seams out, as opposed to slicing. The main difference with this method is that your jeans will now also bear some striations from where they were folded over. It can be a pretty in-your-face look, so it might not be for everyone — but it does make for a very chic effect.

Never has it been easier to get your daily look street-style approved.