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There’s nothing like wearing a great pair of jeans. That is until they’re ruined by unsightly rips at the inner thigh. This is a consequence of sitting, walking, or even standing as thighs rubbing together can cause friction and wear out the crotch area of jeans.
Thighs rubbing against each other is a normal and unavoidable part of, well, being a person and thigh rips can be completely avoided or repaired. The new air holes even present a great opportunity for you to pick up some new needle skills, get creative with patches and embroidery and ensure that your jeans are strong and reinforced for life no matter where they might rip and tear.
You don’t need advanced haute couture skills to learn how to fix holes in jeans in the inner thigh. These repairs can be done by hand or machine with either fancy fabric patches and embroidery flosses, iron-on patches, or regular needlework tools like plain sewing thread and even scraps of fabric you might have lying around.
How to prevent inner thigh jean holes
Before you get to figuring out how to fix holes in jeans in the inner thigh, it’s good to note that prevention is always better than cure. As sturdy as denim fabrics are, they’re still sensitive to friction. This goes double the higher the spandex or elastane content in your jeans are.
Read: Best Jeans for Men With Big Thighs
Don’t wash your jeans too often
Unless you’ve got massive food or grass stains in your jeans, you don’t really need to wash them frequently. Washing machines are very tough on clothes and the more frequently you launder your jeans, the quicker they will wear. You’re better off spot treating any stains and only washing your jeans every couple of weeks, not after every wear.
Always air dry your jeans
Tumble drying does speed up the laundry process but it’s also not very gentle on your jeans. Besides the possibility of shrinkage, tumble drying can weaken the fibers of your jeans and this only gets worse for the areas that receive the most wear and tear like your crotch.
Read: How to Unshrink Jeans
Wear longer underwear
A great way to decrease the friction from thigh rubbing is to wear boxer shorts or shapewear underneath your jeans. In winter, you can opt for leggings that will not only reduce the impact on your denim but provide an extra layer of warmth.
How to fix holes in jeans in the inner thigh by hand
This method works best for small holes. It’s good to continuously inspect your denim after every wear so you can spot a small hole before it becomes a huge rip. Smaller holes are much easier to fix.
All you will need is a sewing needle, pins and strong thread that’s preferably in a matching color.
Step 1: Turn your jeans inside out and cut away any of the fraying threads at the hole so you have a cleaner surface to work from. Pin the hole closed or you can pinch it together with your fingers.
Step 2: Loop your thread through your needle long enough so that you can match the ends and create a stronger double thread. Knot the ends. The strongest seam and least noticeable from the outside is a whipstitch.
Read: How to Fix a Hole in Jeans Without a Patch
Push your needle and thread through one side of the fabric and come out over the other side. Pull the thread taut but not so tight that the thread snaps and push the needle through the same side of the fabric you started with. Continue this way from one end of the hole to the other and it will create diagonal vertical stitches. Keep these small and close together for extra strength.
Step 3: Once you’ve completed the seam, turn your jeans inside out again and there should be a clean, mostly unnoticeable line in place of the hole now.
Read: How to Alter Jeans
How to patch jeans by the inner thigh with scrap fabric
If your rip is on the large side, then it’s best to put a patch in place of the rip. Sewing bigger rips closed can make the fit of your jeans smaller. Not only will this be uncomfortable but if your jeans are too tight, you can risk ripping them once more.
For this method, you’ll need a sewing needle, scissors, pins, thread, and a patch of denim in a matching color. You can use a different shade of denim if you don’t think it will be noticeable or if you don’t mind. Alternatively, you can even purchase pre-embroidered or ready-made patches from your local fabric store.
Read: The Best Sewing Machine for Jeans
Step 1: Turn your jeans inside out and snip away any of the fraying threads at the hole. Be careful to not cut too much away so that you end up making the hole bigger. Next, cut out a fabric patch that’s just a little bit bigger than the inner thigh hole.
Step 2: Match the edges of your patch to the edges of the rip and pin them in place. You can always keep these in place with your fingers but pins will streamline the process. You can either whip stitch or buttonhole stitch this in place.
A buttonhole stitch is similar to a whip stitch but each stitch is knotted at the top for extra security. Thread your needle, making sure to make a double thread so it’s strong. Push your needle through one side of the fabric and come out on the other side. Pushing your needle through the same side of the fabric you began with but before you pull it all the way through, wrap the loop of the thread around the needle and then pull the needle completely. This creates the knot at the stitch. Continue in this way all-around your patch, keeping your stitches small, tight, and close together.
Step 3: When you’ve covered the entire patch, turn your jeans inside out and inspect if there are any gaps or areas that need reinforcing. And just like that, you’ve securely patched your jeans.
Read: How to Hem Jeans by Hand
How to patch jeans by the inner thigh with an iron-on patch
Fabric and craft stores have lots of fun, colorful, and interesting iron-on patches that can work great for your thigh rips. This works best when your hole still has some threads keeping it together but you can apply this to other holes. This is a no-sew method and just requires an iron and a patch that’s just a little larger than your hole.
Step 1: Clip away any of the fraying threads around your hole unless they’re holding your rip together. These threads can provide some support for your patch. Place some paper or cardboard behind your hole so you don’t end up fusing the legs of your jean closed.
Step 2: Then you can simply press the patch over the hole with your iron. Some patches will come with instructions but it’s best to use a medium heat setting and apply some pressure to the iron.
Read: How to Fray Jeans
How to patch jeans by the inner thigh with visible mending
This visible mending technique is based on the Japanese style of mending called boroboro and uses sashiko stitches to repair rips while creating a gorgeous, visible effect. All you need is a denim patch a little bigger than your hole, embroidery floss (this can be in the same or contrasting colors), scissors, a needle, a fabric marker or chalk, a ruler, and pins. The number of stitches used in this method also helps with reinforcing the strength of your patch against wear.
Step 1: Snip away any of the fray threads around your hole. Pin the patch in place behind the hole of your jeans, working from the outside of the pants.
Step 2: Use your ruler and chosen fabric marker to mark horizontal and vertical lines across your patch. You can have these lines extend past your patch. They can also run diagonally.
Step 3: Thread your needle with embroidery floss to your preferred thickness. You can experiment with thicker and thinner threads for more visual interest. Make straight stitches across your marked lines that are the same length and distance apart. They should at least be a minimum of ½ ich in distance and length. Repeat this with the stitches going in the opposite direction.
You can also choose to create circular patterns, shapes such as flowers or hearts. The most important thing is to create even straight stitches that will cover the entirety of your patch.
There are a variety of creative and durable ways for you to figure out how to fix holes in jeans in the inner thigh and fortunately, they’re all very simple and easy for anyone to do. Always remember to take the best care of your jeans, of course, and you can transfer these techniques to holes that appear anywhere else.
You may also choose to alternate your floss colors or use different colors to overlay different designs. You can get as creative as you would like with this method while creating a very durable and strong patch.
Check out some of our other jeans guides: Best Jean Shorts for Thick Thighs | How to Starch Jeans