Photo by Andy Hur
Jogger pants are a current trend in sneaker culture that's spilled over to mall brands and practically every company that has manufactured clothing in the past year. There's another look that's been catching on, and it doesn't involve buying pre-cuffed pants, either. It's pinrolling.
Some might call it pegging, or french-rolling, but this style has been around for awhile and now has a found a home amongst sneakerheads. You've probably seen people doing it on Instagram, and they're most likely from Europe. But the style has gained traction in the U.S., and people are becoming curious about it. Before you try to tighten up the bottom of your jeans, we thought we'd walk you through the process. here are The Dos and Don'ts of Pinrolling Your Jeans With Sneakers.
This is how it's done.
This article is about what to do or not to do when pinrolling jeans. Before you consider all of that, you need to know how to pinroll your jeans in the first place. Start by having your pants uncuffed. You're going to want to grab the inner inseam of your jeans, pinching it, and pulling it out. You're then going to fold it in, and grab the bottom of the pant where the fabric now overlaps. Cuff your jeans up once, while still holding close to that overlap. For the second cuff, make sure you tuck that overlap all the way in. Smooth out your cuff, and you're good to go.
If you're a visual learner, watch this video below:
Make sure your pants aren't too slim.
Pinrolling your jeans is all about making the bottom of your pant slimmer. This is so the sneakers are more visible. It converts pants with wider openings into something much more narrow. If the pants being pinrolled, however, are too slim, it kind of defeats the purpose. It's also super difficult to get them in a proper roll. If your fingers are getting trapped when you attempt to roll them, or the cuff is cutting off your circulation, get your self some different pants — or just wear them as is.
Don't wear pants that are too baggy.
Although you're attempting to slim down your pants, there becomes a point where a pant is too baggy for a pinroll. If you're on the verge of making your loose-fit jeans look like a pair of Hammer Pants, just avoid the situation altogether, and, preferably, buy some new jeans in the process.
Don't wear pants that are too short.
The cool thing about pinrolling jeans is that it shows off what's on your feet without showing off too much of your leg. It's a balancing act between wearing jeans, wanting the jogger-like look, but not being one of the people who cuffs their pants extra high. When pondering if you should pinroll your jeans or not, first realize how long your pants are already. If they currently sit at your ankle, or rest against your sneakers with no break, they might be at your shin when everything is said and done. That's not a good look. Make sure your jeans need to be pinrolled before you take the time to do it.
Make sure your pants aren't too long
Stacked denim, resulting from pants that are long and slim, is an acquired look. Some people really dig it, while others look down upon it. That's personal preference, but there is a thing as too-long jeans for pinrolling. It just makes the outcome sloppy and can easily be avoided. You could just give your pants another twist up, but it might make the cuff too big. If that doesn't work, just remember to not pinroll your 36-inch inseam jeans if you're only a guy who's 6-feet tall. Even if your sneakers are on point, the length will kill how stellar they are.
Have the right sneakers on your feet.
If the whole point of pinrolling your jeans is to flash some footwork, then the sneakers need to be correct, too. This doesn't imply that your sneakers need to be cool or fresh, they should be something that complements this makeshift style. Usually, this means that a pair of runners, or something in that vein, is the footwear of choice. You don't see too many basketball sneakers with pinched legs, and there's a reason: it just doesn't look right. But those Air Max 1s in your closet? Give them a shot with a pinroll.
Make sure your cuff is clean.
Besides paying attention to how your pinrolled pants are going to fit, there's one important aspect, if not done correctly, that can mess up your attempt: how the cuff looks. Make sure, please, that it's done with care and attention, and that the cuff doesn't have wrinkles, the pants aren't twisted, or something else that'll mess up the whole shebang. This can be taken care of by smoothing out the cuff, doing it neatly, and just paying attention to when you're pinrolling. If you take a moment of consideration, it shouldn't be too hard.
Show some selvedge
Selvedge denim is always choice. It's not necessary, but it's usually higher quality than its non-red-striped counterparts. Besides all of that, the selvedge stripe just looks cool when jeans are cuffed. The same goes for pinrolled jeans. You don't need selvedge denim to sport this style, but it's always a stunting plus.
Your socks need to be on point, too, or not seen at all.
Pinrolling jeans is optimal for the warmer or mild months of the year, that's because the ankle is going to exposed. With exposed ankles comes the almighty decision: what socks to wear? Most sneakerheads scoff at going sockless in their coveted sneakers (unless they're Flyknits, but that's a whole other story), but they don't want their socks to look lame, either. The best look is when there's a no-show, or minimally peaking out, sock involved. Just make sure your ankles aren't busted or ashy. For those who want to pinroll when it's a little colder, opt for something printed from the likes of Stance.
Cuff them tight, but not too tight.
No one wants their foot to have blood circulation cut off. We're not positive how tight you'd have to pinroll your jeans to do this, but it could happen — maybe. Even if it doesn't, too tight of a cuff just isn't comfortable. Too loose of a cuff will cause your jeans to unravel when walking around. The rule of thumb is that you should have a little wiggle room, but still have your pants feel right on your body. This can be achieved by not pulling your cuff as absolutely tight as possible when you start to pinroll your pants.
Chinos are fine, but stay away from trousers.
Jeans aren't the only pants that can be pinrolled. Chinos are an OK option, too, as long as it looks alright, but use your own discretion. By no means, however, should you ever pinroll a pair of trousers or dress pants. Not only will it likely ruin them, it would just look absolutely ridiculous.
