Before covid shut the world down, I bought these Express Straight Leg Jeans on clearance for $4.95.

I wanted to love them but sadly realized I'm too short to pull the "look" off. They didn't work for me.

I was going to flip them on Poshmark but decided to cut them into some bermuda shorts instead.

The trick with bermuda shorts is the thigh area fit. These are typical stretchy Express jeans which is perfect for this kind of project.

First things first; iron the jeans! Sounds like extra work but it helps with the cutting process.

Tools needed:

Sharpie

Sharp clean scissors

Ruler or straight surface

(I used my eyes)

Process:

Try your jeans on for ideal length. Pin point the desired length and mark each leg with marker.

Use a flat surface like the ground to lay your denim out. With your hands, smooth and flatten any wrinkles or kinks. This is why I recommend ironing first. It helps minimizes the wrinkles and kinks. It also helps people like me eyeball a clean cut.

Lay a ruler or something straight to trace the cut line. Make sure both legs are even as well.

If you're worried about uneven cuts, take your time but don't worry. The edges will be frayed anyway.

Once cutting is done, snip the raw hem as shown below. About 1/4 cm cuts, nothing too long. This is just to add frays.

The fun part, rub out those little snips to add some fray before washing or before you put them on for the day. Do you. I won't judge.

The final product, a new pair of bermuda shorts. My two cents; before you buy, shop your closet for items to repurpose. Especially on those "I have nothing to wear" days. I'll be doing this to a faded pair of blue jeans too.

FYI, they fray more after each washing & drying.

Happy cutting.

Xx Dee

Third photo shows the fray after two washes.

Sandals: Birkenstock