Tapering is an alteration in which the side seams of a pair of jeans are taken in, usually from around the knee down to the hem, to reduce excess width and create a closer, more tapered leg than the garment originally had. It is a common way to adjust a straight or wide cut without buying a different pair entirely.
The process involves unpicking the original outer, and sometimes inner, leg seam below the point where the taper should start, restitching it closer to the leg, and trimming away the excess fabric. Because it changes the seam rather than just the hem, tapering is a more involved alteration than hemming, and it works best on jeans that fit well through the thigh and seat but feel too loose lower down the leg.
Tapering is not usually reversible once the excess fabric is trimmed, so it suits jeans that fit well everywhere except the lower leg rather than a full resizing. See our jeans repair and patching guide for related alterations, and jeans fits overview for comparing cuts before deciding to alter one.
