You put on a pair of pants that look great standing up, and by the time you sit down the legs have crept halfway up your calves.
You spend the rest of the day tugging and adjusting.
TL;DR: Pants ride up because the fit is wrong for your body, the fabric clings to your skin, or the rise is too short for your proportions. The fix depends on the cause and whether it happens when you walk or when you sit.
Here is how to stop it for good.
Why Pants Ride Up
The fit is wrong
Pants that are too tight ride up because the fabric has no room to move with your body. Pants that are too loose ride up because excess fabric bunches at the crotch and inner thigh.
The rise (the distance from the waistband to the crotch seam) matters just as much as the waist size. If the rise is too short, every step pulls the crotch upward and the legs follow.
Your range of motion exceeds the fabric
Our bodies are more flexible than most pant fabrics. When you bend at the hips and knees, the fabric at the joints has to go somewhere, and it goes up.
This is why pants often look the right length when you stand but ride up noticeably when you sit. Bending the fabric at two joints takes up several inches of pant leg length.
The fabric clings to your skin
Certain fabrics grip your skin when you sweat or build static charge. Polyester and acrylic are the worst offenders because they create friction against your legs.
Cotton, linen, and denim slide less because they breathe better and build less static. If your pants ride up mainly in warm weather, the fabric is probably the issue.
Your body shape works against the cut
Most pants assume a standard waist-to-hip ratio. If your hips are wider than the cut allows, the fabric stretches tighter across your thighs and pulls upward with every step.
If your thighs touch when you walk, shorts and slim-cut pants will ride up between your legs almost constantly.
How to Stop Pants From Riding Up When You Walk
Buy pants that fit your hips, not just your waist
Look for pants that are slightly loose through the thigh and hip. You can always have the waist taken in, but adding room in the hips is much harder.
According to GQ’s trouser guide, the best fitting pants should let you pinch about an inch of fabric at the thigh without the fabric pulling when you walk.
Choose the right fabric
Rigid, breathable fabrics ride up less than thin, clingy ones. Denim, canvas, linen, and structured cotton are your best options.
Stretchy fabrics (cotton-elastane blends) also help because they move with your body instead of bunching. When it comes to running or athletic pants, the stretchier the better.
Fold the hems over
This simple fix takes 30 seconds and works surprisingly well. Folding the hem creates a thicker, more rigid edge that resists riding up.
No sewing required. Just fold the inside hem of each leg up by half an inch.
Apply plastic boning to the inner seam
Plastic boning strips (paid link) are designed to be sewn or ironed onto fabric. Apply them along the inner seam to keep the pant legs straight and prevent them from riding up.
They come in lengths from 2 to 5 inches and cost between $5 and $10. This is one of the most effective permanent fixes for pants that ride up while walking.
Sew elastic bands into the hems
If your pants fit loosely around your thigh, elastic bands (paid link) sewn into the hems will grip your leg and hold the fabric down. This is especially effective for running pants with loose legs.
Apply silicone caulk to the inner hems
Clear silicone caulk (paid link) dries slightly tacky and rubbery. Apply a thin line around the inside of each hem, and the pants will grip your legs instead of sliding up.
Work in a ventilated area and let it dry completely before wearing. This fix costs about $5 and lasts through multiple washes.
How to Stop Pants From Riding Up When You Sit
Hitch your pants up slightly as you sit
This is the simplest and most effective trick. As you bend to sit, give your pant legs a gentle upward tug at the thighs.
This creates slack so the fabric can accommodate the bend at your hips and knees without pulling tight. You will notice well-dressed people do this instinctively.
Wear smoother underwear
Cotton underwear is comfortable but creates friction that pulls pants upward when you sit. Smoother fabrics like microfiber or modal let the pants slide over your legs without grabbing.
Longer-cut underwear like boxer briefs also helps because the extra length reduces skin-to-pant contact at the thigh.
Consider pantyhose or compression shorts underneath
Pantyhose or compression shorts (paid link) create a smooth barrier between your skin and the pant fabric. This reduces friction and prevents the pants from gripping your legs as you bend.
This is especially helpful in warm weather when sweat makes fabric cling.
When to See a Tailor
If none of the DIY fixes solve the problem, the pants need structural alteration. A tailor can adjust the rise, the crotch depth, and the leg width to match your body.
Bring the problem pants and a pair that fits well. Turn both inside-out and lay them flat to compare the crotch measurements so the tailor has a clear reference.
I always have my mother at my disposal for adjustments like these, but a professional tailor can do the same work for $15-30 per pair.
This video shows how a crotch extension works, which is one of the most common tailoring fixes for pants that ride up:
If all your clothes ride up, not just pants, the problem may be your body proportions rather than any single garment. See how to stop all clothes from riding up for fixes that cover every clothing type.
For related problems, see how to stop shorts from riding up, how to stop underwear from riding up, and how to keep pants from falling down.
12-year nomad, carry-on-only traveler across 5 continents, and creator of Organizing.TV.
I help you pack smaller, stress less, and actually enjoy the packing part of travel.