What Alterations Do to a Graphic
On the shorts, graphics sit on the leg, such as the hand sign on the gray pair or the Medusa head on the white pair. Shortening the leg moves the hem closer to the print, and taking off too much can cut into it or leave it looking off-center.
Why Drawcord Waists Change the Question
The shorts and the tracksuit joggers have elastic waists with drawcords, so the waist can be adjusted by an inch or two without any sewing. A pair that feels a little loose usually only needs the cord pulled tighter, not a tailor.
Check the Size Before Any Crooks and Castles Alteration
Often the length is fine and the fit is the real issue. Shorts that feel long and loose at the same time are usually one size too big, and changing the size solves both. Compare the measurements with a pair you already own before altering anything. Each size steps up in the waist, the hip and the length together, so a pair that feels wrong in several places at once is most likely one size out. If the waist fits and only the length bothers you, a small alteration is worth doing.
Shortening a Pair Without Touching the Print
Measure first and cut later. Find shorts whose length you like, measure their inseam, and set that number next to the figures in the size guide; that gap is the amount to remove, and it is often smaller than people expect.
The design matters as much as the length. A pair with only a small mark near the waist can be taken up without the graphic coming into it. A pair with a large print on the leg is different, and there a smaller size is usually the better choice.
Keeping the Finished Hem Neat
Fleece of around 400 GSM is thick, and a narrow new hem makes the leg hang differently. Ask the tailor to keep the original hem depth. Every pair in the. Crooks and Castles fleece shorts range lists its own measurements by size.