When I have to hem my own pants, I put them on inside out and stand on a chair in front of the mirror. I'm short. I pin them up with either pins or duct tape. I admit, sometimes I leave the duct tape there if I'm feeling really lazy.

How you hem them will be determined by the shoes you plan to wear, but yes, they're generally a little longer in back. I prefer a single "break" across the instep, which is traditional. Many wear their pants too long these days, but that's personal.

I did alterations for yrs. mark your pants at the back where the heel of the shoe is joined to the shoe upper. Adjust the pants hem so it is one quarter to one half shorter in front. For very high heeled shoes the hem can be straight across, but will not work with lower heeled shoes. I hate seeing pants legs bunched around the shoes, and also those that are at the top of the shoes. Too short and tacky looking. However, I gad an elderly client who would tell me each time, " don't make them too long! I don't want my pants legs flapping when I walk". She was a lovely person, but no longer with us.

i do alterations for a small clothing store for men and also for an alterations/formal wear rental establishment.

I see hems all over the place. The under-35 crowd wears clothing that is closer-fitting than the older groups, and their pants and trou are narrower and shorter. One customer wears his trousers short enough to show off fashionable socks. Once the trouser hem measures less than 17 inches or so it isn't easy or practical to make the hem longer in the back.

Those who nod to fashion rather than follow it are narrowing their pants and wearing them shorter, but not to the 15" hem width their younger friends are. There are still ladies who wear pants with heels and the pants cover the instep. Without heels there is still a break in the front, but much less than years ago.

There are older folk who are fearful of falling, and have their pants quite short.

Boss at the formal wear rental never ever subscribed to the "longer in back" philosophy (apprenticed in Asia, for what it's worth) and truthfully I can't remember the last time anyone asked for it. I've stopped hemming pants that way.

We hem pants the same way they come to us: jeans are machine stitched, regular trou or pants with an invisible hem are blindstitched by machine or by hand.

Thank you so much ladies. I will follow your advice. Very helpful.