Vintage denim often fails at the waist long before the fabric does. Letting the waist out on a pair of shorts is simple until the legs are covered in rhinestones, studs and crosses. Cut in the wrong place and you lose the pattern. The extra room has to come from a side gusset, matched to the wash, with the original pocket and hardware left alone.

These grey vintage shorts came into our shop on Collier Row Road for a waist extension. A triangle of matching denim is set into the side seam at the waistband — the tape in the photograph is the new width. We keep the studs, stars and coloured stones as they are.

Waist in and waist out are regular jobs here, on trousers, jeans and shorts. Customers come from Collier Row, Romford, Mawneys, Chase Cross, Gidea Park, Hornchurch and across Havering and East London. Drop in at 42 Collier Row Road — free one-hour parking in front of the shop.