It’s 1987. You’re walking through the halls of your middle school, high school, technical college. You’re nodding to fellow students standing at their lockers. You’re working it.

You’re looking good. You’re feeling good. Cause even though your parents (or your spouse) wouldn’t let you get that pair of skinny ankled Guess jeans you wanted so badly… you’ve fashioned a brilliant plan to show them.

With just a few folds of the cuffs, you’ve got that pair of Lee jeans rocking The Pinch Roll. You’re rocking it out.

Only something is a little off. Those fellow students? They aren’t nodding back. Some of them… are laughing?! And that’s when you notice. You’ve been walking around for god knows how long with one of your Rolls completely fallen.

What the hell happened? And how could it have been prevented?

The following tutorial is a step by step guide to one of the cheapest fashion trends of the 80s.

Items you’ll need:
A pair of loose ankled jeans, flared no wider than boot cut.
A pair of tube socks (optional)

Step 1: The Pull

Most people I’ve seen perform a Pinch Roll totally forget this critical step. They go straight for The Fold, and because of it they end up with a messy calf area. To trick onlookers into thinking your jeans are actually authentic skinny jeans, you want no sagging, puffing, or bulging around the calf area.

Starting with a nice clean pull at the inseam of the jean will do just the trick. Hold the thick joining of the cuff and inseam between your thumb and index finger as shown below.


Step 2: The Fold (AKA The Pinch)

Most people prefer to call this step The Fold, so as to keep the word Pinch just for the full name itself. But few disagree that this is the most important step of the four, and clearly from which the name Pinch Roll derives.

The trick here is to fold the jean from the knee, creating a very sharp Isosceles triangle. Be sure to match the folded seam with the cinched seam around your ankle. Then press it in place with your thumb. You want this to be nice and tight. Most cases of a fallen Pinch Roll could have been prevented at this step with a slick tight fold.

WARNING: Pulling The Fold too tight may cut blood circulation, causing your foot to fall asleep or in extreme cases, gangrene.


Step 3: The Crimp

Crimp it… simple as that.

Make one clean upward, exterior crimp around the entire cuff of the jean. Start with the newly pinched part of the seam where your thumb is pressed, and use the exact width of the seam as your guide. Once crimped, the seam should be sitting tightly in the inner crease of the crimp.


Step 4: The Roll

Yeah!!! A nice clean pull, a sharp tight fold, and a crimp that would make your mother proud… now roll it! Don’t be shy!

It’s hard to get this step wrong if you got the other three right. The most important thing to remember here is that you only want one roll. A big mistake novices make is to think that more is better. Not only will multiple rolls lead to a bulky and high-riding Roll, it is also potentially fatal (see warning note in Step 2).

And just like with The Crimp, you want to use the newly crimped seam as your guide. Roll it the exact width of The Crimp.

Smooth out any air bubbles or unwanted wrinkles. Get it nice and flush.

And there you have it! A beautiful, 1987 Pinch Roll.

(NOTE: If you plan to rock a Pinch Roll, you’ll probably want to choose a pair of tight fitting socks. A pair of floppy loose socks will only detract from the beauty of your work… as the above picture clearly shows.)