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An Invention that Allows You to Easily Hem Your Pants at Home in Just 5 Minutes: What Is the Power of the "Kururin Hemming Sheet"?

2025.03.15

You buy pants online and take them to an alteration shop to get them hemmed. However, it can take more than a week to complete, and it costs money... Many people have likely had this experience.

That’s where CONOMi’s Kururin Hemming Sheet comes into play. With this innovative product developed by a student uniform manufacturer in Niigata Prefecture, you can easily hem or adjust the length of your pants at home.

Released in January of this year, it has already garnered numerous inquiries from schools and companies nationwide due to its convenience. The president of CONOMi Corporation, Takayuki Aiura, shares the story behind its development.

PROFILE

Takayuki Aiura

President, CONOMi Corporation

Utilizing a Sheet with Resilience Instead of Traditional Tape

"Kururin Hemming Sheet," 990 yen (tax included)

What exactly is the "Kururin Hemming Sheet"?

As its name suggests, this is a sheet that allows you to easily hem your pants at home. It can be used on a wide variety of pants, including slacks, chinos, lightweight jeans, and uniform trousers.

So it's not just a regular hemming tape, but a sheet. Can you tell me how to use it?

For slacks, you (1) measure the hem width, (2) cut it with scissors, (3) stick it to your pants using the tape attached to the hemming sheet, and (4) tidy it up. It takes about 5 minutes, and there’s no need for a sewing machine or iron.

I see. So by attaching this sheet and folding up the hem, you can hem your pants.

By folding it inward, you can achieve a hem of about 4 cm, which is the vertical width of this sheet.

It can be hemmed up to a maximum of approximately 12 cm, making it perfect for student uniforms for children in their growth phase.

With regular hemming tape, the hem might drop while wearing it. Is that a concern here?

No, even when running or jumping, the folded hem won’t drop off. This is because the sheet is made of non-woven fabric that generates resilience at the hem, preventing it from dropping.

Also, this resilience ensures that the hem maintains a neat silhouette without becoming baggy.

So it's the resilience of the sheet, not the adhesive of the tape, that makes the difference. What about washing?

After applying the sheet, you can wash your pants in a washing machine using a laundry bag after about 24 hours.

Since it uses a water-resistant and durable tape, there’s no worry about the sheet peeling off even after multiple washes. However, please avoid using chlorine bleach and dry cleaning.

Solving the Time-Consuming Hemming Problem for Student Uniforms

I think it's a groundbreaking idea. How did you come up with it?

It was inspired by school uniforms. CONOMi Corporation is a uniform manufacturer that started in 1991 in Myoko City, Niigata Prefecture. They not only produce regular uniforms but also a free uniform brand for students attending schools without uniforms, operating four stores including one in Harajuku, Tokyo.

Over the years of crafting uniforms, we encountered the challenge of hem adjustments.

Indeed, school uniforms require repeated hemming as students grow.

Due to the decline in the number of craftsmen and rising labor costs, it became burdensome for us to address this in-house.

However, when customers request an alteration from a tailor, it usually takes about a week and costs between 1,600 and 2,500 yen.

So, we thought of a method to make hemming easier and less expensive, allowing simple adjustments at home.

Hemming tape already existed, right?

There were many hemming tapes using double-sided tape. However, these could peel off while wearing, causing the hem to fall over time.

There were issues with the adhesive strength and durability of the tape, as well as compatibility with the fabric. Additionally, cutting the hem with scissors or adhering it with an iron required effort.

Thus, we explored a method that doesn't rely on tape and came up with the idea of incorporating a sheet into the hem for a fold.

A Hint from Boys' School Uniforms

Why did you choose non-woven fabric for the material?

Choosing the material was the biggest hurdle. We tried various materials like plastic and resin but found it challenging to meet all criteria for hardness, weight, and texture.

At such times, we focused on the "collar" that is used in boys' school uniforms.

Are you referring to the white part used on the inside of the collar?

Yes. It’s a part that prevents the collar from getting dirty as it comes into direct contact with the skin.

In the past, it was made of hard plastic, which could be uncomfortable, but now it uses soft non-woven fabric.

When I thought, "This might work..." and created a prototype, it proved to be the perfect material in terms of lightness and flexibility.

Most importantly, the material's resilience prevents the hem from falling.

I can't believe the hint came from the collar. This is an idea that only a school uniform manufacturer could think of.

In 2024, we adopted this sheet for student uniform pants and launched the "Kururin Hemming Pants."

It received an overwhelming response, with orders coming in from schools across the country. There have even been requests for all uniforms to be made with this specification.

Believing that "this idea could benefit not just students but others as well," we released the patented "Kururin Hemming Sheet" in January this year.

Being priced at only 990 yen, it's cheaper than getting alterations from a regular tailor.

A Novelty Used Across Genders & Generations

It just launched in January; what has the response been like?

It's being purchased by not only parents with school-age children but also a wide range of customers across generations, as well as various companies and professions.

If hemming can be done easily at home, one can immediately wear pants purchased online, and one can adjust the hem length depending on the shoes.

For companies, adopting it for employee uniforms can dramatically reduce the number of pants that need to be prepared.

It's also gaining popularity among stylists, who are using it for altering costume hems.

This feels like it has limitless potential. How do you plan to evolve it in the future?

Currently, we only have a 4cm width, but we are thinking of producing 5cm and 6cm types that can accommodate thicker fabrics.

Additionally, we are considering expanding to long types for wide pants and color variations that can cater to thin fabrics.

Eventually, I hope it will become a familiar product sold not just at home improvement stores and online shops but also at convenience stores.

With no hassle or special skills required, hemming can be easily done at home. This idea, born from school uniforms, brings numerous benefits to people living in modern times.

Text by Ryota Osujo