Velvet is a beautiful and delicate fabric. Many people enjoy velvet pants for their ease and comfort, but if the pants are ill-fitting or too tight, the velvet must be handled very carefully. Some velvet pants stretch out a bit with wear and shrink again once washed (if they are machine washable). Keep that in mind when determining how much larger you would like the pants to be. If your velvet pants are not loose enough, there are several methods you can try in order to stretch them out.

Stretch machine washable velvet pants by washing them separately in the washing machine with a small amount of fabric softener. When the cycle finishes, hang the pants up and gently tug at the fabric in the places you'd like stretched.

Steam iron dry clean-only velvet pants. Set the iron on a low setting, and press in a hidden area to test the velvet's reaction to the heat and steam. If the velvet responds well, press a small section of the pants at a time, pulling gently on each section after ironing while the fabric is still moist. Do not leave the iron on one spot for too long to avoid fabric damage.

Stretch the pants over the end of an ironing board to enlarge the waistband, taking care to avoid straining any button closures. Machine washable pants may be dampened for this step.

Purchase a waistband stretcher (such as those made by Heartland America). These inexpensive devices can be placed inside the waistband of pants to stretch them out several inches.

Tailor your velvet pants at a local dry cleaner or on your own to achieve a custom fit.