What is TikTok’s ‘jeans around your neck’ hack, and does it really work?

An old hack is gaining new life on TikTok and spurring a variety of different opinions.

Retail shoppers were in for a treat when it was discovered that they could see if a pair of jeans fit without actually having to try them on first. Such a concept proved revolutionary during the era of COVID-19, where fitting rooms remain largely closed due to health protocols. By simply wrapping the jean’s waistband around your neck, you can see whether they’ll fit you or not. The belief here is that a person’s waist is twice the size of their neck.

The hack itself has been around for decades, but in the age of viral videos, it’s seeing a brand new wave of attention. In true TikTok fashion, people have come out of the woodwork to try their hand at it and share whether or not it worked for them. Let’s take a look and see what people are saying.

What is the “jeans around your neck” hack?

According to this hack, if you want to see if a pair of jeans fit without having to try them on, simply wrap the waistband around your neck. If both ends touch then voilá, they fit. If they don’t touch, the jeans will likely be too tight. If both ends of the fabric overlap, they’ll be too big.

While the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions have largely led to the reopening of fitting rooms, avid shoppers have adopted the hack as a permanent method of trying on clothes.

As it’s become more popular, however, people have started to question whether or not it really works for everyone. Here’s what they’re saying.

Does the hack really work?

The consensus seems to be that while the hack works for most body types, it doesn’t work for all. TikToker @_finallylosingweight showed her followers a pair of jeans that fit perfectly around her neck but are too tight around her waist when she put them on. She says people with an “apron belly” won’t see the same results as someone with a flat tummy. The hack “is not for us ladies,” she says.

TikTok user @melodynotevintage said she noticed that “if you have a boy-cut body or if you’re a guy who is straight up and down,” then the neck trick tends to work. But “if you’re curvy like me or if you’ve got a little bit in the caboose, it tends to not work as well.”

Additionally, TikTok user @karajoy87 shared that the hack only works with people who have proportioned body sizes. She says her neck, wrists, and ankles are skinny, but her tummy and thighs are not, so wrapping a pair of jeans around her neck doesn’t produce accurate results.

Then of course there is TikTok user @designerbabe38, who is, as her TikTok handle suggests, a designer and has been using the hack forever with accurate results. She says “it’s something that we’ve been doing forever,” including her mother, grandmother, and “aunties.” She says the hack is especially handy with little kids, who are unlikely to try a bunch of jeans on at the mall to see if they fit.

At the end of the day, if you’re someone who wants to see if the hack works, grab your trusty pair of jeans and wrap the waistband around your neck. If both ends touch, then you are among the lucky few. If they don’t, or if they overlap, then it’s best to stick to the tried-and-true method of trying them on first.