The Ukee Shorts are drafted as a mid-rise style, designed to sit just below your belly button. That works great for many folks, but rise preferences vary. The good news? If you’d rather make your Ukee Shorts with a higher rise, it’s an easy adjustment! Honestly, the hardest part of this little hack is just deciding how high you want your Ukees to go.
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Tools and Supplies Needed
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Ruler
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Extra paper
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Tape
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Pen or pencil
- Pattern Pieces: Front Leg (1), Back Leg (2), and Pocket Bag (3). If you are using the Pocket Facing (4), you’ll want to adjust that too.
Pattern Modifications
First, figure out how much more rise you’d like. One way to do this is by measuring a pair of shorts or pants you love. Focus on the front rise and measure from the crotch seam intersection up to the top of the waistband. Or you can go with your gut. Maybe you already know you want the waistband to sit an inch or two higher.
Once you’ve got that number in mind, compare it to the current rise on your Ukee size, which is listed on pages 4 (imperial) and page 5 (metric) in the instruction booklet. It includes the waistband. The difference between these two measurements is what you’ll be adding to the pattern pieces in the next steps.
For reference, I added 2.5" (6.3 cm) to my rise for my high rise Ukees. I also decided to make the cargo shorts view but with a shorter inseam, so the cargo pocket sits a bit higher.
Note: the illustrations in this tutorial show View C (the shortest length), but the steps apply to all views. So, no matter which length of the shorts you are making, you can follow along to adjust the rise exactly the same way.
Start with the Front Leg (1) piece. Cut along the top lengthen/shorten lines, the ones that run through the crotch area. Place a piece of scrap paper underneath and tape down the lower portion of the pattern.
Using the measurement you figured out in the previous step, draw a line above the cut edge, parallel to it. This is your rise extension. Extend the grainline through the added paper to help with alignment.
Align the upper part of the pattern piece along the line you just drew, matching up the grainlines. Tape everything in place.
Finally, true up the front crotch and the pocket opening so you have smooth, continuous lines again.
Repeat the same process for the Back Leg (2). Cut along the top lengthen/shorten lines, add scrap paper, and draw in your rise extension. Extend the grainline to help with alignment and tape everything back together. Don’t forget to true up the back crotch curve and the side seam.
Repeat the same adjustment for the Pocket Bag (3) - spread the pattern piece by the same amount you added to the rise and true up the side seams.
If you are using the Pocket Facing (4), lengthen that piece by the same amount as well. Keep in mind that the grainline on the pocket facing doesn’t cross the lengthen/shorten lines, so you might need to eyeball the placement. If it helps, you can extend the grainline on the pattern piece before cutting it to make the alignment easier.
And that’s it. Easy peasy! Now you can adjust the rise on your Ukee Shorts like a pro. If you ever want to reduce the rise instead of lengthening it, the steps are exactly the same. Just overlap the pieces by the amount you want to remove instead of spreading them apart.
My High Rise Ukees
I love my high rise Ukee Shorts! I think they have even more of a camp counselor vibe and I really like that look. I used a 7oz softened organic cotton from Blackbird Fabrics. It’s a great weight for these shorts because it is durable but also soft and comfy.
I added 2.5" (6.3 cm) to the rise for my version. I also decided to make the cargo shorts view but with a shorter inseam, so the cargo pocket sits a bit higher. If you do this, make sure you have enough room for all the pockets. My cargo pockets are sitting just under the angled front pocket bag attachment on the inside. The inseam length is somewhere between the longer view and the mid-length view.
I can see myself getting a ton of wear out of these shorts! I love how they fit and I think they will be great for all sorts of spring and summer activities. I hope you give this pattern hack a try!
Tofino and Ukee are on sale this weekend for 25% off! No code required. Sale ends April 27, 2026.
