Abstract: During the manufacture of trousers a waistband is indexed to a sewing station for the sewing of belt loops thereto by the method of placing the waistband and trousers' crotch seam at the stitching station, moving the waistband lengthwise until a waistband end is detected by a detector located at a predetermined distance from the stitching station while measuring the distance of waistband travel to determine both the length of a waistband and its location with respect to the stitching station, and incrementally positioning the waistband at the stitching station at a plurality of waistband positions preselected for its determined length. Apparatus for performing the method include a waistband drive mechanism, a position sensor, and a microprocessor.