How to Accurately Measure Your Inseam

There's a common perception that measuring your inseam can feel, well, a bit awkward. If you've ever watched that Friends episode where Chandler visits Joey's professional tailor for a suit fitting, you know that measuring this area does mean positioning one end of the tape in a rather sensitive spot—the crotch. We're referring to the crotch of your pants, of course.

But as online shopping grew during the pandemic, many people moved from trying on clothes in-store to purchasing items online. And it turns out that knowing your inseam size, even for casual joggers, is more important than you'd think.

First, let’s clarify what the inseam actually refers to. As you might expect, it's the inner seam running along the inside of your pant leg. This measurement starts at the crotch and goes all the way to the bottom hem, but it excludes the section from the crotch to the waistband, which is known as the rise. To relate it to your body, it's the distance from your crotch to the floor. To get an accurate fit, you'll need to measure both your pants' inseams and your own inseam (we'll explain why shortly).

The simplest way to take an accurate inseam measurement on your pants is to lay them out flat. Place one end of a measuring tape at the crotch seam where the legs meet, then run it down the inside of the leg to the bottom hem. The length you get is the inseam measurement for that pair of pants.

How to Take Your Inseam Measurement

To measure your inseam, stand with your back against a wall on a flat surface, keeping your knees straight but not locked. Position the end of the measuring tape at your crotch, then drop it down to the floor. Place one foot on the tape to keep it steady, then read the measurement at your foot. That’s your inseam length. A full-length mirror can help for accuracy.

Here comes the fun part: You can compare the inseam measurements of several pairs of pants to your own inseam. By knowing both your personal inseam and the inseam measurements of a few pairs of pants in your wardrobe, shopping for pants online becomes much easier.

At times, you may want your pants to stop right at the ankle, which means the inseam should be shorter than your actual inseam. If you're planning to wear heels, opt for pants with a longer inseam than your own.

By doing this, you'll avoid pants that pool around your feet or those that sit too high above your ankles—unless that’s the style you're aiming for.

In any case, once you try on any pair of pants, you'll quickly see which inseam length achieves the look you're after. Whether you're into skinny jeans, straight-leg jeans, or cropped styles, knowing your inseam ensures that your pants are never too long or too short—they’re always just right.