How to Find an Inseam

The inseam indicates the length of the pants.

The inseam is the inner seam that runs the length of a pair of pants or shorts. The inseam makes a big difference in how your pants fit. If you make or purchase a pair of pants with an inseam that's too short or too long, the length of your pants will be affected. Sometimes it's hard to find pants with an inseam that's just right, but that can be fixed by hemming the pants or taking them to a tailor to be hemmed. Learn to locate and measure an inseam.

Things You'll Need

• Well-fitting pants
• Flat surface
• Measuring tape

Instructions

1. Lay a pair of well-fitting pants on a flat work surface, such as a dining room table or the floor.

2. 

   Use a cloth or plastic measuring tape.

   Hold the beginning of a measuring tape at the very top of the inner thigh of the pants, near the crotch.

3. Run the measuring tape along the inseam until you reach the bottom, or hem, of the pants. The number that lines up with the hem is your inseam measurement.

4. Keep a measuring tape in your handbag when you're shopping so you can measure the inseam on pants before you purchase them. Doing this will help you avoid spending time hemming your pants or paying someone else to do it for you.

Tips & Warnings

• Write down inseam measurements for yourself and your family so you always have the information handy.

• If you don't have a pair of pants with an inseam that's right for you, ask someone to take your measurement from the upper part of your thigh, near the crotch, to an inch above the bottom of your foot.

• Err on the side of length; it is better to have an inseam that's too long than one that's too short.

References

• Sierra Trading Post: Know Your Waist and Inseam Measurements
• Search By Inseam.com: Measure My Inseam

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish