How to measure your inseam without a tailor

Height charts lie. Two people at 5’4” can need hems three inches apart, because legs, torsos and preferences all pull in different directions. That is why we band our cuts by inseam instead of telling you what your height is supposed to wear.

The fastest honest measurement does not involve your body at all. Take the pair of pants in your wardrobe that ends exactly where you like, lay it flat, and run a tape from the crotch seam straight down the inner leg to the hem. That number, in inches, is the inseam you are shopping for. Measuring your leg while standing works too, but you need a second person and you will stand unnaturally straight the whole time.

With the number in hand, the bands read like this: our capri bands marked 23” and 25” are exact, so match them directly. For full-length cuts, Petite generally suits inseams up to about 27”, Short and Regular cover the middle of the range, and Tall and Extra Tall keep going from there. The exact break also depends on the cut: a wide leg is meant to touch the top of the shoe, a flare is cut to cover some heel, a jogger is meant to stop at the ankle bone.

If your number sits between two bands, think about shoes. Trainers forgive a slightly short hem; anything with a heel wants the longer band. And a wide-leg hem that puddles can not be hidden, so when in doubt on that cut, go shorter.

Every listing in this catalogue carries its band next to the colour. If you would rather work backwards from the measurement, the Find your inseam page sorts the whole rail by band in two taps.