How to measure pants

Someone shopping for trousers reads the waist and inseam before anything else, then looks for the rise to judge how high the pants will sit. Dress pants split that rise into front and back, which is exactly where cheaper size guides stop short. This page maps all nine points on the actual pair, so the numbers on your listing line up with the pair already hanging in a buyer's closet.

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1. A

   Waist

   Fasten the pants and lay the tape flat across the top of the waistband, edge to edge. Tap this step for the precise line. It is the first number a shopper checks, and reading it below the band makes the pants seem a size smaller than the tag says.Double it for the full waist circumference.

2. B

   Inseam

   Run the tape along the inside leg seam from the crotch point straight down to the bottom hem. Follow the seam, not the fabric drape, which the diagram makes easy to see. This is how a buyer knows the trousers will break at the right spot on the shoe.Recorded as-is. Do not double.

3. C

   Hip

   Measure across the seat at its fullest, generally seven to nine inches down from the waistband. Smooth out the back before you start. The diagram shows the line, and this number is what tells a buyer there is room to sit without straining the seam.Double it for the full hip circumference.

4. D

   Front Rise

   Measure straight up the front from the crotch seam to the top edge of the waistband. Tap the step to see the run. Front rise is what makes a pair read as high-waisted or low, and it is the number that decides where the waistband actually lands.Recorded as-is. Do not double.

5. E

   Back rise

   Measure up the back from the same crotch seam to the top of the rear waistband. A taller back rise gives more seat coverage; a short one sits low and can gap. The diagram marks where this line differs from the front rise.Recorded as-is. Do not double.

6. F

   Length

   Take the full outside length down the side seam, from the top of the waistband to the hem. Paired with the inseam, it shows how much of the leg sits above the crotch versus below it.Recorded as-is. Do not double.

7. G

   Thigh

   Measure across the leg at its widest, just below the crotch seam. This separates a slim trouser from a relaxed one, so use the diagram to set the line at the true widest point rather than guessing.Double it for the full thigh circumference.

8. H

   Knee

   Across the leg at the knee, around the midpoint of the inseam. A tapered trouser narrows sharply here, while a straight cut holds close to the thigh width all the way down.Double it for the full knee circumference.

9. I

   Hem

   Across the leg opening at the very bottom. A trim hem reads tapered or slim, a wider one reads straight or relaxed, so buyers read it to picture the leg shape.Double it for the full leg-opening circumference.

Related size charts & tools

Pants sizes for men and womenWomen's international size chartHow to measure jeans

Sources: Sizely garment engine, spec #97 (Dress Pants Male), nine named measurement points. ASTM D6240 men's bottomweight body-measurement tables (representative ranges only). Last verified June 2026.