How to Measure Inseam: A Guide for Tall Girls

If you’re wondering how to measure inseam to know what length to get, don’t worry because it’s super easy.

Inseam is simply the measurement from the crotch seam to the bottom hem of pants. 

There are actually two different methods for doing this, and they’re both super easy! So grab a measuring tape and a friend (or a pair of pants that fit well) and let’s get started…

Method #1 – Measuring with a well-fitting pair of pants

Grab a well-fitting pair of pants that you already know are a proper length. Taking a tape measure, start at the crotch seam and measure all the way to the bottom hem.

This is your inseam!

Just keep in mind the inseam will vary depending on the style of pants and where you want them to fall. For a bootcut pant, the inseam will typically be longer since they’re designed to fall below the ankle, and any added height from your shoes will also affect where the pants fall.

So if you have multiple styles of pants in your closet, you may want to measure the inseam for each particular style to see how it varies.

Method #2 – Measuring with a friend

For this method, you’ll probably want a friend to help as it can be difficult to hold the measuring tape and get an accurate measurement while you’re standing up straight. You also might find it helpful to wear shoes if you are measuring inseam for pants that would be affected by your shoe height (like bootcut or flare styles)

Simply have a friend measure from your crotch seam down to wherever you want the bottom of your pants to hit. (Note: this can be a personal preference AND depends on the style of pants they are). Some people prefer their pants very long, others prefer them to hit right at the ankle. Just measure to wherever you personally want your pants to fall.

For skinny styles that hit around the ankle, the inseam you need will probably be shorter than for say, a bootcut style which hits a bit lower.

Always round up!

Let’s say you measure your inseam at 34.5. Well, inseams usually don’t come in half-size increments, so in this case, you’d want to round up to 35.  You always want to round up if the number isn’t even, it’s better to have pants too long than too short as they are much easier to tailor.

Add extra length if you’re concerned about shrinkage

You might also want to consider rounding up a little to allow for shrinkage in the dryer if you know the pants are made of a material that’s prone to shrink.