How do mens trouser sizes work?

Tar.Aldarion

I thought they are supposed to be inches at the waist...so 34 would be 34 inches?

However if I measure my waist it is 40 inches, yet all my shop bought trousers are size 34? It's quite annoying as trousers say the same size and seem to be varying sizes. I wish to order online and don't know what to put down.

foxinsox

Sorry Tar but it seems you might be measuring wrong? maybe?

If you get a pair of your trousers that fit you:

Put the trousers flat on a table

Measure (inches) across the waistband - then double it

So if across waistband measures 17" x 2 = 34" waist

To measure leg length :
put measuring tape from crotch on inside leg (along seam) to bottom of trousers = leg length in inches

Usually trousers are sold as 34" 32" = 34" waist and 32" leg*

*MOST places always state waist measurement first then leg measurement.


EDIT: Don't forget clothing sizes often vary from brand to brand, so it is hard to order online if you aren't familiar with the brand.

foxinsox

Apologies for double post, but look what I found for you..

wmpdd3

The problem could be that the trousers you are measuring could be low rise. You should be measuring around the waist where the bellybutton is. If your measuring the trousers, measure a pair that sit on your waist.

ongarboy

Is it not where your hip bones are that you measure the waist? Your belly button (at least mine is) is about 3 inches above my waist/belt line. Even with only a bit of a belly you'd be adding a good few inches if you measured at your belly button. Your trousers would want to be really high waisted (ie not very attractive) if that was the case.

OP - the fact that you can fit into 34w trousers means your waist is actually 34. Lower the meauring tape to measure at your hips rather than belly to confirm this.

Tar.Aldarion

Thanks guys, it is a combination of this. When you measure your waist compared to your hips(where your trousers actually are? wtf) you get a value several inches smaller than your hips.

Also I have read up and manufactures these days say that waist is a certain size and could be anywhere from 1-5 inches bigger than what it says depending on the brand. This is for vanity reasons, people think they are fitting into smaller pairs of clothes. Quite annoying. I measured my waist at 37 inches, my hips at 40 and I fit in 34s.

wmpdd3

ongarboy wrote: »

Is it not where your hip bones are that you measure the waist? Your belly button (at least mine is) is about 3 inches above my waist/belt line. Even with only a bit of a belly you'd be adding a good few inches if you measured at your belly button. Your trousers would want to be really high waisted (ie not very attractive) if that was the case.

OP - the fact that you can fit into 34w trousers means your waist is actually 34. Lower the meauring tape to measure at your hips rather than belly to confirm this.

Of course you don't want a pair of trousers up as high as your waiste, but thats the measurement that you take to find out what size you should buy.

Its true that there can be descripencies, this of it this way, when you get fitted for a tux, they measure your waist and put you in the trousers that come closest to this, if they dont fit then they get a bigger size for you.

For example, my waist (female) measures 31 inches and my hips 45 inches. So my waist measures size 14 and my hips size 18, a shop size 14 fits me. It should be perfect but its just a guide.