Choosing Your Inseam

The inseam is the measurement of the pant leg from the crotch point to the leg opening, measured along the inside of your leg.  In other words, it’s how long your pants are.  

Getting the right inseam contributes to getting an overall exceptional fit with custom jeans.  Because Detroit Denim custom-makes all of our jeans, we’re able to offer a much wider range of inseams that are typically available off-the-shelf. 

The best way to figure out your inseam is to measure a pair of jeans that you already have.  The second best way is to measure your body while wearing jeans.  Here's how: 

 

Measure Your Jeans

  1. Grab a pair of jeans that fit you well length-wise.  Slacks and other pants have different cuts and rises than jeans, so it's important to use jeans.
  2. Lay your jeans on a flat surface, adjusting so that one leg’s inner seam is facing up and smoothing them out as best as possible. 
  3. Using a flexible measuring tape, measure the distance from the center crotch point to the end of your jean, making sure you’re following along the leg’s inside seam as closely as possible. Round up to the nearest 1/2''.  That's your inseam!

 

Measure Your Body (works best with 2 people)

  1. Put on your favorite jeans and a pair of shoes.
  2. While standing*, hold the starting end of the tape measure against the crotch point of your jeans, and have your partner run the tape down the inseam of your leg, measuring to the desired ending point. Round up to the nearest 1/2''.  That's your inseam!

 

*Don’t look down! Make sure you’re standing up straight and looking straight ahead while your partner measures to ensure accuracy.

 

Additional Inseam Knowledge:

  • When in doubt, go long (we can always shorten them later)
  • Consider cuffing. A 1-1.5" cuff is a good place to start for single cuffs, add more length if you prefer a wider cuff or multiple cuffs. 
  • You can expect a slight amount of shrinkage (roughly 1/2’’ - 3/4'') of length with repeated washing and drying. 

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