How to Measure Your Inseam

The buzz amongst shorter women these days is that “true petite” sizing is disappearing, or at least becoming harder to find—and with good reason. The challenges stem from shifts in fashion production, consumer trends, and cost pressures. Petite women are left sifting through the regular racks hoping to catch a break. Knowing how to measure your inseam is invaluable now more than ever for our short sisters, but also for women of all heights. Inconsistent sizing standards in women’s fashion, combined with the ease of shopping (and renting!) online, makes your inseam a critical piece of information when looking for pants that fit well and flatter your body. Also, because different styles are intended to hit differently, knowing your inseam ensures you’ll get it right when you click that “add to case” button.

How to Measure Your Inseam with Your Favorite Pants

The inseam is the length from the crotch seam (where the legs meet) down to the bottom hem of the pant leg. The most accurate way to measure your inseam is to use a pair of pants you already own that fits you the way you like. Lay the pants flat on a hard surface and smooth out any wrinkles, but don’t stretch the fabric. Find the seam that runs along the inside of the leg, starting at the crotch and ending at the hem. Using a soft tape measure, measure straight from the crotch seam to the very bottom of the pant leg. That number, in inches, is your inseam. This method works well because it takes into account both your height and the way you prefer your pants to fall—cropped, ankle-length, or full-length.

How to Measure Your Inseam on Your Body

If you don’t have a good-fitting pair of pants to measure, you can measure your body directly. Stand up straight with your legs slightly apart, and have someone else help for best accuracy. Place the tape measure snugly at your crotch seam (right at the top of the inner thigh) and measure down to where you’d like your pants to end—just below the ankle bone for a standard length, higher for cropped styles, or longer if you want extra length for heels. Make sure the tape measure stays straight and doesn’t curve around your leg, or you may end up with a shorter inseam measurement than you need.

Considerations

It’s also worth noting that inseam preferences vary depending on the style of pants. For example, skinny jeans or leggings often look best slightly shorter, skimming the ankle. Wide-leg or bootcut trousers may need extra length so they graze the tops of your shoes without dragging. Measuring for different inseams gives you flexibility—one inseam for flats, another for heels, and another for cropped looks. Many women keep these different measurements on hand for stress-free shopping and styling.

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What Happend to Petite Sizing?

Over the years, several pressures have made authentic petite sizing more difficult for many brands to maintain at scale. Here are key factors contributing to what many refer to as the disappearance of true petite:

1. Economic and logistical constraints

Producing a full “petite” line effectively means maintaining more size variants (regular, petite, tall, etc.). That increases design, production, inventory, and distribution complexity and cost. Some brands find that the extra cost or risk of unsold inventory outweighs the perceived demand. Because petite customers are a niche (even though many women are “shorter”), brands often decide to scale back or “simplify” by offering fewer versions. In practice, this often means releasing fewer true-petite designs and instead offering “short-length” versions.

2. Blurring between “short / cropped / regular”

Some brands used to have robust “petite” collections with dedicated patterning. But increasingly, they offer piece-meal short-lengths (e.g. “short inseam,” “cropped”) rather than full petite ranges. Those shortened items may not adjust rise or proportions, meaning that the garments still hang poorly on a shorter frame except for the length. In other words, the “petite” label becomes a length category more than a genuine proportion correction. Many shoppers find that while the length may be shorter for pants, things like rise and pocket placement often remain “regular”, making the fit imperfect.

3. Size inflation and shifts in sizing norms

Over time, “vanity sizing” (or size inflation) has disrupted consistency in women’s sizing. That is, a size labeled “4” or “6” today might have different actual measurements than decades ago or across brands. Because brands are less consistent, consumers aren’t able to rely purely on “petite” labels. Many shorter women have adapted by shopping by exact measurements. With that shift in consumer habits, brands may deem the return on investing in precise petite lines to be lower than focusing on flexible sizing overall.

4. Fashion silhouette trends

Current trends, such as oversized fits, loose cuts, or intentionally drop-shoulder styles, can conflict with the snug proportions that those with smaller frames often prefer. These oversized or “relaxed” silhouettes can drown petite bodies. To accommodate that, brands may favor adjustable or forgiving styles over tightly proportioned petite ones. This makes the need for precise petite cuts feel less high priority from a design perspective. Also, some brands lean into universal cuts or “one-size-fits-many” designs where stretch, drape, or forgiving cuts do much of the “adjustment” work.

General Inseam Guidelines by Height

We’ve built out some inseam guidelines by height, with the big caveat that everyone’s proportions differ. Some women have longer legs and shorter torsos, or vice versa. These numbers will work as a starting point for most women shopping for regular, petite, or tall inseams.

You’ll want to adjust for the style of the pants, such as cropped, ankle, or full length. Also, consider if you’ll wear heels.

• Heels: add 1–2″ depending on heel height.
• Skinny jeans / leggings: often 1″ shorter than your “standard full” inseam since they sit above the ankle.
• Wide-leg / bootcut / flares: often need 1–2″ longer inseams to skim the tops of shoes without dragging.

Petite (Under 5’3”)

• 5’0” and under:
  • Cropped pants: 24–25″
  • Ankle length: 25–26″
  • Full length: 27–28″
• 5’1”–5’3”:
  • Cropped pants: 25–26″
  • Ankle length: 26–27″
  • Full length: 28–29″

👉 Many petite women find 28″ inseams to be their “go-to” full length.

Average Height (5’4”–5’7”)

• 5’4”–5’5”:
  • Cropped: 26–27″
  • Ankle: 27–28″
  • Full length: 29–30″
• 5’6”–5’7”:
  • Cropped: 27–28″
  • Ankle: 28–29″
  • Full length: 30–31″

👉 Many mainstream denim brands set 30″ inseams as the “regular” default for full length.

Tall (5’8” and above)

• 5’8”–5’9”:
  • Cropped: 27–28″
  • Ankle: 29–30″
  • Full length: 31–32″
• 5’10”–6’0”:
  • Cropped: 28–29″
  • Ankle: 30–31″
  • Full length: 32–34″

👉 High-rise silhouettes balance proportions for long legs without the pants appearing too short.

Get the perfect fit here

At Armoire, we want to make it easy to find the perfect fit. We list inseam measurements right on our product pages, so you know exactly what to expect before you rent. To make shopping even more seamless, our expert stylists have curated special collections designed specifically for petite and tall women. These collections highlight styles that are proportioned to flatter your frame, taking the guesswork out of finding pants and jumpsuits that truly fit and feel amazing.