How to measure for jeans

thereshegoesagain
thereshegoesagain Posts: 1,056 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
I've always worn my pants in sizes like 22w , where I started, to 8 or 10 where I am now. I see jeans advertised in a different way of sizing, like 27, etc
Where do I measure to find what size I am when sizes are listed in this style? Or is there a conversion chart somewhere that I can figure out what may fit? I live in a small town with little choices for shopping so have to do online shopping or wait until I go to the "big" city.

Replies

  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    It depends on the jeans, frankly. I can't speak to women's sizing, but men's jeans are sized by waist and inseam. This seems straightforward, but I can never tell how a particular pair of jeans will fit until I try them on.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    thereshegoesagain wrote: »
    I've always worn my pants in sizes like 22w , where I started, to 8 or 10 where I am now. I see jeans advertised in a different way of sizing, like 27, etc
    Where do I measure to find what size I am when sizes are listed in this style? Or is there a conversion chart somewhere that I can figure out what may fit? I live in a small town with little choices for shopping so have to do online shopping or wait until I go to the "big" city.

    a 27 in womens is like a size is usually waist size but not always,its a newer way to size jeans,and would be around a 4 or 5,but may fit a woman who usually wears a 6 or 8. so its going to depend by manufacturer/brands. and how you are shaped. some may fit great in the hips and others may not.

    I know Im a sz 6/8 and my waist is around 27/28 inches.some 6/8s are too small,others are a little big in the waist and tight in the hips and thighs. If you dont mind returning stuff you buy online,and not built weird(like I am) go for it,otherwise I would wait and try them on
  • jwcanfield
    jwcanfield Posts: 192 Member
    I found a guide - don't know if the link will be accepted here. This is just a rough rule - now that rises are low/mid and all that, standards are non-existent it seems. missme.com/pages/womens-jeans-size-guide
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    I use measurement as a starting point. Unfortunately there's a lot more that goes into the fit of a woman's garment, even pants in the same brand /style can vary in fit. But every brand should have a size guide at the manufacturer or retailers website that gives waist - hip measurements, as well as inseam options. If you are lucky they'll also give leg openings and rise (crotch to waistband)

    Be careful; manufacturers cut the same pants differently for different retailers, based on customer demographics.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    If you want a really good idea of your exact pants size, go to eshakti.com and have someone help you take ALL the measurements for a size profile. They also make custom pants, but the exercise alone should give you a really good idea what your shape is exactly.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    There's no method to the madness, you can go online and discuss the fact that the sizing is not regulated. What will work for you in one brand will not fit the same in another. Same holds true as to where the fabric was in the giant pile of fabric they cut, a top or bottom of the pile may be cut differently.
    Try on clothes that don't have a bit of give to be sure they fit.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    With the 25-26-27 kind of sizing, it's meant to correspond to your waist measurement (even if you wear the jeans in a totally different spot than your actual waist.) So in a perfect world, if I have a 25 inch waist measurement I'll buy 25 jeans, even if I wear them on my hips where the measurement is 31 inches. It's kind of weird and non-intuitive (and of course, some brands are vanity sized or whatever and even that doesn't work) but normally that's what you do if the jeans are sized that way instead of in dress sizes (0-2-4).
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    JEAN SHOPPING IS THE WORST. Even if you get all the measurements right and within the sizing chart it is still no guarantee that it will fit right. The cut, the type of fabric, the styling, the model the jeans were used to tailor on...it all factors in with fit.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I'm pretty sure women's jean sizing is completely random and has nothing to do with actual measurements. I couldn't buy jeans without trying them on first. Even 2 styles or even shades of color in the same brand are going to fit completely different.
  • fitdaisygrrl
    fitdaisygrrl Posts: 139 Member
    I'm also in a small town and do a lot of online shopping or wait until I'm in the "big city" so for sizing I go to the sizing chart for whichever store I'm at. Each store has different sizing and their charts will tell you where to measure for the best fit. That said, I have a few trusted places I go to and know I like the way they fit (ie: Rickis, Maurice's, The Gap). And as someone already pointed out, size 27 is the waist size (though again check the store's sizing chart).
  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
    It's supposed to be waist size, but that's a big ole' load of crap when it comes to women's sizing and I prefer to try them on.

    BUT, if I'm ordering online, which I do often, I'm pretty successful doing the following: a) start with the size chart (ideally, one prepared by the manufacturer, but if it's not available, just google it and use a generic one - a 27 would correspond to about a 6 or 8, I think); and then b) read reviews for that particular style of jeans and see if people are saying that they run big, small, tight, are not appropriate for curvy girls, etc. Even if you're not ordering from Amazon, you can usually find a lot of reviews there and it's really helpful so you can make the judgment to order up or down a size.
    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    I'm pretty sure women's jean sizing is completely random and has nothing to do with actual measurements. I couldn't buy jeans without trying them on first. Even 2 styles or even shades of color in the same brand are going to fit completely different.

    And this is true, too, especially from brands like *cough*OldNavy*cough* where they MASS mass produce their jeans. They cut a large stack of fabric at the same time, and the jeans from the bottom of the stack will be a little bigger than the jeans from the top of the stack, even though they're the exact same style and size.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    jwcanfield wrote: »
    I found a guide - don't know if the link will be accepted here. This is just a rough rule - now that rises are low/mid and all that, standards are non-existent it seems. missme.com/pages/womens-jeans-size-guide

    Which made me either a 29 or a 35 last time I took measurements. :tongue: And that's why I never buy clothing without trying it on.
  • crooked_left_hook
    crooked_left_hook Posts: 364 Member
    Oh- I should add that the jeans "waist size" does not always correlate with actual waist size. For example Gap size 28 has a 28.5" waist but Levi's size 28 has a 29.25" waist.
  • thereshegoesagain
    thereshegoesagain Posts: 1,056 Member
    Thanks for your replies everyone. We are going to San Francisco in a few weeks, so will have plenty of stores to try on jeans. And for my birthday, my husband gave me a some gift cards so it's almost like they will be free!
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    It's waist measurement but depending on the brand, it won't necessarily fit. I have a 27 inch waist but some brands don't have enough give in the thighs and butt to fit me.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories