US jeans are usually labeled by waist in inches. On this site, nine styles use letter sizes, four are labeled by waist in inches, and four let you pick waist and inseam separately. Each product page says which.
Measure a pair you already own
This is the method that works, and it takes two minutes. Lay a pair of jeans that fit you flat on a table, buttoned, with no bunching.
- Waist. Measure straight across the top of the waistband from edge to edge, then double it. A pair that measures 16 inches across is a 32 inch waist.
- Inseam. Measure from the crotch seam straight down the inside leg to the hem.
- Rise. Measure from the crotch seam up to the top of the waistband at the front. Under 9 inches sits low, 10 to 11 inches sits at the natural waist.
- Leg opening. Measure across the hem and double it. Under 14 inches is tapered, over 20 inches is wide leg.
Letter size to waist, the usual US conversion
This table is the general conversion most US brands publish. It is a reference, not a measurement of these jeans. Where a product is sold in letter sizes, we have not yet measured the finished garment, so treat the numbers below as a starting point and compare against your own pair.
| Letter size | Waist, inches | Waist, cm |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 29 to 31 | 74 to 79 |
| Medium | 32 to 34 | 81 to 86 |
| Large | 35 to 37 | 89 to 94 |
| X-Large | 38 to 40 | 97 to 102 |
| XX-Large | 41 to 43 | 104 to 109 |
| 3X-Large | 44 to 46 | 112 to 117 |
The letter-sized styles here run Small, Medium, Large and XX-Large. None of them has an X-Large, and none goes to 3X-Large. Our supplier does not cut those sizes, and we would rather say so here than let you find out at checkout. If you measure into the X-Large row, take the XX-Large and expect a roomier fit, or pick one of the eight styles sold by waist measurement, which run from 28 to 56 inches.
Reading a waist and inseam label
A size written 32W x 30L means a 32 inch waist and a 30 inch inseam. Waist controls how it sits at the hip. Inseam controls where the hem lands.
| Inseam | Where the hem lands |
|---|---|
| 28 inches | Above the shoe, no break |
| 30 inches | Touches the top of the shoe |
| 32 inches | One fold at the ankle |
| 34 inches | Stacks over the shoe |
Baggy and wide leg pairs are cut long on purpose. If you are between inseams on those, the shorter one usually looks closer to the photo.
Between two sizes
- Slim and skinny: size up. Stretch denim gives at the thigh, not at the waistband.
- Baggy and wide leg: take your true waist. The looseness is in the cut, not the sizing.
- Elastic or drawstring waist: take the smaller size. The waistband takes up the rest.
What we have not measured yet
We do not publish finished garment measurements for these styles yet. Rather than copy numbers we have not checked, we have left them off. When we have measured each style ourselves, the numbers will go on the product pages.