Size guides
How to find your jeans size
Last updated 30 October 2026
Take your measurements, then read the size chart for the brand you're looking at. These steps are the short version.
How to find your jeans size (step-by-step)
- Waist: stand relaxed and run the tape level around where your jeans' waistband sits, with one finger of slack. If the chart says natural waist, measure there instead.
- Hip: feet together, tape around the fullest part of your seat, level all the way round.
- Rise: on jeans that fit, laid flat, measure from the crotch seam up to the top of the front waistband.
- Inseam: on jeans that fit, laid flat, measure from the crotch seam down the inner leg to the hem. If the chart lists body measurements, measure your inner leg with a helper instead (see our inseam guide).
- Read the brand's chart: check whether it lists body or garment measurements. For a body chart, use your waist and hip from steps 1 and 2. For a garment chart, compare with the same measurements taken on a pair that fits you, laid flat. Pick the size where waist and hip both fit, then choose length from the inseam.
Guides
- How to measure your waist for jeansMeasure your waist for jeans with a soft tape in a few minutes, then use it with a brand's size chart. Plus why your waist and jeans size can differ.
- How to measure inseam at homeMeasure your inseam at home on jeans that fit, or on your body with a helper. Then use the number with the brand's size chart.
Common questions
Why do jeans sizes vary by brand?
Brands don't share one sizing system. The same label can be cut differently from one brand to the next, and some labels are marked smaller than the tape measurement. Use the chart for the brand, and the style, you are looking at.
What do I do if I'm between sizes?
Check whether the denim is stretch or rigid. Some people go down a size in stretch and keep their usual size in rigid denim. Check your hips as well as your waist. If they point to different sizes, the hips are the harder place to change. Check the store's returns policy before you order.
What do rise and inseam mean?
Rise is the distance from the crotch seam up to the top of the front waistband. Inseam is the distance from the crotch seam down the inner leg to the hem. You can measure both on a pair that fits, laid flat. If a chart asks for the inseam of your body, measure your inner leg with a helper instead (see our inseam guide). They are not the same thing, and neither one is your size on its own.
Is my jeans size my waist measurement?
No. The number on the label is a size. Your tape measurement is the number you line up with that brand's chart. The two often differ, and the chart should say whether it lists your body or the garment.