Sizing: How to Find Your Waist Size and Inseam Length

For those of us on the shorter side—like myself, standing at 5 foot 4 inches (162.5 CM)—it's no small feat finding pants and shirts that don't dwarf our stature. Every shopping trip seems to end with pants that are too long, too baggy, and frankly, unflattering. It's a common frustration: pants pool around our shoes, extra fabric bunch around our knees, shirts hang low untucked like a dress, and oh those awful looking rolled up long sleeves... Why are we always finding ourselves begrudgingly being forced into the costly and time consuming trip to the tailor? But imagine a world where everything in your wardrobe from your pants, to your jeans, joggers, and shirts fit perfectly right off the rack. That's the world we've crafted here at Under510.com.

Everyone knows that “Clothes make the man”, and in fashion, it’s often said, “The right fit is everything.” This holds particularly true for us shorter gentlemen. We need pants that offer a slim, tapered fit and shorter inseams to enhance our physique, making us appear taller, leaner, and more proportionate.

In this article we are going to first embark on a journey to redefine your wardrobe. We’ll begin by identifying your true pants size—crucial for that flawless fit. We'll talk about what an inseam is and how to find your waist size. From there, we'll explore the ideal shirt dimensions and then finally dive into personalized styling tips, which are further elaborated in our detailed fashion blogs.

Here at Under510.com, we pride ourselves on our unique offering: An extensive modern wardrobe ranging from assorted elegant fitting tops for short men to pants for short men (jeans, chinos, dress pants, joggers, and more!) with sizes specially designed for men under five foot ten. These are sizes you simply won't find elsewhere, ready to fit you perfectly without the usual hassle. The high-quality fabrics, styles, and cut's that we've created move with you, feel comfortable, and—most importantly—look like they were tailored just for you right off the rack!

Understanding men's pants sizes can seem straightforward but is often misleading. It's more than just two numbers. Many know their waist size, typically the first number on a sizing label, measures around your waist. Then there is the inseam length, usually the second number, which measures the leg from the groin to the bottom of the pants (known as the hem). Mainstream retailers typically offer inseams starting at 30 inches, but at Under510.com, we start at 24 inches with a tapered fit, ensuring no fabric goes to waste.

In our next section, we'll guide you on how to measure yourself for these sizes and introduce you to styling secrets that significantly enhance your look. From the importance of color choices to selecting the right footwear, we ensure every piece you wear complements your build and style. Disclaimer: Positive real-life transformations from the power of well-fitted clothes may occur.

Watch our quick video tutorial below for easy tips on how to measuring your inseam

Don’t Want to Measure Your Inseam? Use our suggested sizing to calculate your inseam length:

Below is a chart which suggests which inseam you are most likely to fit into based on your height. Note this is not going to be accurate to every guy, since it depends some guys have longer or shorter legs and therefore may need to deviate from the recommended size accordingly. However, this is a great starting point for you to get a good estimate of which inseam will fit you best.

If you still aren't sure which size to try, make sure to use the "What's My Size" button on each product page which will suggest a perfect fit. If you click the button below, you can take the sizing quiz now and see your recommended size on every product you find!

Similar to the chart above, the one below is tailored to help you find the perfect jogger inseam based on your height. Finding joggers for short men that hit and fit just right has been a longstanding challenge, as most options available at major retailers tend to extend far beyond a comfortable length for anyone under 5' 10. Moreover, the elastic cuffs on joggers mean they cannot be simply hemmed by a tailor. To address this, our joggers are available in two specific inseam lengths: 24'' and 26''. These 2 inseam lengths are ideal since they can accomodate almost anyone who falls anywhere in between the range of 24" to 28" inseams. Keep in mind your leg to torso ratio. You may need a longer inseam if you have longer legs and a shorter torso. The inverse is also true for those with shorter legs and longer torsos. It's important to note that joggers are designed to be worn slightly shorter than your usual pants. Therefore, refer to the chart below to find our recommended jogger inseams that align with your height.

Converting Metric Height to US Height & Recommended Inseam Size

The inseam is a crucial measure in fashion, defining the length of the pant leg from the crotch seam down to the bottom of the hem of the pant. Unfortunately, most retailers cater to only average heights, offering men's inseams that start at 30 inches. If you've struggled to find shorter inseams without resorting to tailoring, you're not alone. At Under510.com, we recognize this gap and provide options starting at 28" inseams and going down to 24" inseam.

Finding your waist size is a fundamental step in ensuring a good fit for your pants, jeans, chinos, joggers, dress pants, and shorts. The waist size, typically the first number listed on clothing labels, represents the circumference of the waistband.

Steps to Measure Your Waist Size Accurately

1. Gather Your Tools: You will need a flexible measuring tape for an accurate measurement.
2. Find the Right Spot: Position the measuring tape around your waist at the height where you normally wear your pants. This is usually just at or slightly below the belly button for most fits.
3. Measure Correctly: Ensure the tape is horizontal all the way around and snug but not digging into your skin. Stand naturally, breathe normally, and do not suck in your stomach.
4. Read the Measurement: Look at the number on the tape where it meets the end. This is your waist circumference. Subtract 4 inches from that measurement to get your pant waist size. For reference, I am 5'4 with an athletic build. My pants size is 31x25 (31" waist and 25" inseam). The measuring tape around my waist measures at 35" and if I subtract 4'' (35-4=31), I get my true waist size of 31 inches.

Use this measurement as your guideline when shopping for pants to ensure the best fit possible. For accuracy, you may want to take the measurement a couple of times or have someone help you to ensure the tape is level and correctly positioned. If the brand you are shopping with offers free shipping plus free returns and exchanges like ours, then I encourage you to purchase multiple sizes on your first purchase to save time finding that perfect fit.

If you're new here, we recommend experimenting with a few sizes of our pants and shirts to find your perfect fit. Enjoy free shipping on US orders over $150 and hassle-free returns and exchanges. Start your journey to a wardrobe of high quality and great fitting clothes right now!

Pants Sizing Variations: Since each pant is made up of a unique fabric, they each fit a little bit differently. As a result, you may need to deviate from your typical waist size. Here is our current collection of pants with sizing recommendations based on fabric type and how the pant runs:

Button down shirts are another menswear item that has frustrated short men forever. Shirts are often way too long and baggy in the overall length in the sleeves relative to the chest and neck measurement. It's the reason we made tucked and untucked shirts that have a proportionately stellar fit on a shorter man.

Our shirts are sized to fit a shorter man properly, without any alterations. We designed our shirts to fit and feel like a custom tailored shirt. The shirts are made and proportioned specifically for men under 5'10. Our cut is narrower through the shoulders, slimmer through the torso, and shorter overall in length.

BUTTON DOWN SHIRTS FOR SHORTER MEN SIZING CHART

Finding the right neck Size:

The neck size of your shirt is simply the circumference of the collar. Here are two methods to find it:

1. Check the collar size of your favorite dress shirt on the label. If you can't find it, you can lay it down on a flat surface and flatten out the collar horizontally. Then measure the distance from button hole to button.
2. Another method is to use a measuring tape and measure the base of your neck - but make sure not to make it too tight. You should be able to fit two fingers comfortably under the measuring tape.

Finding the right sleeve length:

This one is tricky; it is NOT the distance from the shoulder seam down to the bottom of the shirt cuff. Rather, it is the distance from the center of the back of the collar, down along the shoulder and down to the bottom of the shirt cuff. (You would notice the former is wrong because most shirts are offered in sleeve sizes starting at 32" and the distance from the shoulder seam to the shirt cuff is going to be much less than that.)  

Here is how to find your sleeve length size:

1. You can check the sleeve length of your favorite dress shirt by laying it on a flat surface and measuring from the center of the back of the collar down to the bottom of the cuff.
2. If the shirt you are using is too long, simply subtract the excess length from the sleeve measurement. For example, if the shirt length is 35" and it is 3" inches too long, your proper sleeve length is 32".
3. While wearing a t shirt, you can also measure by using a measuring tape and measuring the distance from the center of the back of your neck, down your shoulder and arm to your wrist.

Finding the overall length:

A shirt's body length is measured from the center of the back, from the top of the collar to the bottom hem of the shirt. You can easily find this number by laying a shirt with buttons fastened, facing down on a flat surface. Measure the distance in inches from the bottom of the center of the collar down the the hem.

As always, we love to hear from our amazing community of short men! It's your feedback that allows us to improve and offer the best in clothing for short guys. For any sizing, styling, or general inquiries, please contact us at [email protected] and let us know your thoughts!