Creating a size chart for a pair of pants is often more complicated than for other garment types, as on top of the normal measurements, merchants often need to specify leg length and fit style (such as “slim fit” or “regular fit”). With the length, the main challenge comes from the fact that the ratio of leg length to hip circumference can vary depending on the morphology of the shopper. For this reason, manufacturers need to offer their pants in different lengths even for the same size.
With Sizefox, you can create a main size chart for the primary measurements (0 to 12 for example) and also a secondary size chart to specify the available lengths of the pants.
When we talk about pants sizes we need to keep in mind that there are basically 3 types of sizing conventions: the US ones, the European ones and finally the one used for jeans.
European pant sizes
These are the normal sizes used in Europe, for example a 40 for women or a 50 for men. Generally speaking, the sizes of formal pants are indicated according to this model.
US pant sizes
Even within the US market only, we have different sizing systems, the most used being the letter sizing (XS to XL) and the number sizing (from 0 to 14 and more).
Jeans sizes
Brands and manufacturers of youth clothing tend to indicate the size with the width of the waist and the length of the leg. This applies not only to jeans, but also to casual and sporty trousers such as chinos. The two measurements (for example 28/30) are always expressed in inches and not in centimeters.
Relevant measurements to add to your pants size chart can of course differ depending on the style of the garment. For a complete overview of the measurements used in the fashion industry for pants, you can refer to this article.
In this article, we will clarify how to create pants size charts, and which measurements are the most common ones for both men’s and women’s pants.
Pants size chart – Women
When creating a pants size chart for women, you will need to use different measurements depending on the style of the garment.
The most common ones are hips circumference, waist circumference and inseam, but you might need to add more measurements, for example to specify the length of the front rise in case the pants are high or low waist.
Here how to take the most used measurements:
Waist circumference for women’s pants
The circumference of the waist, measured at the narrowest point of the trunk, just above the belly button.
Hip circumference for women’s pants
The circumference of the hips, taken at the height of the maximum projection of the buttocks.
Inseam for women’s pants
The length of the leg, taken from the crotch until the ankle.
As your shoppers will most likely use body measurements when checking your size chart, make sure you insert this type of measurement and not the finished garment measurements.
Pants size chart – Men
When creating a size chart for men’s pants, you can use the same measurements as for the womens’ one, the only difference is that in male bodies the waist/hip ratio is higher, therefore the hip circumference in this case is generally speaking less relevant. In fact, hip circumference in male size charts is almost exclusively used for elegant pants, while for casual pants the majority of manufacturers specify only the waist circumference.
Here the measurements to take into consideration for your pants’ size chart:
Waist circumference for men’s pants
The circumference of the waist, which needs to be measured at the narrowest point of the trunk, keeping the measuring tape parallel to the floor.
Hip circumference for men’s pants
The circumference of the hips, taken keeping the measuring tape parallel to the floor, at the height of the maximum projection of the buttocks.
Inseam for men’s pants
The length of the leg, taken from the crotch until the ankle.
Tips for building Pants’ size charts
- Make sure you use body measurements in your size chart, as the visitors of your fashion ecommerce will most likely use those. If you need to use finished garment measurements, make it clear in your product pages.
- Try to add as many measurements as needed. The more indications you give to your customers, the better.
- Always specify if you are using a metric or imperial system (centimeters versus inches).
Building Pants’ size charts with Sizefox
With Sizefox you can quickly build sleek Shopify size charts for your product pages, but you can also use the size recommender to provide your shoppers with the right size indications.
With a 15-minutes set up and no tech hassles, Sizefox is currently distributed free of charge and it’s the most effective way to reduce returns and increase conversions in your shop.
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