How to Measure Your Crotch for Pants

Co-authored by Andrea Beaulieu and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: July 27, 2022 References

Before you cut fabric or buy your next pair of pants, take a few measurements to ensure a good fit. If you have a friend that can help you take measurements, that's great but not necessary. All you need is a measuring tape to learn your crotch depth and length. By using accurate crotch measurements, your pants won't be baggy or too tight.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Measuring Your Body

1
Sit straight in a chair to measure your crotch depth. The distance from your waist to the bottom of your crotch is called the crotch depth. If you're working with a sewing pattern, this is shown as a vertical line from the top of the pants to the bottom of the crotch curve.^{[1]
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- Put on a pair of pants that fits or just take the depth measurement while you're wearing your underwear.
- If you don't have a chair nearby, sit flat on a bench or table.
2
Hold a measuring tape vertically from your waist to the seat of the chair. Keep the end of the measuring tape firm against your waist and pull the tape down the along the curve of your hip until you reach the chair. This gives you the crotch depth measurement.^{[2]
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- The crotch depth is sometimes called the rise length.
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3
Stand up straight in front of a mirror to measure your crotch length. The distance from the back of your waist to the front of your waist is your crotch length. If you're working with a sewing pattern, the crotch length looks like a large U in the center of the pants pattern.^{[3]
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- Pay attention to the measuring tape and fix it if it's twisted. If the tape isn't completely smooth, it will make your length measurement inaccurate.
Tip: If you have difficulty twisting your torso, ask a friend to help you take the crotch length measurement.
4
Hold the measuring tape from your waistline so it goes through your legs. Press the end of the measuring tape at the front of your waist and pull the tape through your legs so it goes around the curve of your bottom. Grab the tape and pull it to the back waist so the tape feels snug all along your crotch. Pinch the tape so you can read this length measurement.^{[4]
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- Ensure that the measuring tape wraps along the curves of your belly and button so your pants fit perfectly.
- Don't pull so hard that the fabric puckers on the sides of the tape or the measurement will be too short.
5
Squat a little when you take the length measurement to add flexibility. Standing up straight when you measure the crotch length gives you a good starting measurement, but you move around when you wear pants. Squat down so your knees stick out a little in front of you and take the length measurement again. If it's larger than your original measurement, use the larger one.^{[5]
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- Avoid squatting down to the floor or your length measurement may be too long.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Measuring a Pair of Pants

1
Choose a pair of pants that fit you well to take accurate measurements. If you're using pants that are too baggy, the excess fabric may throw off your measurements. This is why it's important to measure a pair of pants that fits you comfortably.^{[6]
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- Pants that are too tight make it difficult to sit or squat, which makes your crotch measurements too short.
2
Measure from the front inseam to the waist in order to find the front rise. Button the pants and lay them flat so there aren't any wrinkles along the crotch. Use a measuring tape to measure from the top of the waistband to the crotch seam. This is the point when the pant leg curves through the vertical crotch seam.^{[7]
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Did You Know? Although you can use the front rise measurement as a basis for crotch depth, it won't give you as accurate of a measurement. It's best to put on the pants and sit in a chair so you can see how the curve of your hip affects the crotch depth.
3
Measure the back rise and add it to the front measurement to find the crotch length. Flip the pants over and smooth wrinkles from the crotch. Pull the measuring tape from the crotch inseam up to the top of the back waistband. Then, add this number to the front rise number to get the crotch length.^{[8]
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- For example, if your front rise measurement is 13 inches (33 cm) and the back rise is 15 inches (38 cm), your crotch length measurement is 28 inches (71 cm).
4
Take your measurements twice and double-check them. It's easy to make a mistake when you're taking the measurement and writing it down, so ensure you wrote the right number. Do both measurements again and double-check them against the measurements you wrote.^{[9]
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- This is especially important if you'll be using the measurements to cut fabric for a pair of pants.