Trouser Hem Length Calculator
Find your perfect trouser length
You’ll need a tape measure, or just your height if you don’t know your inseam.
I own eleven pairs of black trousers and I’ve hemmed every one of them myself, because my mother taught me when I was nine. Here’s what that taught me: the wrong length ruins good trousers faster than the wrong size. Too long and you look swallowed. Too short and a wide-leg suddenly looks like a mistake instead of a choice.
This calculator gives you the exact finished inseam for the style of trousers you’re buying or hemming. It accounts for the shoes you’ll wear with them. Take the number to the store, to your tailor or to your own sewing table.
How to measure your barefoot inseam
You measure this once and use it forever, so it’s worth two minutes. It’s easier with a helper, but you can do it alone.
- Take off your shoes and stand on a hard floor with your feet hip-width apart.
- Put a hardcover book between your legs, spine up, and pull it up gently until it sits snugly where your inside leg seam would end.
- Keep the book level and mark the top of the spine on a wall, or have your helper hold it.
- Measure from the floor to the mark. That is your barefoot inseam.
No tape measure? Take a pair of trousers that already fits you well in flats, lay it flat, and measure the inside seam from the crotch to the hem. That’s close enough to your barefoot inseam for full-length styles.
How the calculator works
Your barefoot inseam is the distance from your crotch to the floor. Every trouser style has its own ideal finishing point relative to that line:
- Wide-leg, flare and bootcut: barefoot inseam + heel height − ½ inch. The hem should almost touch the floor in the shoes you wear with them, so the heel height is added in full.
- Straight, full length: barefoot inseam + heel height − 1 inch. This gives a slight break over the shoe without dragging.
- Ankle length: barefoot inseam − 2½ inches. The hem hits at or just above the ankle bone, so heels don’t change it.
- Cropped: barefoot inseam − 4½ inches, which lands at the narrowest point above your ankle.
- Culottes: about 72% of your barefoot inseam, just below the fullest part of the calf.
If you only enter your height, the calculator estimates your inseam at 45% of your height. That’s a reliable average for women, but your own legs may run a little longer or shorter.
Trouser length chart by height
These are estimates from average proportions, in inches. Use the calculator above for a number based on your own inseam.
| Height | Est. barefoot inseam | Wide-leg in flats | Wide-leg in 3 in heels | Ankle length | Cropped |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4’11” | 26½ | 26 | 29 | 24 | 22 |
| 5’1″ | 27½ | 27 | 30 | 25 | 23 |
| 5’3″ | 28¼ | 27¾ | 30¾ | 25¾ | 23¾ |
| 5’5″ | 29¼ | 28¾ | 31¾ | 26¾ | 24¾ |
| 5’7″ | 30¼ | 29¾ | 32¾ | 27¾ | 25¾ |
| 5’9″ | 31 | 30½ | 33½ | 28½ | 26½ |
Getting the length right after 40
Trouser length is one of those details that quietly ages an outfit. Hems that pool around flat shoes look sloppy, and hems that stop at mid-shin by accident look like you’ve outgrown them. My guide to clothes that age you over 40 covers the others.
- One pair, one shoe height. If you wear wide-leg trousers with heels and flats, you need two pairs, or you accept that one of them is a compromise.
- Ankle length is the most forgiving. It works with loafers, sneakers, ankle boots and heels, so it’s the length I’d choose for your first good pair.
- Crops need the right shoe. Pointed flats or a low-cut shoe keeps your leg line long. Chunky ankle boots with crops cut you in half.
- Hem for boots separately. For ankle boot outfits, straight trousers should skim the top of the boot or go over it, not stop just short of it.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between inseam and trouser length?
Inseam is measured along the inside leg seam, from crotch to hem. Outseam runs from the waistband to the hem down the outside of the leg and depends on the rise. Tailors and most size charts use inseam, so that’s the number to know.
Should I measure with shoes on?
No. Measure barefoot and let the calculator add your heel height. That way your one measurement works for every pair and every shoe.
How much fabric should I leave when I hem?
Leave about 1½ inches (4 cm) turned up inside for trousers, and a little less for lightweight fabrics. It gives the hem weight so it hangs straight, and it means you can let them down later.
Do petite and tall sizes matter, or can I just hem?
You can hem regular lengths, but petite and tall sizes also adjust the rise and knee position. On a wide-leg or flare, hemming off 3 inches or more can put the flare in the wrong place. If your number is far from the regular range, shop the right length range first.
Does the hem length change for jeans?
Use the same styles. Straight jeans follow the straight or ankle length, and wide or flared jeans follow the wide-leg length. Denim is thick, so a slightly shorter hem sits more neatly than one with a heavy break.
More Willow Forte tools
- Capsule Wardrobe Calculator: count how many outfits your trousers and tops really make.
- Cost-Per-Wear Calculator: see whether those good trousers pay for themselves.
- Best Colors Finder: find the colors that flatter you now.
- Outfit Formula Generator: three outfits for any occasion and weather.