DIY projects are pretty fun and rewarding at the same time. It’s because you’ve accomplished something new like making your own pants without having to buy at the mall. It’s a great project to stir your creativity.
When making pants, that means doing your own measurements. Part of it is to perfectly measure your inseam. Here’s how you can measure your inseam the right way.
Things You Will Need
- Nice fitted pants
- Tape measure
- Pen and paper
Measuring Your Inseam
- Pick one of your pants that fits you well
- Wear one of the pants that you’re trying to copy for your DIY project.
- Observe in the mirror how the fit is, is it too loose or tight? Make sure that you feel comfortable wearing the pants since this is your basis for the measurements on making a new one.
- In the future when buying new pants at the mall, you can use this technique to get the right inseam that fits you well.
- Copying the inseam measurements from the tag
The easiest way to get rid of measuring your own inseam is by checking your existing pants’ tag. Most likely, the manufacturer will include a tag at the back with these specifications: size, inseam details and instructions on how to wash it.
If you find the inseam details on the tag, then you can proceed with making your own pants. If not, then proceed to to measure your inseam manually.
- Laying the pants flat
- Find a table or any flat surface where you can lay your pants.
- Then, smooth out the pants making sure that there’s no creases and keeping it even on the surface.
- Start folding the pants horizontally, having each of the legs aligned and even from one another.
- Fold the pants again to check the inseam
- You will need to pull the bottom part of the pants’ leg and fold it over the top revealing the inseam.
- Doing this technique will make it easier for you to measure the inseam later on.
- Then, smooth out the surface of the pants making sure that it’s still laying flat onto the surface.
- Start measuring the pants manually
- Keep the bottom top of the pants folded and leave the inseam exposed for measuring.
- Lay your measuring tape starting from the crotch inseam until the lower part of the pants.
- Check if the start of the measuring tape is on the crotch inseam and then go to the end of the pants and check the final measurement.
- Record the measurements correctly, it’s preferred to have the measurements done at least twice to verify the exact inseam measurements.
- Start making your own DIY pants
You may now go ahead to start making your own DIY pants now that you have your inseam measurements. You can also use this measurement as a guide when buying new pants instead.
Also remember that when making your own pants, you will not only measure the inseams but the rest of the pants. Make sure to not skip those before you start cutting your cloth for the pants.
Keep these measurements for future use and provide updates of your measurement just in case there are certain changes you plan on doing. This will come in handy when you need new pants instead of measuring it again.
There you have it, hopefully this guide helped you to learn how to measure your inseam. Don’t forget to share these tips to your families and friends to get better fitting pants.
David Nilsen is the former editor of Fourth & Sycamore. He is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. You can find more of his writing on his website at davidnilsenwriter.com and follow him on Twitter as @NilsenDavid.