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, 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 and more proportionate. 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!

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 your 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 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.

Understanding men's pants sizes can seem straightforward but is often misleading. It's more than just two numbers. The waist size, typically the first number on a sizing label, measures around your waist. The inseam length, usually the second, measures the leg from the groin to the bottom of the pants. Mainstream retailers 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!

Like the one above, the chart below will give you an estimate of which jogger inseam will fit you best based on your height. Even moreso than other pants, it has been impossible to find joggers that fit at the perfect length for shorter men. Joggers from most major retailers are way too long to fit guys below 5'10" and to make matters worse, joggers can't be hemmed by a tailor due to the elastic cuff. Our joggers come in two inseam lengths, short and regular. Keep in mind, joggers are meant to be shorter than what your typical inseam is. Therefore, see the chart below for our recommendation is for jogger inseams based on your height.

Converting Metric Height to US Height & Recommended Inseam Size

What is a men's pants inseam?

This is the length of your pant leg from the crotch seam down to the bottom of the pant. Most retailers only offer men's inseams down to 30 inches so you have never really seen sizes that are made for you (without tailoring). See below to accurately measure and to find your proper inseam length.

Here is simple way to measure your inseam length:  

1. Put on a pair of pants that you currently own and take note of the inseam size.
2. Flip the cuff up to your desired length. Ideally, the pant leg should gently rest on the top of your shoes with little to no break.
3. Take off the pants and measure the length of the cuff you flipped. Subtract that number from the pant's length size.

For example, if you put on pants with a 30" inseam and you flipped the cuff up 3 inches, order the 27" inch inseam length from Under 510.

Your waist size is the measurement of the waist circumference around the top of the waistband. It is the first number on the label and should be the same on jeans, chinos, dress pants, and shorts for men.  

If you aren’t sure what your waist size is, here is what you can do to find it:

1. Take a measuring tape and wrap it around your waistline where you normally wear your pants.
2. Subtract 4 inches from that measurement to get your pant waist size.  

Welcome to Under 5'10!

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 great fit 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:

As you can see, each fabric that makes up our pants comes in a unique fabric with its own individual properties. Therefore, some may require deviations from your typical size

Jon Performance Pants: Slim-tapered ultra stretchy performance pant. Available black, blue, & gray, in both side and 5-pocket stylings. Runs slightly tight on waist, seat, and calf. Our recommendation: For thin, average, and athletic builds, order your normal waist size. For brawny builds, size up one waist size. If between sizes, size up (or better yet, order two sizes and return the ones that don't fit as well with for free!).

Trident Performance Pants: Slim-tapered fit with super stretchy techincal perfromance fabric. Elastic panels on sides of waist band for an easy fit. Available in Asphalt, Navy, Sand, and Green. Our recommendation: for all builds and body types, order your normal waist size.

Tyson Jogger - Lux jogger sweatpants in fleece or jersey knit (LTE) and in shorter inseams lengths. The best sweatpants for short legs! Runs true to size, but due to the elastic waistband, we recommend the following: For slim builds, size down, but for all other body types, order normal waist size. If between sizes, size down.

Fusion Jogger - Smart-casual joggers in ultra stretchy twill fabric makes these our best short length jogger for dressing up. Elastic waist and ribbed cuffs. Runs true to size, but due to the elastic waistband, we recommend the following: For slim builds, size down, but for all other body types, order normal waist size. If between sizes, size down.

French Terry Jogger - Smooth cotton Terry cloth in shorter inseam lengths. Runs similarly to the above Tyson. Runs true to size, but due to the elastic waistband, we recommend the following: For slim builds, size down, but for all other body types, order normal waist size. If between sizes, size down.

Bruce Jeans: Slim-tapered stretch jeans in a slubby, classic textured, midweight fabric. Available in blue, gray, and black. Runs true to size on waist. Our recommendation: For thin, average, and athletic builds, buy your normal waist size. For brawny builds, size up on your waist.

Xavier Jeans - Classic styled jean made from genuine Sorbtek stretch denim. Available in Raw Wash, and Light Wash. Runs skinny on the legs and tihgt on waist. Our recommendation - for slim, average, athletic, and brawny builds, order your normal waist size. If between sizes, size up.

Simon 3.0 Chinos: 5-pocket mid-weight chino in stretch twill fabric with a velvety brushed finish. Runs true to size on the waist with a skinny leg from the knee down to the ankle. For slim, and average builds, order normal waist size. For athletic and brawny builds with thicker calves, we suggest ordering a waist size up.  

Brushed Twill Traveler 5-Pocket Pants: (Currently Unavailable) Stretchy and soft twill pants that feel very soft to the touch. Runs true to size on the waist with a skinny leg from the knee down to the ankle. For slim, and average builds, order normal waist size. For athletic and brawny builds with thicker calves, we suggest ordering a waist size up.  

Bolt Performance Jogger - (Currently Unavailable) Lightweight, stretchy joggers that can be dressed up. Has elastic waistband with interior drawstring. More relaxed in the leg than our other joggers. Runs true to size, but due to the elastic waistband, we recommend the following: For slim builds, size down, but for all other body types, order normal waist size. If between sizes, size down.

Kingston Jeans: (Currently Unavailable - Replaced with Bruce Black Jeans) Solid colored jean in an extremely stretchy and comfortable fabric. Available in black, gray, and indigo. Latest batch runs very tight - Our recommendation: For all builds and body types, order one size up on the waist.

Getaway Chinos: (Currently Unavailable) Lightweight summer chino in a stretch, lux cotton twill fabric. Runs slim on the leg - For slim and average builds order your normal waist size. For athletic and brawny builds size up on the waist. If between sizes, size up.

Felix Flex Golf Pant (Currently Unavailable)Ultra lightweight golf pant performance chino in moisture wicking fabric.  Runs true to size. For all builds, order your normal waist size.

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 support@under510.com and let us know your thoughts!