Pants

A hand measuring the leg opening on a pair of blue jeans using a soft measuring tape, showing the proper technique for accurate measurement.

How to Measure the Leg Opening on Jeans | Step-by-Step Guide

Published on April 18, 2025

The leg opening measurement is a critical factor in how your jeans fit over your shoes and shape your overall look. Whether you’re shopping online, comparing styles, or getting your jeans tapered, knowing how to measure the leg opening properly ensures accurate sizing and a better fit.

In this guide, we’ll break down the correct method for measuring the leg opening on jeans—just like we do in our professional denim alteration shop at Williamsburg Garment Company.

📏 What Is the Leg Opening on Jeans?

The leg opening is the width of the bottom hem of a pant leg. This measurement determines how fitted or wide the jeans will fall over your shoes. Slim, straight, bootcut, and wide-leg jeans all have different leg opening sizes, which impact the overall silhouette of the jeans.

🔥 Why Does It Matter?

✅ Helps compare different fits when buying jeans online
✅ Essential for tapering alterations to ensure a balanced look
✅ Impacts how jeans sit on top of shoes

🛠 Step-by-Step: How to Measure the Leg Opening on Jeans

Follow these simple steps to accurately measure the leg opening of your jeans.

1️⃣ Lay the Jeans Flat

Place your jeans on a flat surface, like a table or the floor.
Smooth out any wrinkles, but do not stretch the fabric.

🔽 See the diagram below for proper positioning:

[Insert drawing: Jeans laid flat with a focus on the hem area]

2️⃣ Align the Hem Evenly

Make sure both layers of fabric at the bottom hem are lined up evenly.
Some jeans, especially washed or worn pairs, may have twisting in the leg—try to align them as close to their natural shape as possible.

🔽 Illustration showing the hem properly aligned:

[Insert drawing: Close-up of the bottom hem, ensuring both sides are even]

3️⃣ Measure Across the Bottom Hem

Use a soft measuring tape and place it edge to edge across the leg opening.
Do not curve or wrap the tape—measure in a straight line.
Write down this measurement.

🔽 Example of correct measuring technique:

[Insert drawing: Measuring tape laid straight across the hem from one edge to the other]

4️⃣ Double the Measurement

Since jeans are measured flat, you’ll need to double the number to get the full leg opening circumference.
Example: If your measurement is 8 inches, the total leg opening is 16 inches.

🚨 Common Mistakes to Avoid

🔴 Not laying the jeans completely flat – Wrinkles and folds can throw off your measurement.
🔴 Measuring diagonally – Always measure straight across for accuracy.
🔴 Ignoring leg twisting – Some jeans may have a twist in the leg seam due to shrinkage or wash effects. Align them properly before measuring.

👖 How the Leg Opening Affects Fit

The leg opening measurement is key to understanding different jean styles:

Slim Fit Jeans – Narrow leg opening (usually 12″–14″)
Straight Fit Jeans – More room at the ankle (14″–16″)
Bootcut Jeans – Slight flare to fit over boots (16″–18″)
Wide-Leg Jeans – Loose fit with a larger leg opening (18″+)

📢 Thinking about tapering your jeans? If you want a smaller leg opening, professional tapering is the best way to achieve a clean, proportional fit. Check out our denim tapering service for expert alterations.

🎥 Watch the Video: Measuring the Leg Opening

For a full demonstration, watch our step-by-step video on how to measure the leg opening on jeans featuring Maurice Malone of Williamsburg Garment Company.

📌 Subscribe for more denim fit and alteration guides!

This blog post is now optimized for readability, SEO, and usability with step-by-step instructions and custom drawings to assist readers. I’ll generate the requested illustrations now. Stay tuned! 🎨📏

Black-and-white illustration comparing slim-fit and baggy jeans, highlighting differences in inseam fit and rise.

101/Denim

Hemming 101: Why the Same Inseam Length Can Fit Differently

Published on January 2, 2025

We have extensive experience hemming jeans and pants, as well as providing fittings to numerous customers. One of the things we often hear from those who request the same inseam without going through a fitting session is that they ordered the same inseam across their various jeans and pants, but some came out longer or shorter than others. Therefore, when a customer arrives with multiple jeans or pants and requests the same length throughout the styles, we explain why it could be a mistake.

The same inseam length can look different on various styles of jeans and pants. For instance, jeans or pants with identical waist measurements and inseam lengths but different rise measurements will fit differently. A pair with a 1-inch longer rise may result in a hem that falls 1 inch lower.

Similarly, the waist opening measurement affects where the jeans or pants sit on your body. Larger waist openings cause them to sit lower on your hips, making them appear longer even if the rise and inseam are the same.

Moreover, the labeled waist size doesn’t always match the actual waist measurement, and even the same size in the same brand can vary. While the same brand and style are more likely to fit the same, it’s not always guaranteed.

For those seeking consistency in the positioning of their jeans and pants, it is advisable to invest some extra time in separately fitting each pair. It would be a mistake to assume that the same length would yield the same results across styles. Therefore, always measure each pair individually for hemming.

Close-up of professional pant hemming, showing the pressing process after sewing. The image is part of a video tutorial by Denimbmc.com on how to hem pants correctly.

Denim/How To

How to Hem Pants by a Pro

Published on October 21, 2024

When it comes to hemming pants, maintaining the original look is key. Many tailors use what’s known as an “original hem alteration,” where they cut off the hem and reattach it with an added seam. But let’s be honest—that’s a poor man’s alteration technique. It compromises quality, especially for pants that aren’t distressed jeans. Following the manufacturer’s original stitching and details is the only way to ensure a professional result. Anything less can cost you discerning customers once they notice the poor craftsmanship inside their pants.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to hem pants professionally. If you have an industrial sewing machine, you’ll be able to follow along—just make sure you have the correct thread and needle sizes. These details matter, and most tailors overlook them.

If you’re using a home machine, the techniques I cover can work for lighter fabrics, but for heavyweight pants or workwear, a home machine won’t cut it. These require heavier thread and larger needles, and home machines typically don’t have the power to punch through tough fabrics like industrial machines do.

For those looking for a trusted professional to hem your pants, you’ve come to the right place. Williamsburg Garment Company is the nationwide leader in denim, workwear, and knit alterations. We specialize in giving you flawless, professional results—without any visible signs of alteration. Using factory-level machines and techniques, we deconstruct and reconstruct garments to preserve their original look and quality.

We may not be the fastest or the cheapest, but we’re committed to providing the best possible fit and finish. And we’ve made it simple to order alterations from anywhere. If you can order pizza online, you can order professional alterations from us. Just head over to WilliamsburgGarment.com and get started with a few clicks.

The hem of tailored jeans next to parts of the original leg size shows an example of what it means to have "tapered jeans alterations." — This photo is an example of "tapered jeans alterations." It shows the hem of a pair of selvedge jeans that have been tapered from the inseam to narrow the leg opening. Next to the resized legs of the jeans is the original, wider portion of the jeans leg and discarded denim fabric, which has been cut away from the garment to decrease the leg size.

Denim/What is?

What are tapered jeans and pants?

Published on November 16, 2022

There are two meanings when it comes to “tapered” as related to jeans, pants, and other garments designed to wear over the legs.

Related to alterations or tailoring: The term “tapered jeans” and “tapered pants” refer to garment bottoms worn over the legs that have been altered to narrow the shape of the legs.
Related to the design or style of a garment: It’s a jean or pant with a leg that narrows dramatically from the knee to the leg opening. Tapered clothing should not be confused with slim-fit or other jeans and pants with legs that gradually decrease in size from the knee to the leg opening.

Example of use (related to alterations): I had my jeans tapered because the legs were too baggy.

Raw denim selvedge jeans that have been tapered using the tapering alterations process to narrow the leg shape. The excess denim from the jeans can be seen in front of the jeans. — Selvedge jeans that have been tapered using the tapering alterations process to narrow the leg shape while shortening the inseam length. The excess denim from the jeans can be seen in the front of the jeans.

Example of use (related to design or style): I bought tapered jeans because I wanted the leg opening to be small enough that the hem wouldn’t cover my shoes.