How Should a Pair of Men’s Trousers Fit?

One of the greatest reasons to have your clothing professionally measured and tailor made is to get a great fit. Well-fitting trousers feel and look great and not only look impressive in photos but they add some important confidence to the person wearing them. 

 

Think about it, when you wear something you’re not comfortable in, you won’t feel yourself. Well-fitted clothes will add to your confidence, whatever the occasion, so it’s worth getting the best fit, style, and lengths in all right areas. 

 

Trousers shouldn’t be so difficult to get right, but many people find them tricky. From men with broad hips wearing painfully skinny jeans, to thin men wearing deeply unflattering straight-legged jeans, to business men wearing suit trousers which are too long at the bottom and fray at the heel – there are examples of terrible trousers wherever you go! 

 

You might think that with the different areas of the trousers and the many different shapes and sizes of a man it could be tricky to find the right pair of trousers that fit you, but with attention to some key areas you’ll be able to achieve a great fit and trousers that add confidence and style to any occasion. 

 

There are five areas we’ll look at to give you the best fit for style, comfort and tradition. 

 

 

· Waist 

 

· Bottom 

 

· Depth 

 

· Leg width 

 

· Leg length 

 

So, here are the key areas with reasons why they’re important to focus on. 

 

Let’s start right at the top of the trousers on this difficult area for gents. The waistline can be an ever-changing area for men and one that can lead to subconscious fiddling, hoisting and over-tightening of belts if not measured correctly. The trousers should sit just above your hips so they can hang in a flattering way over your bottom and flow down your leg. Did you hear that, Simon Cowell? 

 

This is possibly the most important area to focus on. A smart pair of trousers should be just right on the waist. Firm but not tight. They should also stay in place without your belt. 

 

Next up (or down) we have the seat of the trousers that cover your bottom. Again, this is a key area for style, comfort and look. It can be all too common to sacrifice this area because the waistline is expanding or contracting and the seat of the trousers is overlooked. 

 

Simply put, there should be a little room around the bottom for comfort, but not too baggy and certainly not too tight. An easy way to judge if they’re too tight is to look at the front pockets. If they pull and gape then you need more room! 

 

The depth is where we focus on the area around the crotch that meets the bottom and is where you would be measured for your inside leg. Contrary to many comical sketches for this measurement, the tape and thus the measurement shouldn’t be right at the top of the leg – you need some depth! 

 

Depth in the trouser is important for comfort, manoeuvrability, and wear. When the trouser is correctly positioned on the waist you should have enough in the crotch, not too much and not too little. The absolute aim here is to give you room to move, sit, and so that you don’t have the seam pinching between your bottom! 

 

Most of the fitting is set by tradition and comfort but when it comes to width it is down to personal preference as well as for style and comfort. 

 

The width of the leg will obviously give you more or less room in the trousers but this is really down to you and the fashion/style that you’re after. There are many different styles and with flares being in and out, tight fitting being back and the high street again, this measurement will always change, even if your legs don’t. If you’re of a bigger build, it may be worth sticking to pleat-free, flat front trousers to avoid the fabric bulkiness enlarging your frame. We’d be happy to advise you on what best suits your body shape. 

 

The final measurement is the leg length. Now that we have a comfortable and well-fitting waist with a good bottom and depth, we can set the length, which will determine how the trousers hang. 

 

The correct way to wear a trouser for length is to have them just sitting on the shoe at the front when stood up straight with one break (small S – shaped fold) at the front, and part way down the shoe at the back above the heel. 

 

This will mean that when you sit down the leg will sit higher up your leg, showing the ankle and thus your socks. It’s a great excuse to get some funky socks or add some flare to your outfit though! We definitely won’t want your trouser leg too short or you’ll look like you’re wearing your uncle’s hand-me-downs. 

 

If your trousers are too long you’ll get excess material, which not only gets damp in the bad weather and frays, but also makes you look shorter than you are. Not a great image. 

 

We always recommend to avoid using jeans as a guide. Jeans are very common in everyday life and it would make sense to take the waist and leg measurement from your favourite pair to buy off-the-peg, but this isn’t advised. 

 

This is for several reasons: 

 

· They vary enormously in size and fit 

 

· They stretch and give as you wear them 

 

· And jeans rarely measure what the label says! 

 

 

Smart trousers from a reputable maker should be more consistent on sizing but we’d always recommend being measured and of course trying them on before you buy them. Don’t forget to bring your smart shoes with you so we can get the perfect trouser length for your shoes. 

 

We’d be happy to help, so pop into our Warwick Men’s store for a quick measure and a look around our vast range of stock. See you soon!