Question:
This confuses me and i'd like a definitive answer as to where you measure your waist. I've always measured at my navel / true waist which gives me a 31" measurement. If i measure 3 inches below my navel, where i wear my jeans, then my measurement is 33". I'm pretty sure the navel / true waist measurement is correct as low-mid rise jeans seem to be about an inch bigger to allow for wearing your jeans lower on your hips. Help me clear this up....
Answer:
see
most jeans are tagged according to the waist, but cut to fit at the hips, which is bigger than the waist.
Answer:
forget the navel. your true waist is just above your hipbones.
why? because some folks have a high navel, and some a low one.
dont know about the sizes, you must ask the manufacturer to get the real answer.
Answer:
At your smallest-around point, usually, as a tailor said, just above your hipbones, is your waist. Whatever that measurement is in inches is usually your jeans size no matter where they are supposed to sit. For me, I am a 32 in almost all pants, jeans included, regardless of where they sit. For some brands though, you'll need to ask (in the quick questions thread preferably) because their sizing is a little weird.
When asking specific sizing questions, it's often helpful to measure a pair of jeans whose fit you like, and provide some data points like "most of my jeans sit about 3" below my true waist and measure around 33".
It's actually sometimes more confusing with dress pants sizing, but for a different reason - some dress pants are vanity sized, especially low rise ones from mass marketers, who size them like jeans (above), while others are sized by an exact measurement of the waist.
It's always best to get true measurements of anything you are thinking of buying sight unseen, or if not, try to buy two sizes so you can keep the better one and return the others.
