whats the deal with women's pants?

[audreyinalbany]

Unlike our friend Karen, I'm not adverse to occasionally donning a pair of women's pants. Here's what I don't get: I'm not a terribly tall guy, around 5'10". I wear a women's size 12 pants comfortably. But they're so gosh darn long! I buy average, but, even then they drag on the floor. I bought a new pair of 2 3/4 inch boots yesterday and, with pants on, the heels barely show. I tried a pair of petite pants once and they were too short. I thought women had the reputation of being shorter than guys. So why are their pants so long????

[Annajose]

I tried them once, but they look funny on me and wearing pants for me defeats the purpose. I like skirts, pantyhose and heels. When I wear pants they are my male pants.

[marlaNYC]

it may be a curse to you, but that extra length has been a blessing to me as i'm 6'4". the Express Editor pant is a perfect fit for me but they're always way too short, flapping around my ankles. unless i can find the long...and those aren't so easy to come by. i'd suggest trying a pair in regular, or (if you like jeans), the Gap 1969 'perfect boot' regular - even the long in those was too short for me in 1 3/4" heels.

[kimdl93]

Its not that the pants are too long - your legs are too short! Just get them hemmed.

Allie GG is right - relative to height women have more inseam. I'm 6'2" and wear 34/35 inseams.

[Maddie22]

I also believe it is the way women wear the pants. If you notice that women wear the crotch of the pants at their crotch. Men's pants sag, and have more room between the crotch area of the pant and their actual crotch area.

[Karren H]

If it's 20 below zero I'm not adverse at all! Pants just have too many measurement variables. . Where as skirts have considerably less... Less being one... Waist. And everyone knows less issues is better! .

[Vickie_CDTV]

You will have to find a tailor/seamstress and have the pants that are too long hemmed. I always have the same problem with male pants, and with some skirts too (the average waist to length proportion is wrong for my body.)

[Michelle James]

Petite is just a little too short for me and average too long. My routine is 1. buy the pants. 2. Wash the pants twice. 3. Take them to my seamstress to be hemmed. I just got used to it. I found out the hard way to wash them a couple of times before taking them to be altered. I ruined a pair of pants by altering first. once they shrunk nothing left to do but make capris out of them.

[Cdnikkita]

Gotta love girls yoga pants ( lululemon) the way they fit and the feel is amazing

[Stitch]

I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum. I'm so small in height I always have to take my trousers up, or buy them from the petite section. Damn short legs!

[Claire Cook]

Yes, it's about both inseam length and waist length. Soem women are long-waisted, some short-waisted, some are short legged, some are long legged. Like everything else about women's clothes -- sizing is mysterious! Bottom line -- I try it on first. BTW, I prefer higher waisted slacks -- then seem to de-emphasize my shoulders.

And Karren and I will never agree -- I LOVE women's slacks (and jeans, and shorts, and skirts, and dresses, and... and...)

[teri222]

I'm 5'81/2 and wear a 32x32 in men's jeans. My women's jeans are 8 long. A little tight around the
waist lately but the length seems to fit right with heels or flats.

[jillleanne]

Its not that the pants are too long - your legs are too short! Just get them hemmed.

Allie GG is right - relative to height women have more inseam. I'm 6'2" and wear 34/35 inseams.

The other secret to getting them to fit properly is get yourself some hips, you know, those things women don't want and we don't have. The hips draw the pants up on women and not us. I wear womens pants/jeans primarily because they just feel better, particularly the stretch type jeans. Remember, unless they are hipsters, pull them up to where they should be worn on a woman and be sure to add a belt that matches the shoes/purse/accessories.

[cdsara]

I have wanted to find a nice pair but I am 6'5" and finding them might be tough.

[Eryn]

I was pleasantly surprised when I found that Levi's 505s in 8 long fit my 31 waist 34 length body better than men's jeans. That bit of spandex makes all the difference. When I have to wear men's jeans now they feel so baggy and uncomfortable!

[Steph.TS]

I'm 6'2" I wear size 10M but thinking I can fit into 8M, I find women's jeans quite comfortable, more pleasant then men's jeans.

[Babeba]

Especially in stores which are less expensive, there is a good reason for the long length: anyone can hem pants, but you can't piece fabric on to lengthen them. The super long legs mean that more people can buy the same design. Of course, then you run into other problems, like what part of the pant is designed for knees?

[erickka]

Don't forget that women's waists are at or above the navel, thus when pants are worn there, the length will be more to your liking. I buy longer slacks or jeans because the hint of a high heel peeking out from under the slacks looks nice, and if you observe many GG's, that is the style.

[Cheryl T]

The key here is to know your inseam and take a cloth tape measure with you when you shop so you can buy the right length.
It varies quite a lot from brand to brand and even style to style within the same brand. I am 5'12" and wear a 33" inseam I can get away with 34" if I'm wearing heels.

I'm not against slacks or jeans either and actually have 5 pair of jeans and 6 pair of slacks. I don't find them unfeminine at all and actually can be quite sexy with the right blouse and shoes.

[suchacutie]

For me it's just a bit more complex. I'm 5'10" as well but since my waist is not yet 10" less than my hip measurment, I can't buy "regular" pants. But, I buy low-rise size 8 pants (37.5 inch hip measurement) with a 33" or 34" inseam, and everything fits terrifically in either gender!

tina

[sometimes_miss]

I think that the women's pants are longer to accommodate the wearing of high heels.

There we go, we have a winner.

[Kelly767]

Every pair of women's pants I have bought are a little different from each other. I have the length adjusted for whatever heel I am going to wear with them, so that limits me to only one or two different shoes/boots to each pair. It's not easy.

[karanne]

I'll say that I rarely wear women's slacks, as the shortest inseam I can find is 30", and I take a 28" in guy's jeans (which are also hard to find!). I'm 5'6", but short, so I tend to wear skirts and dresses (and leggings) more often than not. However, a seamstress isn't a bad idea - I should have thought of that!

[Sophiewouldbenice]

Women pants for real women - I go with skirts and tights ^^.

[Tracii G]

9 reg in Jrs fits perfectly or 8 Misses short.