Bracketing Tailored Shorts: Inseam Is the Size

Order two sizes of tailored shorts and the waist will tell you nothing. One pair will sit right at the waist and look wrong, because the hem hits the leg at the wrong place. The other will gap a little at the waist and look right, because the inseam is correct. The inseam is the size, and the waist is a distraction.

A tailored short lives or dies on where the hem falls. Too long, and the short reads as a cropped trouser, which is a different garment with a different proportion. Too short, and it reads as a casual short, which defeats the point of tailoring. The right inseam for a tailored short usually ends just above the knee, or at the knee, depending on the cut, and a half inch either way changes how the whole outfit reads. That is a finer margin than any other garment in this series, and it is why the inseam matters more than the waist.

Inseam is the size

Measure the inseam you want before you order, and compare it to the size chart, not the waist. Most size charts list the inseam, and most shoppers skip it. Do not skip it. If the chart says the inseam is five inches and you want seven, the short will be wrong, even if the waist fits perfectly. The waist can be taken in two to three inches at the centre back by a tailor. The inseam can be lengthened only if there is hem to let down, and most shorts are not cut with spare hem.

Try both sizes on and look at the hem first, before the waist. Stand straight, let your arms hang, and check where the hem falls relative to the knee. Then sit down and check whether the short rides up. A short that rides up when you sit will ride up all day, and the inseam that looks right standing is the one that stays put seated.

The waist gap fix

If the waist gaps at the back while the inseam is right, that is a tailor's job, not a smaller size. The two-finger rule applies here too: two fingers flat between waist and waistband is the right amount of ease, and a waistband that gaps more than that needs taking in. Do not size down to fix a waist gap, because the smaller size will shorten the inseam and change the proportion you just got right.

The fabric matters as well. Wool shorts, especially Super 120s and 130s cloth, drape and recover well, and they hold a crease, which is part of the tailored look. A wool short that is too tight at the thigh will pull and shine, the same as a wool trouser, and the fix is the same: size for the thigh and seat, and take the waist in.

When to keep both

Sometimes the answer is to keep both sizes, if the inseam is right on both and the difference is only the waist. A tailor can take the waist in on the larger pair, and you have a short that fits. But if the inseam is wrong on one pair, send it back, even if the waist fits. The waist is fixable. The inseam is the garment.

Keep the shorts whose hem falls where you want it, seated and standing. Take the waist in if it gaps. The inseam is the size.

Keep reading: Bracketing wide leg trousers: fix the waist gap without losing the drape, Bracketing Linen Shirts: The Collar Gap Test, Bracketing Flats: Heel Slip Is a Width Problem, Not a Length Problem.

Frequently asked questions

What matters most when sizing tailored shorts?

The inseam. It decides where the hem falls relative to the knee, and a half inch either way changes the whole proportion. The waist is the easiest part to fix.

How do I know the right inseam for tailored shorts?

Measure the inseam you want before you order and compare it to the size chart. Most charts list it, and most shoppers skip it.

Should I size down if the waist gaps on tailored shorts?

No, if the inseam is right. A waist gap is a tailor's job: taking it in two to three inches at the centre back is routine. Sizing down shortens the inseam and changes the proportion.

Do tailored shorts ride up when you sit?

They can, if the inseam is too short. Check the hem seated as well as standing. A short that rides up when you sit will ride up all day.