Question about buying mens pants (1 Viewer)

[Andrew Pezzo]

Due to my lack of height I have a very hard time finding pants that fit. I am 5'4 and have a "stocky" build. I may be a little overwieght compared to what "experts" think is ideal but luckily I carry it very well, I certainly don't look heavy (I weigh about 165 - 170 lbs). I do work out a little so some of the wieght is muscle mass.

Problem is when I find the right waist size there is never an inseam size that works for me. What happens is when I find a pair that fits and has the inseam I am looking for (usually 29 inches) the crotch of the pants sit so low on me that I still end up walking on the pant legs. I don't mind have the pants altered but this doesn't help the low sitting waist. Another issue with this is that it seems all pants are made the same with nothing more than different inseams. I think this leads to the low sitting waist problem and having pockets so deep I can barely reach the bottom. If the inseam is short so should be the overall design of the pants. Needless to say finding pants that fit perfectly is rarer than the original Star Wars on DVD.

My questions is where can someone like me look for clothes that cater to shorter people? Online shopping has helped as many brick and mortar stores that don't carry my size do online. However even then its a gamble. Any ideas or suggestions? I am looking for pants for work, its a business causal environment. And I dont want to spend a lot of money (no more than $40-$50 per pair) since I dont like having to buy "work clothes".

 

[Scott Calvert]

Andrew, I'd like to know the answer to this also. And I'm 5'9! I dunno why finding a pair of jeans with a 28-29 inch inseam is so impossible. What's the deal?

 

[Andrew Pezzo]

I read an article some time ago about a short guy who was tired of wearing clothes that made him look like a parachute. He opened up his own clothing store catering to shorter people. I cant remember any other details though, may have on cnn.com.

Stores like the Gap force this imagine on us that every is tall and thin. Just look at the size of thier clothes in actual stores for proof. If I spend the 50 bucks on thier pants I dont want to spend more to have them altered. When are retailers going to learn not everyone is 6 feet tall. Whats worse is that because smaller sizes are in limited supplies they always sell so fast. I also have a hard time finding shoes cause my size sells out so quickly. Make more damnit.

Scott, have you ever checked online stores? This is the only place that comes close to getting my size but even then I need alterations sometimes.

 

[Danny Tse]

I know, I know....but Gap usually have both pants and jeans with 28-29-inch inseams.

I recently experienced a 2-inch "growth" in height so I now can wear a 30-inch inseam. And I am 36 years old.

 

[Leila Dougan]

My dad is 5'4" for work pants/slacks he just has them hemmed. Usually my mom does it, but he's also taken it to dry cleaners to have them do it. The cost is minimal. For jeans that just don't look right after being hemmed, he gets a certain kind of Levi's. I think they're called shrink-to-fit, but I'm not sure. All I know is that they are not pre-shrunk. Of all places, he's found that Miller's Outpost carries this style. He just gets the smallest inseam he can find and after a few washes, it's shrunk enough to fit him well.

 

[Malcolm R]

Some links here., though you may have been through them all already.

 

[Jay H]

I'm also 5'4" and have a 29" inseam. I have found 32" waists and 30" inseam but they are still slightly long. I'm really a 31" waist as I weigh 130lbs. If you have a Bob's Store near you, they seem to hem the legs for about $2 I believe. My father (also short) does this, me the cheap bastard just rolls the legs up when I'm not wearing shoes.

Jay

 

[Kevin Stewart]

Toughskins?





Stew

 

[Todd Henry]

I also wear 28/29 inseam with a 32" waist. The best department store I have found with them is Hechts at least for Dockers.

Todd

 

[Randy Tennison]

I have just he opposite problem. I'm 6'4", and all legs. Stores don't carry my size pants. I've actually talked to the buyers for different department stores, and my size pants falls in between. The regular size buyers consider my size "big and tall". The Big and Tall buyers consider my size regular. Thus, no one buys it.

I feel for you guys.

 

[Nathan*W]

The best damn Pants ever!

 

[Jeremiah]

Yes, the GAP has jeans with 28" inseams, they are not bootcut if that would matter to you. Also, J. Crew has some nice Chino pants that they hem for you if you ask them to, the 'relaxed fit' are more baggy while the regular straight fits are a little more form fitting(not tight at all though). I have about 3 pairs of Chino I ordered through J.Crew catalog and I ask for 29" inseams. Sadly, their jeans run long so I would look somewhere else for those.