For men’s pants, the first number on the tag is for the waist measurement, and the second number is the inseam length. In this way, shopping for pants in the men’s section is much more consistent and logical than the vanity sizing common to women’s clothing–you can pick up nearly any pair of jeans labeled 34×34 from any brand and it will be a pretty consistent fit. However, you may still want to try them on to decide if the cut of the jeans feels good to you.

When shopping for men’s belts, look for one that’s about two inches longer than the hip measurement for a proper fit–so if your pants are 32 x 34, you should look for a belt that’s 34 inches.

Back to the Shopping Guide