Women's pants are usually measured differently than men's pants. Although some manufacturers do use similar measurements, most will size women's pants based on a number that corresponds to the size of a woman's waist, and occasionally her hips. Knowing your correct size is especially helpful when you do not have the luxury of trying on the pants before purchasing them.
Measure around your waist at the narrowest area, usually around your belly button.
Measure the distance around your hips at the base of your hip bone.
Reference your size based on a size chart. Normally, this is referenced by waist measurement, but if your hips are larger than the size allows, then you may opt to use the hip measurement to determine size. As an example, size "2" is used for a 24.5-inch waist or 35.5-inch hips. Size "10" refers to a 28.5-inch waist or 40-inch hips.
Reference standard sizes, such as "small," "medium" or "large," based on waist size. As an example, size "small" relates to waist measurements of 26.5 inches to 27.5 inches, or numerical sizes "6" to "8."
Measure the length from the base of your hip bone to the base of your ankle bone. Combine this with your waist measurement, such as 28 inches by 32 inches, related to waist and inseam measurements, respectively.
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Writer Bio
C. Taylor embarked on a professional writing career in 2009 and frequently writes about technology, science, business, finance, martial arts and the great outdoors. He writes for both online and offline publications, including the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Samsung, Radio Shack, Motley Fool, Chron, Synonym and more. He received a Master of Science degree in wildlife biology from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences at College of Charleston. He also holds minors in statistics, physics and visual arts.