How to measure joggers and sweatpants for manufacturing

To measure joggers or sweatpants for manufacturing, lay them flat with the drawcord untied and record a fixed set of points of measure: waist relaxed and stretched, waistband height, hip, front rise, back rise, thigh, knee, inseam, outseam, leg opening, cuff height and the pockets. For each point, state where it starts and ends, whether it is a half width or a length, and anything that was stretched. Most of the points start from the crotch point or the top of the waistband, so find those two first.

Who this guide is for

This guide is for brands, designers and anyone preparing a specification for joggers or sweatpants. The two words describe the same family of garment: a knitted trouser with an elasticated waist. "Joggers" usually means a tapered leg with a ribbed cuff, and "sweatpants" is the wider term that also covers an open hem. Everything below applies to both.

It is not a size guide for shoppers. A shopper needs a waist and an inside leg. A manufacturer needs every point that defines the shape, because a pattern maker has to rebuild the garment from your numbers and then check the finished pieces against them.

Before you measure

• Lay the joggers flat on a hard surface, front facing up, with the legs straight and side by side. Smooth out wrinkles with your hands without stretching the fabric.
• Untie the drawcord and let the waistband relax to its natural width.
• Measure them washed. If the pair has been worn and washed, that is the size you actually like. If it is new, say so, because knitted fabric can shrink in the first wash.
• Use a soft tape measure and work in centimetres to one decimal place.
• Find the crotch point. This is where the two inner leg seams meet the front and back seams. Rise, inseam and thigh all start from it, so mark it with a pin.
• Measure straight across for widths and along the seam for rise, inseam and outseam.

Jogger points of measure

There is no single enforced method for measuring trousers, and companies differ on details such as where the hip and knee are taken. The methods here are the ones we ask for. Whichever you use, write the method next to the number.

Waist and waistband

A. Waist, relaxed

Measure straight across the top edge of the waistband from one side to the other, with the elastic at rest. This is a half measurement: the waistband goes round the body, so the full relaxed waist is double the number.

B. Waist, stretched

Hold the waistband at both sides and extend it until the elastic stops, without forcing it. Measure the same line again. The relaxed and stretched numbers together tell a manufacturer how much elastic to use and how firmly the waist will grip. One number without the other is not enough for an elasticated waist.

C. Waistband height

Measure from the top edge of the waistband down to the seam that joins it to the body. Note how the waistband is built as well: a separate ribbed band, or a channel of the same fabric folded over elastic, and whether the drawcord comes out through eyelets or stitched openings.

Hip and rise

D. Hip

Measure straight across the joggers from edge to edge, parallel to the waistband, at a fixed distance below its top edge. Write that distance down. Specifications differ on where the hip is taken, so a hip width with no position attached cannot be checked by anyone else.

E. Front rise

Start at the crotch point and follow the front seam up to the top edge of the waistband. In this guide the rise includes the waistband. If you measure to the waistband seam instead, say so, because the difference is the full waistband height.

F. Back rise

Turn the joggers over and measure from the crotch point up the back seam to the top edge of the waistband. The back rise is longer than the front, because the garment has to travel further over the seat. The gap between the two is what gives a pair room to sit and bend in, so always record both.

Thigh, knee, inseam and outseam

G. Thigh

Measure straight across one leg, 2.5 cm below the crotch point, from the inner edge to the outer edge. Taking it just below the crotch, not at it, avoids the bulk where four seams meet. This is a half measurement.

H. Knee

Measure straight across one leg at a fixed distance below the crotch point, and write that distance down. Halfway along the inseam is a common choice. The knee width is what separates a tapered jogger from a straight leg, so it matters more than it looks.

I. Inseam

Start at the crotch point and follow the inner leg seam down to the bottom edge of the leg. Include the cuff. If the cuff is deep, it helps to note the inseam to the cuff seam as well.

J. Outseam

Start at the top edge of the waistband and follow the outer edge of the leg down to the bottom edge, again including the cuff. Many joggers have no side seam; the outer fold of the flat garment is the line to follow.

Outseam, inseam and rise check each other. If the three do not roughly agree, one of them was measured from the wrong point.

Leg opening and cuff

K. Leg opening

Measure straight across the bottom edge of one leg. On cuffed joggers, measure across the bottom of the cuff with the rib relaxed, and then again with it gently extended. On open-hem sweatpants, measure across the hem. This is a half measurement.

L. Cuff height

Measure from the seam where the cuff joins the leg down to the bottom edge of the cuff. Note whether the cuff is a ribbed band or elastic inside a folded hem, because the two behave differently on the ankle.

Pockets

M. Side pocket opening

Measure the length of the pocket mouth from end to end. Then fix its position: the distance from the top edge of the waistband down to the top of the opening. State whether the pocket sits in the side seam or is cut on a slant across the front, and add the depth of the pocket bag if it matters to you.

N. Back pocket

Measure the width and the height of the pocket. Then give two position measurements: from the top edge of the waistband down to the top of the pocket, and from the centre back seam across to the nearest pocket edge. Say which side it is on, as worn. A pocket that is the right size in the wrong place is one of the easiest errors to make and one of the most visible.

Half widths and stretched measurements

A flat garment shows half of every circumference. A waist that measures 38 cm across is 76 cm around. Factories work with both conventions, and a number with no label is a common cause of a wrong sample, so write "half" or "full" next to every width.

Elasticated and ribbed parts have two states. The waistband and the cuffs should be measured relaxed and again extended. Nothing else is stretched: do not pull the leg or the seat when measuring.

What the numbers do not show

Two pairs can share every measurement and still feel different. Add these in words:

• Fabric. Loopback French terry or brushed-back fleece, and the weight. The same pattern hangs differently in each; our fabric guide compares them.
• Leg finish. Ribbed cuff, elasticated hem or open hem.
• Waist build. Rib band or self-fabric channel, drawcord type, eyelets or stitched openings.
• Seams and panels. Side seams or none, knee panels, a gusset, a seam down the back of the leg.
• Whether they belong to a set. If the joggers will be sold with a hoodie, say so at the start. Fabric, colour and rib then have to match across both pieces, which our custom tracksuit page explains.

Tolerances

No factory produces every piece to the millimetre, so a specification includes a tolerance: the difference you will accept on each point. There is no single industry standard. The brand proposes tolerances and agrees them with the manufacturer before bulk production, not after it arrives.

Knitted fabric moves more than woven fabric, and long measurements such as inseam and outseam vary more than short ones such as cuff height. Our hoodie measurement guide covers how tolerances are usually set on fleece garments.

Common mistakes

• Giving one waist number for an elasticated waist. It needs relaxed and stretched.
• Measuring the rise to the waistband seam on one pair and to the top edge on another.
• Recording only the front rise. The back rise decides how the seat fits.
• Taking the hip or knee without writing down where.
• Leaving the cuff out of the inseam, or including it without saying so.
• Measuring with the drawcord tied, which shortens the waist.
• Mixing half and full widths without labelling them.
• Measuring an unwashed pair and expecting the washed one to match.
• Giving pocket sizes with no positions.

A spec table you can copy

Copy this table into a document or spreadsheet and fill it in for your sample size. Add a tolerance for each row.

From one size to a size range

You only need to measure one size, usually the one you sell or wear most. The manufacturer grades the pattern from there. Trousers are graded in two directions, not one: width at the waist, hip and leg, and length at the rise and inseam. A larger size is not simply longer, and not every brand wants the leg to lengthen at the same rate as the waist grows.

If you already know how you want the range to scale, for example the same inseam across several waist sizes, say so. Otherwise the grading is proposed for you and confirmed with the sample. How much each point changes between sizes is a decision for each brand; there is no universal set of increments.

Measuring joggers for NO FUGAZI

You do not need a finished specification to work with us. Send the measurements above, or send the pair whose fit you want, and we measure them and build the pattern. Either way the fit is proven on a sample before any bulk production, with one round of changes included, and our minimum is 50 pieces. See how we make custom sweatpants and joggers, how we work without a tech pack, or send us your measurements on WhatsApp.

Questions

What measurements does a manufacturer need for joggers?

Waist relaxed and stretched, waistband height, hip, front rise, back rise, thigh, knee, inseam, outseam, leg opening, cuff height, and the size and position of each pocket. Each one needs a stated start and end point and a note of whether it is a half width or a length.

How do you measure the rise on joggers?

Lay the joggers flat and measure from the crotch point, where the inner leg seams meet, up the front seam to the top edge of the waistband. Turn them over and repeat on the back seam. State whether the waistband is included, and record both, because the back rise is longer than the front.

Is the waist measured flat or all the way round?

Flat, straight across the top of the waistband, which gives half the circumference. Label it as a half measurement. For an elasticated waist, measure it relaxed and again fully extended.

What is the difference between inseam and outseam?

The inseam runs from the crotch point down the inner leg to the bottom edge. The outseam runs from the top of the waistband down the outer edge of the leg to the bottom edge. The outseam is longer by roughly the rise.

Are joggers and sweatpants measured the same way?

Yes. The points of measure are the same. The difference is at the bottom of the leg: joggers usually have a ribbed cuff, which is measured relaxed and extended and has its own height, while open-hem sweatpants are measured straight across the hem.

Can I send a pair of joggers instead of measurements?

Yes. A reference garment is often the most reliable brief, because the pattern maker can measure it directly. Our guide to recreating the fit of a garment you own explains how that works.

Related reading

• How to measure a hoodie for manufacturing – the matching guide for the top half.
• How to measure a cap for manufacturing – points of measure for headwear.
• How to make a tech pack – where these measurements sit in a full specification.