Table of Contents
- What a 38 Inch Inseam Actually Means (And Who Needs It)
- How to Measure Inseam for Pants: Step-by-Step
- The Best Pants for Long Legs: What to Look For
- Tall Women's Clothing Brands That Deliver Real Inseams
- Tailoring and Hemming Limitations for 38 Inch Inseam Pants
- Shopping for 38 Inch Inseam Pants Online: Sizing Charts and Returns
- Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated: September 18, 2026
What a 38 Inch Inseam Actually Means (And Who Needs It)
A 38 inch inseam is the distance from the crotch seam of a pair of pants to the bottom hem, and it is one of the longest standard inseams made. Most brands top out at 34 inches. So a true 38 inch inseam is rare, and it is usually cut for women around 5'11" to 6'5".
Here is a quick way to picture the gap:
- Average women's inseam: about 30 to 32 inches
- Standard "tall" inseam: about 33 to 35 inches
- True long inseam: 36 to 38 inches
How to Measure Inseam for Pants: Step-by-Step
Learning how to measure inseam for pants takes about two minutes and one soft measuring tape. Do it once, write the number down, and you stop guessing at size charts forever.
Measuring at Home With a Tape and a Helper
- Put on leggings or thin pants, not jeans.
- Stand straight against a wall with your feet flat.
- Have a helper hold the tape at your crotch seam.
- Drop the tape straight to the floor beside your ankle.
- Read the number in inches and write it down.
Keep the tape vertical. A tape that drifts forward adds length that is not there.
Using a Well-Fitting Pair You Already Own
- Lay your best-fitting pants flat on the floor.
- Smooth out any wrinkles along the inner leg.
- Start the tape at the crotch seam, where the legs meet.
- Measure down the inner seam to the hem.
- Round to the nearest half inch.
The Best Pants for Long Legs: What to Look For
The best pants for long legs share a few traits: a stated inseam in inches, a rise cut for a longer frame, and fabric with enough weight to hang straight. Skip any listing that hides its measurements.
- Look for a stated inseam, not just a "tall" label
- Check the rise measurement
- Choose fabric with some weight and stretch
- Confirm the hem allowance before you buy
Tall Women's Clothing Brands That Deliver Real Inseams
The tall women's clothing brands worth your money do one thing well: they publish real numbers. A brand that lists a 38 inch inseam and a full size chart is telling you it designed for your body. A brand that lists only S, M, L and a model photo is guessing, and you pay for the guess in return shipping.
How to Vet a Brand's Tall Fit Before You Buy
Most shoppers vet a brand by looking at the model. That is backwards. The model is chosen for the photo, not for your body. Vet the listing instead, in this order:
- Find the inseam number. It should appear in the product description or the size chart, in inches, as a fixed number or a graded range. No number, no sale.
- Read the size chart, not the model photo. A real tall size chart lists waist, hip, rise, and inseam per size. If it lists only bust, waist, and hip, the brand is not cutting for leg length.
- Check the hem allowance. Ask customer service or read the description for how much fabric sits below the finished hem. An inch or more means you can let the pant down later. A serged, trimmed hem means you cannot.
- Check the return window for hemmed or worn items. Many policies void returns once a garment is altered. Confirm before you take it to a tailor.
- Search reviews for your height and size. Filter for reviewers who state their height. A 5'11" reviewer and a 6'3" reviewer will describe the same 38 inch inseam differently, and both data points matter.
- Look for model heights listed next to the photos. When a brand publishes the model's height and the size she is wearing, you can calculate the drape on your own frame before you order.
The Hem Allowance Test
Hem allowance is the single most useful number almost no brand publishes, and it is the difference between a pant you can adjust and a pant you are stuck with. Here is how to find it without a tape measure:
- Turn the pant inside out and look at the bottom edge. A deep fold of fabric above the stitch line means there is room to let down.
- A narrow fold, or a raw serged edge with no fold, means the hem is finished as short as it will ever be.
- On lined pants, the lining hem usually sits above the shell hem. If the lining is short, letting the shell down exposes the lining gap.
Why Graded Inseams Beat a Single Number
A brand that offers one fixed inseam asks every tall shopper to fit the same leg. A brand that grades its inseam, like Paryse Style's 35 to 38 inch range, lets you match the number to your body and your shoe. If you wear flats, you may want 36. If you live in 3 inch heels, 38 is the floor, not the ceiling.
Tailoring and Hemming Limitations for 38 Inch Inseam Pants
Tailoring can shorten a hem, but it cannot add length. This is the hard limit most shoppers learn the expensive way. A tailor can take a 38 inch inseam down to 36 in minutes. Going the other way is nearly impossible.
Never hem before you wash. Natural fabrics like cotton and linen can shrink on the first wash, and a hem cut too short cannot be undone.
Shopping for 38 Inch Inseam Pants Online: Sizing Charts and Returns
Shopping online for a 38 inch inseam works when you treat the size chart as the product. Read it before the photos, and you will return far fewer packages.
Here is how the main inseam ranges compare:
| Inseam Range | Typical Height | Common Label |
|---|---|---|
| 30-32 in | Under 5'6" | Regular |
| 33-35 in | 5'6" to 5'10" | Tall |
| 36-37 in | 5'10" to 6'1" | Extra Tall |
| 38 in | 5'11" to 6'5" | True Long Inseam |
Sourcing a 38 Inch Inseam: Local Tailor vs. Shipping
Once you know your number, the next question is where the pant comes from and who finishes it. There are two paths, and they trade off differently.
What to Confirm Before You Check Out
- The stated inseam, in inches, for the exact size you are ordering, not the size the model wears.
- The rise, because a low rise on a tall frame pulls the hem up and eats your length.
- The hem allowance, so you know whether the pant can be let down later.
- The return window, and whether altered items are excluded.
- The shipping cost and timeline, since a low-volume 38 inch cut often ships from a smaller warehouse with longer transit.
Order two sizes when the return policy is free. Try both at home, keep the one that fits, and send the other back. It beats guessing and reordering twice.
Do not hem a pant before you wash it. Cotton and linen can shrink on the first wash, and a hem cut too short cannot be undone. Wash, dry, then measure again before the tailor touches it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What height wears a 38 inseam?
A 38 inch inseam typically fits women between 5'11" and 6'5", though leg-to-torso ratio matters as much as total height. Two women the same height can need different inseams if one carries more length in her legs. Measure your own crotch-to-floor length rather than guessing from height alone. Paryse Style designs its 38 inch inseam pants for women 5'10" to 6'6", with models from 5'11" to 6'5" wearing the same size.
How do I accurately measure my inseam for tall-specific clothing?
Stand against a wall without shoes, feet flat and slightly apart. Have someone run a measuring tape from your crotch seam straight down to the floor. Keep the tape vertical and snug, not tight. Record the number in inches. Repeat twice and average the results. If you have no helper, measure a pair of pants you already own that hit the floor correctly: lay them flat and measure from the crotch seam to the hem.
Are 38-inch inseam pants available in standard retail stores?
Most standard retailers stock inseams between 30 and 34 inches, so a true 38 inch inseam is rare on regular racks. A few big-box stores carry "long" options up to 36 inches, but they often fall short for women over 5'11". Your best options are tall-specific brands that build pants from the tall body outward, or buying unhemmed pants and having them tailored, though tailoring can only shorten, never add length.
How can I find brands that specialize in 38-inch inseams for women?
Look for brands that publish exact inseam measurements per style, not vague "tall" labels. Check whether the size chart lists a 38 inch inseam across multiple sizes, whether real customer photos show women your height, and whether the return policy covers fit issues. Paryse Style lists a 38 inch inseam on styles like the Tall Fringe Western Pants and the Nomad 4-Piece Travel Set, with a detailed tall-specific size chart and a 4.93 average rating from 60 verified reviews.
Finding a true 38 inch inseam should not feel like a scavenger hunt. The challenge is real: most brands stop at 34 inches and call it tall, leaving long-legged women to settle or sew. Paryse Style was built to end that trade-off, with pants designed from the tall body up, a signature 38 inch inseam, and sleeves and rises cut for real proportions. Our larger sizes sell out first for a reason. Get started with Paryse Style and stop hemming your hopes to whatever is left on the rack.