# Guys pants vs. Girls pants **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 15, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256 "2004-04-15T23:44:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![oriegirl44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f14d63/32.png) [@oriegirl44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oriegirl44)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/1 "2004-04-15T23:44:53Z")
Why is it that girls pants come in sizes of even number and are “short”, “average”, or “long” and guys get to have the wondeful variety of mixing and matching their pant needs in inch measurments?.. aaaaand…why is it that girls always have buttons on the right side and guys have buttons on the left side? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/2 "2004-04-15T23:51:05Z")
I can answer the latter… Of course, it’s all tradition: all _real_ ladies are dressed by a maid, who does the zips and buttons up, hence right-over-left for the wearer. Men do it all themselves, so it’s left-over-right. ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/3 "2004-04-16T00:05:43Z")
They really only have 3 or 4 men length sizes at most places. 30,32,34, and sometimes 36. Occasionally I will see a 28, but in the whole time I worked at farily large a jean section at a large retail store we only received three or four of them by accident. So even though it seems like we have a huge section of pant sizes you could really just call them short, medium, long and sometimes extra long if you wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/4 "2004-04-16T19:48:48Z")
I dunno about that. I used to wear 28s back when I was a young and skinny fellow, and from there I went to a 29 (admittedly the odds are a bit harder to find, but not spectacularly so). I’ve since pudged up to a 34 but at various times I’ve had 31s, 32s, 33s, a couple 35s… and I’ve seen 40s on the racks sometimes. And this is just jeans at mainstream shops, btw. ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/5 "2004-04-16T19:58:25Z")
Guys or girls, who couldn’t use [fan pants](http://www.invention.com/kuhuski.htm) ? Well, me, for one. RR ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/6 "2004-04-16T20:22:52Z")
Women wear shoes with different heel heights, so sometimes she might be a short, sometimes a medium, and sometimes a long (although those would have to be some mighty high heels!). I think that’s the reason. I almost always wear heels, so I wear a medium length. But if I’m in tennis shoes, I’m tripping over my pants. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/7 "2004-04-16T20:26:17Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I dunno about that. I used to wear 28s back when I was a young and skinny fellow, and from there I went to a 29 (admittedly the odds are a bit harder to find, but not spectacularly so). I’ve since pudged up to a 34 but at various times I’ve had 31s, 32s, 33s, a couple 35s… and I’ve seen 40s on the racks sometimes. And this is just jeans at mainstream shops, btw. 40 inch inseam? That’s a long pair of pants! ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/8 "2004-04-16T20:57:56Z")
My daughter has a 28-inch inseam. That’s even shorter than most petites. In a store with an exceptionally broad inventory she can sometimes find the right size, but lately she’s been getting capri pants and wearing them as full length. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/9 "2004-04-16T21:02:51Z")
I think it’s specifically to drive us insane. FYI, I don’t think there’s a pair of platform shoes tall enough for me to fit into most “regular length” women’s jeans. They are usually 4-5 inches too long (and I wear them crumpled up and bruching the ground). Apparently, pants designers think it’s really “regular” for a woman wearing size 6 (29" waist) to be 5’7". And, at most retailers of casual-type clothing, they don’t even bother offering a “short” and “tall” version for many of their trendier styles. But I’m not bitter, oh, no. However, I have heard that women “don’t like” true sizing. I have no idea how “they” know this, since it has not, to my knowledge, been tested by any retailer. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/10 "2004-04-16T21:22:07Z")
I think it’s that no woman wants to say she wears a “29”. Same reason we don’t use the metric system for measurements, at least in the USA. No woman wants to say she’s 91cm-61cm-91cm (36"-24"-36"). ---
**Author:** ![Lobelia\_Overhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@Lobelia\_Overhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobelia_Overhill)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/11 "2004-04-16T21:34:57Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > My daughter has a 28-inch inseam. That’s even shorter than most petites. In a store with an exceptionally broad inventory she can sometimes find the right size, but lately she’s been getting capri pants and wearing them as full length. I have the opposite problem, 6’2" with a 36" inseam, high street shops rarely/never have jeans or trousers long enough. I get my clothes online from Long Tall Sally, who do 34", 36" and occassionally 38" inseams. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/12 "2004-04-16T21:50:30Z")
> [@RiverRunner](#): > > Guys or girls, who couldn’t use [fan pants](http://www.invention.com/kuhuski.htm) ? > > Well, me, for one. > RR Hey, now, they don’t look all bad. They seem perfect for someone with no ass and needs to fake one. ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/13 "2004-04-16T22:31:32Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I dunno about that. I used to wear 28s back when I was a young and skinny fellow, and from there I went to a 29 (admittedly the odds are a bit harder to find, but not spectacularly so). I’ve since pudged up to a 34 but at various times I’ve had 31s, 32s, 33s, a couple 35s… and I’ve seen 40s on the racks sometimes. And this is just jeans at mainstream shops, btw. I was talking about length not width. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/14 "2004-04-16T23:09:53Z")
The best incentive I’ve found is that I cannot ever find trousers to fit me in my more-generous frame - 38" waist, 30" leg. 36/30 was hard enough. Still haven’t lost any weight, though :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/15 "2004-04-16T23:24:11Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I can answer the latter… > > Of course, it’s all tradition: all _real_ ladies are dressed by a maid, who does the zips and buttons up, hence right-over-left for the wearer. > > Men do it all themselves, so it’s left-over-right. According to the Imponderables series, nope. There is evidence that plenty of men were dressed by servants as well. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/16 "2004-04-16T23:42:33Z")
Men’s jeans usually have the range of waists and inseams to which the OP refers, but dressier trousers often offer very little choice for a given waist. Sometimes it seems like they only come in one length, assuming, in my case, that every man with a 32" waist is 6" tall. And it’s not like I’m fat, either. So after I have them hemmed and put them on, they fit me as they would a scarecrow. ---
**Author:** ![CloudCar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@CloudCar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CloudCar)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/17 "2004-04-17T02:26:56Z")
Few topics get my temper burning faster than pants sizes. I wear 34-36 and they are next to impossible to find. Once I called Levi Strauss customer service to ask them if it was possible to get pants in 36 inch length. I wanted to know if there was a way I could order them because I was having a difficult time finding that size. She said they don’t make that size anymore. Bastards. Now I wear [Carhart Jeans](http://www.supercasuals.com/category.cfm/47?aff=81220) . I’m a Carhart man from now on. They look better on me anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/18 "2004-04-17T04:11:34Z")
The wacky thing that I’ve found about men’s pants is that it’s apparently easier to find short lengths to fit if you have a huge waist. I’m a 32 waist and 29/30 inch inseam and I’ll often have trouble finding 32 inch waists with short lengths. But there will be dozens of 40 inch waists with 30 inch inseams on the rack. I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/19 "2004-04-17T07:31:11Z")
Who wears a 36" inseam? I’m 6 feet tall and I wear a 32! ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256/20 "2004-04-17T16:33:54Z")
> [@CloudCar](#): > > I’m a Carhart man from now on. They look better on me anyway. I love Carhartts. They’re comfortable, too. The only problem I’ve had with them is that the crotch hangs a bit low. I wear them onstage with my band - one night I lifted my leg to climb up onto the stage… and the crotch ripped right out of my pants! I was glad I was wearing a long shirt… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-pants-vs-girls-pants/240256.md?page=2)