# Levis jeans: why no 31" in-seam?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 22, 2015, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171 "2015-09-22T01:49:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/21 "2015-09-22T21:15:41Z")
Coincidental to this thread, I scored a pair of 40/29 jeans at Penney’s today. Give their “Arizona” brand a look, if you need odd-sized lengths. ---
**Author:** ![Graymalkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@Graymalkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graymalkin)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/22 "2015-09-23T00:07:24Z")
Thanks for the replies. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/23 "2015-09-23T00:09:21Z")
33" waist is a hard one too. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/24 "2015-09-23T00:25:10Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > Turn-ups, people. You turn up the cuffs of your jeans. > > How is this new information to some people? It’s not a length thing, as I keep having to remind my wife (who in exchange for being upbraided continues to shop for me, God love her). It’s the _inseam_, right? Meaning that the length from waist to crotch on larger sizes leaves too much room that a) it looks bad or b) allows my precious bodily parts to get more clammy from the humidity than otherwise. The waist size and the cuffs are more easily dealt with. ---
**Author:** ![SpyOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@SpyOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpyOne)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/25 "2015-09-23T02:04:37Z")
In my experience, the odd number sizes are out there, but most stores don’t carry them. If you can find a store that carries pants and nothing else, they are far more likely to have what you want. Back when I was thinner, I had a very hard time finding pants that fit at all. I could find my waist size for someone with much longer legs, or my inseam for someone very fat, but couldn’t ever find a match for both. One day a clerk suggested I try a store that carried “student sizes”. Lo and behold the major manufactures actually do make 28-29 (that is a 28 inch waist and 29 inch inseam), it’s just that department stores don’t carry them. That was my size from my late teens until my mid 30s. It is far easier to find a 34-29, although I often have to compromise at 34-30. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/26 "2015-09-23T03:52:21Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > It’s not a length thing, as I keep having to remind my wife (who in exchange for being upbraided continues to shop for me, God love her). > > It’s the _inseam_, right? Meaning that the length from waist to crotch on larger sizes leaves too much room that a) it looks bad or b) allows my precious bodily parts to get more clammy from the humidity than otherwise. The waist size and the cuffs are more easily dealt with. The length from waist to crotch is called the **rise**. The **inseam** is the length from crotch to cuffs. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/27 "2015-09-23T04:48:17Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > The length from waist to crotch is called the **rise**. The **inseam** is the length from crotch to cuffs. Huh. Thanks. So what’s with all these long rises that make my chonson sweaty? And to think my father-in-law, may he rest in peace, was a master cutter. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/28 "2015-09-23T05:09:39Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Huh. Thanks. > > So what’s with all these long rises that make my chonson sweaty? > > And to think my father-in-law, may he rest in peace, was a master cutter. If you think the rise in modern jeans is too _high_, I don’t know what I can tell you. Finding trousers with a waistband anywhere near the actual waist and not halfway down the hips is a win for me. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/29 "2015-09-23T11:31:45Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Huh. Thanks. > > So what’s with all these long rises that make my chonson sweaty? > > And to think my father-in-law, may he rest in peace, was a master cutter. In light of **grude** ’s recent thread about penis slicing and your Jewish heritage I sorta snorted when I misunderstood the meaning of “master cutter” in the context of sweaty chonsons. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/30 "2015-09-23T11:34:11Z")
> [@SpyOne](#): > > … Back when I was thinner, I had a very hard time finding pants that fit at all. I could find my waist size for someone with much longer legs, or my inseam for someone very fat, but couldn’t ever find a match for both. One day a clerk suggested I try a store that carried “student sizes”. > Lo and behold the major manufactures actually do make 28-29 (that is a 28 inch waist and 29 inch inseam), it’s just that department stores don’t carry them. > … That was (and mostly still is) me. It was (and mostly still is) a PITA to be in my 30s to now 50s and still dressing like a teen because that’s what fits. Yes I can get suits and other fogey clothes custom made in my size. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/31 "2015-09-23T11:48:53Z")
What has always confused me is that I have to buy shrink to fit in order to get the right size. If I make the recommended allowance of 1" in the waist and 2" in the length it just doesn’t work. Been like this forever. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/32 "2015-09-23T13:02:58Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Wrangler makes jeans with odd size inseams. I’m wearing a pair right now. Huh. I _thought_ there was something odd about your inseam but I just figured you were excited to be posting here. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/33 "2015-09-23T16:20:33Z")
Checking Amazon, there doesn’t seem to be any odd length inseams, with the exception of 29" (for both Levis and Wranglers). Why just the concern over 31s? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/34 "2015-09-23T20:26:41Z")
Jeans manufacturers could make them in odd inseam lengths. In fact they still do, in some lines. But most stores don’t stock them. It nearly doubles the amount of shelf space and investment in inventory for every line of jeans the store sells; and it doesn’t add to sales much. Most customers are willing to accept a size to the nearest 2 inches, so they buy what’s there. I know my parents store only stocked even inseams, and even had limited stock in certain waist sizes. As a small store, we just couldn’t afford to stock the full range of sizes. The same thing has happened with shirts. Now, most shirts are sold in only 3-4 sizes (S, M, L, & XL) – only dress shirts still come in the full range of neck sizes & sleeve lengths. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/35 "2015-09-24T11:20:49Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Penney’s will also order the size you want. Try finding a 29" inseam with, say, a 44" waist. Manufacturers always seem to assume that if you have a larger waist, you must be seven feet tall. That hasn’t been my experience. Anything 38 inches above in the waist usually stop at a 29" inseam. Every now and then, you can find a 32. YMapparentlyV. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171/36 "2015-09-27T20:14:31Z")
My mom worked for Levis back when she was fresh out of school. She said there was always a 1 inch tolerance either direction. She only rejected those that fell outside that range. I had assumed they’d gotten more precise over time, but maybe not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/levis-jeans-why-no-31-in-seam/732171.md?page=1)