# Long legs/Short body **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 18, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206 "2003-10-18T16:08:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [October 18, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/1 "2003-10-18T16:08:30Z")
On another MB a woman was complaining about not being able to get trousers/jeans long enough to fit her as she’s 5’9" … I asked her why not? She said because she has a 34" inseam. I’m 6’2" and have a 36" inseam and I cannot believe that a woman 5 inches shorter than me could have legs almost as long as mine, she then went on to claim she has a 5’8" friend who has a 35" inseam … is that even physically possible? How long is her torso?? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/2 "2003-10-18T16:42:13Z")
Well, as I’m 5’7" and have a 35" inseam - I’m going with yes. It is possible. Her torso is short. ---
**Author:** ![kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/3 "2003-10-18T16:58:07Z")
Women, in general, have a shorter torso and longer legs then men. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/4 "2003-10-18T17:23:28Z")
Hey! Hey! are you just trying to make us short legged girls feel bad!? I’m 5’5" and my inseam is 25!!! Its just not fair. I am _not_ and elf. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/5 "2003-10-18T17:25:12Z")
oops, that would be “an” elf. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/6 "2003-10-18T17:38:59Z")
None of [these girls](http://www.longtallwoman.com/models.htm) quite hit that extreme, but they’re modeling clothing for “long tall women”; it’s almost certain there are women farther down the bell curve. How much farther? Hard to say… if you look at the “Persona” pants on [this chart](http://www.vickerey.com/sizechart.html) you’ll see that they match inseams with height estimates for what is “normal”–but also note that you’re at the edge of their range. To answer your torso question, 68"-35" means that the rest of her body is 33" tall. That includes her foot height which is no more than 4". Give her some slack and assume skinny, relatively flat feet; she has measured her inseam starting 3" off the ground. That means she has 30" from the top of her inseam to the top of her head. Two and a half feet… it’s extreme, but not impossible, that she could be that size. She’d look a lot like Sailor Moon, though. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/7 "2003-10-18T18:55:47Z")
Some time ago there was the opposite version of this with a mainly male bitch fest of who had the shortest legs and the longest torso. I thought I would be in the running at 6’ 3" and 32 inch inseam, but I was beaten handily by some of the respondents. [Make fun of my long torso](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=149262&highlight=torso+inseam) ---
**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:** [October 20, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/8 "2003-10-20T18:56:08Z")
picunurse is 5’5" and has a 25" inseam amarinth is 5’7" and has a 35" inseam is it just me, or is there something wrong with this picture … ? ---
**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:** [October 20, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/9 "2003-10-20T19:01:03Z")
Maybe her head is cut off. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/10 "2003-10-20T20:53:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobelia Overhill \* > \*\*picunurse is 5’5" and has a 25" inseam > amarinth is 5’7" and has a 35" inseam > > is it just me, or is there something wrong with this picture … ? \*\* Only if we’re the same person. But surely, you must have noticed by now that different people have different measurements. That’s why tailors do alterations. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/11 "2003-10-20T21:15:14Z")
In college I knew a girl who was 5’2" with a 32-inch inseam (same as mine). She always complained when we drove home because she had to ride in the back seat while my roommate (a guy with a 30-inch inseam) got to ride in front. (I know, it doesn’t seem fair, but my roommate paid half the rent.) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/12 "2003-10-20T22:28:14Z")
I have a 30" inseam, and I’m a short little 5’6". My wife is 5’11", and when we’re sitting down, we’re the same height. Do the math! ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/13 "2003-10-21T01:42:21Z")
Does the fact that women’s pants often fit higher (like closer to the belly button, instead of around the waist) than men’s pants factor into this? Especially now, though, many women’s pants are designed with a low-rise, boy-cut, etc. style in mind. But with the higher-waisted pants, is the inseam measured from the top of the pant to the bottom of the cuff, which would include a bit more belly area than men’s pants would? Unfortunately for me, my mother didn’t seem to realize this difference between men’s and women’s pants, and when I was a young boy she kept yanking my pants up near my belly button. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![WaryEri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea666f/32.png) [@WaryEri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WaryEri)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/14 "2003-10-21T02:27:07Z")
5’8, 36 inseam here. Female. Damned near impossible to find pants that fit, since I’m quite normal sized around. Usually have to go for a 32 or 34 inseam and buy them sized to sit low on my hips, so I don’t look like I’m expecting a flood. My mother’s husband is 6’2, and his legs are 2 inches shorter than mine. One of my good friends is 5’1 , and we’re the same height sitting down. People come in all sort of combinations. ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/15 "2003-10-21T03:15:50Z")
I noticed in Japan that I towered above most people when standing, but was almost the same height as everyone when sitting. I then noticed that many people my age and older had long torsos and short legs, but younger people had longer legs and less long torsos. I guess sitting on your legs stunts their growth - nowadays people tend to use chairs more. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/16 "2003-10-21T03:42:53Z")
**troub** the inseam usually measures from the ankle to the taint, so hips and/or the style aren’t a factor. If I were to buy “old man pants” and wear them up over my belly, that wouldn’t affect my true inseam. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/17 "2003-10-21T05:50:28Z")
I am 6’ and I am a 32w 32 inseam. I find most men 6’ with a 32w are 34 inseam or even 36 inseam. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/18 "2003-10-21T12:49:54Z")
Another one. I’m 5’ 5-1/2" tall, with a 34" inseam. I can wear pants designed for someone six feet tall. I really look abut 5’ sitting down and 5’9" standing up. ---
**Author:** ![kip70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@kip70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kip70)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/19 "2003-10-21T13:59:42Z")
People, how do you all relate this to being able to touch your toes? I’ve always that my having long legs and a short torso must have been the reason why I could never touch my toes (with legs straight of course). I’m quite flexible you see, so I was always a bit peeved when others who were less flexible could touch their toes at gym, while I couldn’t. Have you had any similar experiences? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206/20 "2003-10-21T14:52:31Z")
Alright, can I ask another question, if you’re under 6 foot tall and you have legs longer than 32", where are your hips in relation to your armpits? This is the mental picture I’m having problems picturing … Try [www.longtallsally.com](http://www.longtallsally.com) for trousers/jeans etc for 34" inseam and over … [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-legs-short-body/208206.md?page=2)