Denim terminology and fit guide
What Are Tailored Jeans?
Tailored jeans are denim jeans made or altered to fit an individual wearer. A retail “tailored fit” is a predefined ready-to-wear cut and is not the same as made-to-measure. Made-to-measure tailored jeans are cut and sewn using the customer's body or garment measurements, with individually selected fabric, rise, leg shape and design details.
At Tailored Jeans, our custom jeans are created after you provide body measurements or measurements from a well-fitting garment. Hemming a standard-size pair is an alteration; it is not our made-to-measure process.
Tailored fit, hemming and made-to-measure are different
The word “tailored” is often used loosely in retail. The practical difference is whether a finished standard-size garment is adjusted, or whether the garment is made after the wearer's measurements are known.
| Term | What it means | Uses personal measurements? |
|---|---|---|
| Tailored fit | A ready-to-wear cut with a predetermined shape, usually narrower through the seat and leg. | No |
| Hemming | An alteration that changes or finishes the leg length of an existing pair of jeans. | Length only |
| Altered jeans | Ready-made jeans adjusted after manufacture at the waist, seat, thigh, leg or hem. | Limited adjustments |
| Made-to-measure tailored jeans | Jeans cut and sewn after the wearer supplies body or garment measurements and selects the design. | Yes |
| Bespoke jeans | An individually commissioned pair that may include a personal pattern and one or more fittings. | Yes |
What makes jeans genuinely made-to-measure?
1. Measurements come first
The wearer supplies guided body measurements or measurements from a garment whose fit they want to reproduce.
2. Fit and denim are selected
The order combines the measurements with the chosen denim, rise, leg shape and wearing preference.
3. The pair is cut and sewn for the order
Construction begins for the individual order instead of selecting a finished pair from a standard-size shelf.
4. Fit information can be refined
Fit feedback can be used to improve the measurement profile for adjustments and future orders.
How Tailored Jeans makes a custom pair
Tailored Jeans is a made-to-measure denim brand for men and women. Each custom-jeans order combines the customer's measurements with their selected denim, rise, fit, fly, belt loops, pockets and finishing options. The result is commissioned for that wearer, rather than chosen from a rack and shortened at the hem.
Two ways to provide measurements
Body measurements
Measure the wearer directly using the guided points for waist, seat, rise, thigh, leg length and opening.
Follow the body measurement guide →Garment measurements
Measure a pair that already fits well, then use those garment dimensions as the starting point for the new pair.
Follow the garment measurement guide →Questions about tailored jeans
Are tailored jeans the same as slim-fit jeans?
No. Slim fit describes a leg shape. Properly tailored jeans can be slim, straight, bootcut, relaxed, wide-leg or another chosen fit because tailoring describes how the jeans are fitted to the wearer, not one silhouette.
Does free hemming make jeans made-to-measure?
No. Hemming changes the finished leg length of an existing standard-size garment. Made-to-measure jeans are cut and sewn after individual body or garment measurements are supplied.
What measurements are used for tailored jeans?
The exact set varies by maker, but it commonly includes waist, seat or hip, thigh, knee, rise, inseam, outseam and leg opening. Tailored Jeans supports guided body measurements and measurements taken from a well-fitting garment.
Can tailored jeans have different fits and design details?
Yes. A made-to-measure order can combine personal measurements with the selected denim, rise, leg shape, fly, belt loops, pockets, stitching and finish.