How to measure a pair of sleep shorts

Prepare a stable starting point

Use a flexible tape measure, a flat surface larger than the shorts and a way to record the results. A ruler can help keep a crosswise measurement straight. Use one unit system throughout; converting some dimensions while leaving others in inches creates avoidable confusion.

Measure a fully dry garment in a relaxed state. If you want the dimensions of your familiar, already-laundered pair, say so in your notes. A new, unwashed pair and one you have worn and laundered are different reference conditions. You do not need to predict future changes to document their current state accurately.

Empty the pockets and untie the drawstring so it does not cinch the waist. Close any intended fly fastening. Smooth obvious wrinkles with your hands, but do not pull the fabric taut or try to force every curve into a rectangle.

Photograph the whole garment before measuring. This preserves useful context: whether the hem curves, whether there are side splits, and where the waistband seam sits. A number without the garment’s shape can be misleading later.

Relaxed waistband width

Place the shorts front side up. Arrange the waistband so its left and right edges lie naturally opposite each other. Measure straight across from outer edge to outer edge without stretching the elastic. Record the result as “relaxed flat waistband width.”

If the band is curved or the back rises above the front, describe how you positioned it. Do not pull the back down hard merely to align its top with the front. The objective is a repeatable arrangement, not the flattest possible photograph.

Doubling a straight flat width gives a simple comparison value, but it does not reveal a recommended body waist or the band’s comfortable working range. An elastic band can extend, and the amount of force needed to extend it matters to feel. A home flat measurement does not establish that force.

Avoid recording a maximum stretched waist. Pulling as hard as possible is neither a useful comfort test nor a reliably repeatable method. If a seller provides a stretched measurement, ask how it was obtained before comparing it with your own relaxed number.

Hip width needs a named level

For a practical home comparison, choose a horizontal line below the top of the waistband that crosses the seat area. Measure straight from one outer side edge to the other, then record how far below the top edge that line sits.

For example, write “hip width 22 inches, measured 7 inches below top of front waistband.” Those are illustrative numbers. The useful part is the stated location. Another person measuring the widest-looking part at 9 inches down could obtain a different number from the same garment.

Keep the front and back lying naturally together. Do not stretch the side edges apart to flatten a seat curve. If the shorts will not lie perfectly flat, take a photograph of the arrangement and note the limitation.

When comparing two very different rises, a fixed distance below the waistband may cross different parts of each pattern. You can record an additional widest flat width, clearly labeled, but do not silently swap between methods. Consistency is what makes a comparison interpretable.

Measure both leg openings

Lay one leg so the finished opening is relaxed. For a straight hem, measure across the opening from edge to edge and label it “flat leg-opening width.” Repeat for the other leg instead of assuming they are identical.

A curved dolphin hem or high side split needs more description. State whether your tape follows the finished edge or measures a straight span between endpoints. Those are different measurements. For comparing the usable opening, a straight flat span plus a photograph is often clearer than a single unexplained perimeter number.

If there is a side split, record its height separately from the lowest finished hem to the top of the open split. Do not count that split height as inseam. It describes the side opening, which can matter even when the inner-leg lengths match.

Avoid stretching a fitted leg opening to make it resemble a loose short. The relaxed dimension is an observation. Its comfort on a thigh requires a separate fit check.

Front rise and back rise are separate paths

Find the crotch junction where the inseams meet the front and back crotch seams. Measure along the front center seam from that junction to the top of the waistband. Follow the seam’s curve with the flexible tape rather than measuring a straight diagonal across the fabric.

Turn the garment over and repeat along the back center seam. Label the two results front rise and back rise. State that you included the waistband. If another source measures only to the waistband joining seam, its number is shorter by a different reference point, not necessarily a different garment.

Some garments have an inserted gusset or a construction that lacks a single clear junction. In that case, choose and photograph a specific reference point, such as the midpoint of the gusset edge, and explain it. Do not imply that your result matches a conventional seam-junction measurement exactly.

The distinction matters because Lands’ End’s measurement instructions use a full body path through the crotch for their “rise” description. That is a different quantity from the two separate garment-seam measurements here. The shared word does not make the numbers interchangeable.

Inseam: follow the inside leg to the finished edge

For inseam, start at the crotch junction and follow the inside-leg seam to the finished bottom edge. Keep the tape on that seam’s path. Do not start at the waistband or measure down the outside of the leg; those would answer different questions.

Measure both legs, especially if you are investigating an apparent difference. With a curved hem, finish at the edge reached by the inseam rather than the lowest point somewhere else on the garment. With a permanent cuff, include the finished garment length as worn, not hidden fabric inside the cuff.

An ordinary comparison pair should be similar enough in construction that the number is meaningful. A garment with a very low crotch can have the same inseam as another pair while its hem sits differently on the body. Record rise alongside inseam so you do not make length do every job.

For a concrete listing comparison, Hanes’ listed 7.5-inch pajama short gives you a stated inseam to place beside your own reference measurement. The selected Hanes Amazon listing also names the color and size shown. If you are considering more leg coverage, the long sleep shorts collection is the relevant next stop; this protocol tells you how to document your starting pair.

A complete example measurement record

These numbers describe a fictional garment and are not a size recommendation. The record is useful because another person could repeat the procedure and understand what each number means.

Resolve disagreement before averaging

If two readings differ, reposition the garment and repeat the measurement from the same endpoints. Check whether the tape followed a curve on one attempt and a straight line on the other, or whether you accidentally stretched the elastic.

Do not average a relaxed waist reading with a stretched one. They describe different conditions. Likewise, averaging front and back rise destroys the information you set out to capture. Keep distinct measurements distinct.

A small home measurement difference may come from positioning rather than a meaningful fit change. Avoid reporting more precision than your method supports. A clear fraction or decimal with a photograph is more useful than several decimal places produced by a calculator.

When you send a question to a seller, include the method: “Could you provide the relaxed flat waist width for this size, with the drawstring untied?” That is much easier to answer consistently than “How big is the waist?” For applying the response to a purchase, move to interpreting a sleep-shorts size chart; measuring the garment and choosing a size are separate steps.