Most men buy trousers by the number printed on the label, then wonder why two pairs marked 32 fit nothing alike. The number is not a standard. It describes a block, and every brand cuts to its own.
Two measurements settle it: your waist and your inseam.
Waist
Stand as you normally stand. Don't hold your breath and don't pull the tape tight. Run it around your natural waistline, where you actually wear the trouser, and keep it level all the way round. Read the number in inches. If someone can read it for you, let them. Reading your own waist is where most of the error creeps in.
Inseam
Take a pair you already like the length of, lay them flat, and measure from the crotch seam to the hem. If you have no such pair, measure from your crotch to the point where you want the hem to sit, with the shoes on that you expect to wear.
Where that puts you in SLOOM sizes
| Size | Waist (in) | Hip (in) | Inseam (in) |
| 28 | 28 | 36 | 40 |
| 30 | 30 | 38 | 40.5 |
| 32 | 32 | 40 | 41 |
| 34 | 34 | 42 | 41.5 |
| 36 | 36 | 44 | 42 |
| 38 | 38 | 46 | 42.5 |
If you fall between two sizes, take the larger one. A waist can be taken in by any tailor. It cannot be let out past the seam allowance.
Use a soft tailoring tape, not a steel measure. And measure once more before you order, on a different day if you can.
Still unsure, write to sloomindia@gmail.com with your two numbers and we will tell you which size to take.