Pants Size from Waist and Hip cm

How to find your pants size by waist and hip

For women's pants in Brazil, the numeric size is keyed to the waist in centimeters, stepping up two at a time: 36 = 76 cm, 38 = 80 cm, 40 = 84 cm, 42 = 88 cm, 44 = 92 cm, 46 = 96 cm. Take the waist at its narrowest point, just above the navel. For the hip, measure the widest part around the glutes, roughly 20 cm below the waist. Jeans use the same scale, but a few labels run small (Sawary and Damyller, for instance). When the waist and hip land on different numbers, go by the hip and have the waist taken in. Tightening a waistband is a lot simpler than trying to let out a hip.

Applications

Picking up jeans from Brazilian brands like Sawary, Damyller, Colcci or Lança Perfume. Ordering tailored trousers and uniforms. Shopping at Renner, C&A or Riachuelo online, where return shipping quietly eats your savings. And nailing down the right number before a promo runs out.

FAQ

Why does the same 38 fit differently across brands? It comes down to the cut. High-waisted styles tend to run smaller, while low-rise jeans are built around the hip rather than the waist.

Stretch jeans: size down? Usually, yes. Once they have 3% or more elastane, they give about half a size as you wear them, so dropping a number is a pretty common call.

Waist 80 and hip 100 — which size? Go by the hip, which puts you around a 42, then have the waist taken in. A wider hip with a narrow waist is perfectly common and an easy alteration.