How to Size Overalls | Measure These Four Spots First

Sizing overalls is easier than most people expect — but only if you skip the guesswork. The biggest mistake is pulling your regular pants size and ordering the same number in overalls. That fails because overalls manufacturers each build their own charts, and the fit differs between men’s and women’s styles, bib overalls, and coveralls. The dependable way to size overalls is to measure your body in the spots the brand’s chart actually uses, then compare your numbers to that specific style’s guide.

Below is the full measuring routine, the charts for three major workwear brands so you can see how much they differ, and the sizing mistakes that send people back to the return counter.

What Measurements Do You Need?

You need four body measurements before you open a size chart: waist, hip or seat, chest or bust, and inseam. Not every brand uses all four, but having them all means any chart you pick will work on the first try.

Measure over the clothing you’ll wear underneath — thin base layers for summer weight, heavier layers if you’ll wear the overalls over a hoodie. Keep the tape snug but not tight, and stand naturally rather than sucking in.

• Waist: wrap the tape around your bare waist at your belly button level, or where your pants naturally sit.
• Seat or hip: measure around the fullest part of your hips and rear end. This matters far more than most people realize, since it’s the widest point the overalls must clear.
• Chest or bust: measure around the fullest part of your chest, arms relaxed at your sides. Critical for coveralls and button-front bib styles.
• Inseam: measure from the crotch seam down the inside of your leg to where you want the hem to land. Add the height of your boot heel if you’ll wear work boots.

Write the numbers down in inches. Nearly all US workwear charts list sizes in inches, so you won’t need to convert anything.

Brand Size Charts Differ — Use the Right One

This is the part that trips up most buyers: overalls sizing is not standardized across manufacturers. A large in one brand fits nothing like a large in another. The charts below show the real differences between three well-known makers.

Carhartt Men’s Coveralls

Carhartt’s Reworked men’s coveralls guide maps a recommended size to both waist and seat measurements.

Tingley Overalls and Pants

Tingley’s chart is built on waist and garment inseam. Notice the inseam changes as the size climbs — Tingley builds that length in rather than offering separate tall sizes.

Round House Sizing Note

Round House offers a useful rule of thumb on its sizing page:

The takeaway is simple: always open the chart for the exact style and brand you’re buying. Don’t reuse a chart from a different brand, and don’t assume a women’s style sizes the same as a men’s, or a coverall the same as a bib overall.

Common Sizing Mistakes That Ruin the Fit

Most ill-fitting overalls come down to a few repeated errors. Avoiding them saves you a return trip.

• Reusing sizes across brands. The charts above show the spread — a 38-inch waist works for a Medium in one brand and a Large in another. Always re-measure and re-check per brand.
• Skipping the seat or hip measurement. Waist alone is not enough. If your seat measurement exceeds the chart’s range for your waist size, size up so the overalls actually fit over your hips.
• Ignoring the garment type. A chart for pants is not a chart for bib overalls. Bibs fit higher on the torso and need room through the chest and shoulders that pants never account for. Same for coveralls versus bib styles.
• Forgetting proportions. If your inseam is long or your torso is short, check whether the brand offers regular, tall, and short options. Durable kids overalls for playtime show the same principle — fit categories matter more than a one-size-fits-all label. Tall versions change body length and sometimes sleeve length, which affects both coverage and how freely you can move.

When in doubt, size up. Slightly roomy overalls still work; too-tight ones bind at the shoulders and waist and get returned.

If you’re measuring on the edge of two sizes, go with the larger one, especially if you’ll wear the overalls over layers or need to bend and squat comfortably. The extra room costs you nothing in usability, and it avoids the misery of a too-small seat or chest.