Have you been that guy who either wears a pair of sweatpants or jeans, with no in-between? 

Luckily for you, Joggers have been getting more popular as the year’s pass, making them as easy to find as sweatpants these days. Most brands will have both options for you to purchase. If you’re unsure of the difference between the two, give this article a read joggers vs sweatpants.

In this article, I will help you understand the proper fit of your joggers so you can style them properly and dress them up even if you want.

Table Of Contents

How Are Joggers Supposed To Fit?

An excellent way to think about how joggers are supposed to fit is to pretend they are a pair of tighter jeans. Unlike sweatpants, joggers are not supposed to be baggy. 

Read our buying guide before you make any purchase what size joggers should I get?

1. How are joggers supposed to fit on the ankle?

The length of your joggers should have the taper at the bottom of your legs above your ankle, not below it touching your shoes. Because of this, you can show a little sock or wear ankle socks. 

Dive deeper into what the proper length of your joggers should be with how long should joggers be?

this is a photo of joggers sitting on the ankle of tall paul

2. How are joggers supposed to fit on the waist?

The leg cut should be well-fitting, outlining your quads and hamstrings at places but not skin-tight. The seat of your joggers should also be fitted close to your butt. You do not want it to be saggy. 

this is a photo of how joggers are supposed to fit on the waist

Should I go a size up for joggers?

Unless you have a specific look you are going for; I would not suggest you go up a size for joggers. By going up a size, you risk making them look baggy and ill-fitting, wherein you might want to buy a pair of nice sweatpants instead. 

If anything, you can better get away with going down a size, unless your looking to tailor your joggers to the perfect fit. If so, you must read can you tailor joggers?

What size should my joggers be?

When purchasing your joggers, you should first look at getting the same size as you do your jeans. Keep in mind that each brand creates its clothing a little bit differently. 

The key areas to look at are:

  • Where does the ankle cuff sit when standing.
  • How tight are the pants on your quads.
  • Does the butt sag?

By going through this simple 3-step process, you can find the exact size you need for the brand you are looking at. 

How can I make my joggers fit better?

There are three ways you can alter your joggers. You can shrink your joggers and hope for the best, you can take out your sewing kit and tailor them yourself, or lastly, you can head to your local tailor and get them to do a professional job on them in your want to tighten your joggers.

Read our top articles on altering the fit of your joggers:

I am all for learning new things, but if you want the job done right and look and feel good in your newly bought joggers, I suggest you take them to a tailor. A dry cleaner should also be able to do this for you.

If you want to challenge yourself and broaden your knowledge by altering them yourself, read this article on how to measure inseam. Your inseam measurement while altering is crucial.

FAQ

You can tell your joggers are too small if the the cuff of your pant leg is sitting on your shin, not just above your ankle. The second way to tell if your joggers are too small is if the fabric is skin tight to your quads (legs.)

The length go your joggers should have the cuff of the pant leg sitting just above your ankle. Around an inch or two higher, max.

The first step to looking good in joggers is to be confident in what you are wearing. After that, put on a clean pair of trainers, a crisp what or black t-shirt and either a sweater, windbreaker or button up shirt (un buttoned.) Learn how to style joggers with this.