Type your height and your legs, floor to crotch. You get your torso and legs as shares of your height, where that sits among 1,986 women the US Army measured, what a long or short torso changes in the clothes you buy, and the torso length to buy in a one-piece.
Height 5 ft 4 in, legs 29.5 in
Long torso, shorter legsYour legs are 46.1% of your height — a smaller share than 91% of the 1,986 women the US Army measured, so your torso is long for your height.
- Torso (head to crotch)
- 34.5 in · 53.9%
- Legs (crotch to floor)
- 29.5 in · 46.1%
- For your height, among the Army’s women
- shorter legs than 91%
Petite Dressing’s line is a torso of 55% of your height; yours is 53.9%, under it — by their rule, a shorter torso and longer legs. Of the Army’s 1,986 women, measured from the floor to the crotch, only 2% are over 55%. Legs measured to a point lower than the crotch come out shorter, and the torso longer: measure with a book.
What it changes in the clothes you buy
High-rise trousers, jeans and skirts: they put the waistband higher, so your legs read longer.
- “If you have a long torso and short legs, the high-waisted style should be a staple in your closet!” — Petite Dressing
- “High-waisted pants shift the visual break point on your body higher up, elongating your legs and creating a more proportionate silhouette.” — Real Men Real Style
Shorter tops and cropped jackets that end at or above the hip.
- “Wearing a cropped-length top is very flattering to women with long torsos and short legs.” — Petite Dressing
- “Opt for shorter jackets that end at or just above the hip.” — Real Men Real Style
Shoes the colour of your trousers, so the leg line runs on to the floor.
- “Women with long torso and short legs should always color blend the pants and the shoes.” — Petite Dressing
- “Match your shoe color to your pants to create a continuous line from your waist to the ground.” — Real Men Real Style
One-piece swimsuits and bodysuits run short on you: look for long-torso versions, or size up.
- “Long- 5’8" – 6’0" tall, accomodates long torsos.” — Lands’ End
- “If you are in between torso measurements or know your torso runs long we recommend sizing up!” — JOLYN
- “Long-torsoed ladies can rejoice: though it may be a struggle to find a one-piece that is long enough, you have the versatility to select pretty much any style you want and look great in it.” — Maxine of Hollywood
One-piece swimsuits
Measure the loop as Lands’ End does (below) to see which of its torso lengths is yours.
- “Run a tape measure diagonally across your body from your shoulders, over the fullest part of the bust, between your legs and back to the starting point.” — Lands’ End
- “Petite- 4’11" – 5’3" tall, proportioned shorter, body length decreases 1 1⁄4" from our Regular fit.” — Lands’ End
- “If you are in between torso measurements or know your torso runs long we recommend sizing up!” — JOLYN
- “In general, a suit is the right length for you if you can fit one to two fingers beneath the shoulder strap without it being too tight.” — Maxine of Hollywood
How to measure
No tape? The two-hands check
Inside Out Style: Less than 2 hands width – Short Waist · 2 hands width – Balanced Waist · More than 2 hands width – Long Waist. It measures your waist (bust to waist), not your whole torso.
About the Army’s women
The spread from ANSUR II, the US Army’s 2012 survey (1,986 women); the 55% line from Petite Dressing; the tips from Petite Dressing, YouLookFab, Real Men Real Style and Maxine of Hollywood; torso lengths from Lands’ End and JOLYN. Checked 2026-10-12. Ours: long or short means legs in the Army’s shortest or longest quarter, and the nearest Lands’ End torso. Sizes differ by brand: check the brand’s own chart.
Quick answer: your torso is your height minus your legs (floor to crotch, barefoot). Among 1,986 women the US Army measured, the legs of the woman in the middle are 48% of her height, so her torso is 52%. Legs under 47% of your height put you in the Army’s shortest-legged quarter: a long torso. Over 49%: a short torso. Type yours above.
How to use it
Type your height and your legs, floor to crotch. Measure barefoot, with your back to a wall and a hardcover book pressed up snug between your legs, spine up: your legs are the floor to the top of the book. You get your torso and legs as shares of your height, where you sit among the Army’s women, what that changes in the clothes you buy, in the guides’ own words, and Petite Dressing’s 55% line beside it. For a one-piece swimsuit, add your torso loop and usual size: you get Lands’ End’s Petite, Regular or Long torso for you.
What counts as a long or short torso
There is no official line. Petite Dressing writes one: “Typically, a woman’s torso is 55% of her height and legs are 45% of her height.” and “If your torso is longer than 55%, that means you have a long torso and short leg body type.” The US Army’s survey of 1,986 women (ANSUR II (US Army), 2012) measured stature and crotch height for every one of them; in it the middle woman’s torso is 52%, and only 2% are over 55%. A leg measured to a point lower than the crotch comes out shorter and the torso longer, which is why the book matters.
What is ours: calling the Army’s shortest-legged quarter (legs under 47% of height) a long torso, its longest-legged quarter (over 49%) a short torso, and everyone between balanced. The Army’s sample is not the whole population — its own page says so: “Despite the presence of reservists in the sample, it is still not an approximation of the US Civilian population.”
| Height | Long torso under | The middle | Short torso over |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5′0″ | 28.2 in | 28.8 in | 29.4 in |
| 5′2″ | 29.1 in | 29.7 in | 30.4 in |
| 5′4″ | 30.1 in | 30.7 in | 31.4 in |
| 5′6″ | 31 in | 31.7 in | 32.4 in |
| 5′8″ | 32 in | 32.6 in | 33.3 in |
| 5′10″ | 32.9 in | 33.6 in | 34.3 in |
Each cell is the height times the Army women’s leg share at the 25th, 50th and 75th percentile (47%, 48%, 49%).
What a long or short torso changes
- A long torso: high-rise trousers and skirts — Petite Dressing: “If you have a long torso and short legs, the high-waisted style should be a staple in your closet!” — shorter tops and cropped jackets, and shoes the colour of your trousers. One-pieces run short: JOLYN says “If you are in between torso measurements or know your torso runs long we recommend sizing up!”
- A short torso: mid-rise rather than high, untucked tops of regular length, one colour top to bottom, V-necks. YouLookFab: “Tucking a top into a high-waisted skirt or pair of pants shortens a short waist even further.”
- Balanced: clothes cut for a regular torso sit where they are meant to. “Dresses with a defined natural waist can balance out the length of both a short and a long torso.”
In a one-piece, Lands’ End sells three torso lengths per size; its Long is “Long- 5’8″ – 6’0″ tall, accomodates long torsos.” Its chart puts Petite 2½ inches under Regular and Long 2½ over, in every size.
Worked examples
- 5′2″, legs 28 in: long torso, shorter legs. Legs 45.2% of height: for that height, shorter legs than 98% of the Army’s women.
- 5′7″, legs 33 in: short torso, longer legs. Legs 49.3% of height: longer legs than 79%.
- 5′5″, legs 31 in: balanced torso and legs. Legs 47.7% of height: shorter legs than 58%.
- A size 8 with a 64-inch torso loop: Lands’ End, size S 8: Petite 59 in, Regular 61½ in, Long 64 in. Your loop, 64 in, is nearest its Long torso.
Common mistakes
- Measuring in shoes. Height and legs both barefoot.
- Stopping the tape short of the crotch. It makes your legs shorter and your torso longer than they are: use the book.
- Using your jeans’ inseam. A trouser inseam is where you like your hem, not where your legs end.
- Mixing up the waist and the torso. The two-hands check measures bust to waist; a long torso can still have a short waist, with a long rise.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I have a long torso?
Measure your height and your legs (floor to crotch, barefoot, a book pressed up snug) and divide. Among 1,986 women the US Army measured, legs under 47% of height are the shortest quarter: a long torso. The calculator does the sum and shows where you sit.
How to measure torso length?
For proportions, your torso is your height minus your legs: Petite Dressing measures it from the top of the head to the crotch. For a swimsuit, brands mean a loop instead: Lands’ End runs the tape from the shoulder, over the bust, between the legs and back up to the start.
What is a normal torso length?
In the US Army’s 1,986 women, the middle torso (head to crotch) is 52% of height, and half of them are between 51% and 53%. Petite Dressing calls 55% typical; only 2% of the Army’s women are over it.
Do I have a long torso or short torso?
Compare your legs with your height: in the Army’s shortest-legged quarter you have a long torso, in its longest-legged quarter a short torso, and between them you are balanced. Your waist can differ: a long torso can come with a short waist and a long rise.
What should I wear with a long torso and short legs?
High-rise bottoms, shorter tops and cropped jackets, shoes the colour of your trousers, and long-torso one-pieces — Petite Dressing and Real Men Real Style agree on all of the first three.
What torso length do I need in a swimsuit?
Measure the loop — shoulder, over the bust, between the legs and back up — and compare it with the brand’s chart for your size. At Lands’ End, Long is 2½ inches more than Regular and Petite 2½ less; between two, JOLYN says size up.
On Needle Style
To wear it: high-waisted pants styled to flatter, shoes for a cropped jumpsuit, swimsuit ideas and outfits for an hourglass figure.
More free tools: the body shape calculator, the Kibbe body type test and the women’s size converter.