What's the difference between 32" and 34" length jeans? The obviously answer might be "2 inches longer at the bottom" but in reality, depending on the cut of the jeans, choosing the right length can be the difference between a good and great fit for you.

We've collected up some handy insights to help you when you're shopping for your next pair of jeans that may change how you view inseams.

Inseam differences are more important for certain styles of jeans than others. If you're buying a pair of loose fitting relaxed jeans, there really isn't that much to think about - your choice of inseam is really about the length you prefer, and if you buy a pair that's too long, adjusting the length usually won't negatively impact the look or fit of the jeans.

If, however, you're buying a pair of slim or tapered jeans, the same does not hold true.

When a brand designs a pair of jeans, they map the hip, thigh and knee measurements to where they envision the jeans landing on the wearer's body. When they design for different lengths, those target positions on the body change accordingly, as the assumption is that the person who wears a 34" inseam is taller than the person who wears the 32" inseam. These design assumptions extend to whatever length inseam a brand may offer, be it a smaller 30" inch, or a larger 36".

So why does this matter for Slim or Tapered jean? The key comes down to the knee.

Selecting the right inseam for your height when buying slim or tapered jeans, such as these 34 Heritage jeans, will ensure the knee placement and tapering fits your body as the designers intended.

The basic assumption of designers is that a taller person will also have longer legs, meaning the knee placement on the jeans is dropped lower along the leg. In tapered or slim jeans, this means that the knee tapering (which is needed for slim jeans to stay slim) starts lower in the pant leg as the inseam gets longer. This design becomes very apparent on jeans with a ripped knee, where the ripped or distressed material is placed awkwardly below the knee on someone wearing an inseam that that was intended for someone taller than them. The lower knee placement on someone wearing inseams meant for a taller person can lead to the area around the lower thigh and knee not looking slim or not tapering properly, or in the case of a skinny jean, not looking skinny at all.

The process that we're explaining is called grading. Tailors use this technique to scale up and down the sizing of item's design while retaining the intended proportions originally designed by a pattern maker - the person who is responsible for creating the original blueprint for a garment. This step is what ensures, for example, that the length of a t-shirt's sleeve in a XXL is not the same as the sleeve length of a XS and - of course - what leads to the knee placement on jeans.

By now, we hope that it's pretty apparent that, when it comes to jeans inseams, 2 inches isn't always just "2 inches longer at the bottom", so it's important to keep this in mind when shopping for jeans. Many stores may only sell a longer inseam and recommend just hemming the excess length as an easy solution, and while this may be okay, if you're really looking to nail the perfect fit, you might find taking this approach doesn't feel quite as perfect as you may have hoped.

If you find yourself buying jeans that are more than 2 inches longer than your ideal inseam, consider visiting a professional tailor to see if they are able to not only hem the excess length, but taper the pants to fit you perfectly. While this option may not be cheap, if your favorite jeans are only available in a length that's too long for you, there is still potentially a way for you buy them AND achieve an excellent fit.

Looking for a new pair of Jeans? Be sure to check out Gotengo Menswear for our latest jeans arrivals - you may just find your perfect pair!