Whether you're ordering made-to-measure shirts online, getting a suit altered or sewing your own clothes, the quality of the result depends on the numbers you start with. Tailors take dozens of measurements, but a handful do most of the work. Getting those right at home is very achievable with a soft tape measure, a mirror and ideally a second person.
Before you start
- Use a soft, non-stretch tape measure. Old fabric tapes can stretch; check yours against a ruler.
- Wear thin, close-fitting clothes or measure over underwear. Bulky layers add inches.
- Stand naturally. Don't breathe in, puff out your chest or stand unusually straight. Tailored clothes need to fit the posture you actually have.
- Keep the tape level and snug, flat against the body without compressing it.
- Measure twice. If the two readings differ, measure a third time and use the most common value.
- Write everything down immediately, with units.
Upper body
Chest or bust
Wrap the tape around the fullest part of the chest, under the armpits and across the shoulder blades, keeping it horizontal. For bust measurements, wear the bra you'd normally wear with the garment.
Waist
For tailoring, "waist" can mean two things. Your natural waist is the narrowest part of the torso, usually just above the belly button. The trouser waist is where you actually wear your trousers, often lower. Measure both and note which is which.
Shoulder width
Measure across the back from the bony point at the edge of one shoulder (where the shoulder seam should sit) to the same point on the other side. This one really needs a helper. It determines how a jacket or shirt hangs more than almost any other measurement.
Sleeve length
With your arm relaxed at your side and slightly bent, measure from the shoulder point, over the elbow, to the wrist bone. Shirt sleeves typically end at or just past the wrist bone; jacket sleeves slightly shorter so a little shirt cuff shows.
Neck
Measure around the base of the neck where a shirt collar sits, with one finger between the tape and your neck for comfort. Shirt collar sizes are often quoted to the nearest half inch.
Back length
From the most prominent bone at the base of the neck down the spine to the natural waist. Used for jackets, dresses and coats.
Lower body
Hips or seat
Around the fullest part of the hips and bottom, with feet together and the tape level all the way round.
Inseam
From the crotch seam down the inside of the leg to where you want the trousers to end. It's easiest to measure a pair of trousers that already fit well: lay them flat and measure along the inside seam.
Outseam
From the trouser waist down the outside of the leg to the hem. Together with the inseam, it helps determine the rise.
Rise
The distance from the crotch seam to the top of the waistband. Front and back rise are often measured separately. A mismatched rise is the reason some trousers feel too tight when you sit down even though the waist fits.
Thigh
Around the fullest part of the upper thigh, usually a couple of inches below the crotch.
Translating numbers into fit
Your body measurements aren't the same as garment measurements. Clothing includes ease, extra room for movement and style. A slim-fit shirt might have a few inches of ease at the chest; a relaxed one much more. When a retailer asks for body measurements, they add the ease themselves. When they ask for garment measurements, measure a piece you already like.
Your proportions matter too. Comparing shoulder, bust, waist and hip figures tells you where standard sizes are likely to fit and where they'll need altering. For the core torso measurements, this measuring walkthrough explains where the tape should sit and how the ratios between bust, waist and hips describe your overall shape.
Common mistakes
- Measuring over jeans or a jumper.
- Letting the tape tilt down at the back.
- Holding your breath or sucking in your stomach.
- Mixing inches and centimetres on the same sheet.
- Guessing shoulder width without a helper.
Keep a measurement record
Save your measurements with the date. Bodies change with training, age and weight, so re-measure every six months or before any significant purchase. Keeping a list of garment measurements from your best-fitting clothes is just as valuable, because they tell a tailor exactly what "fits well" means to you.
Summary
A soft tape, relaxed posture and a helper get you most of the way to tailor-grade measurements. Focus on chest, waist, hips, shoulders, sleeve, inseam and rise, record both body and favourite-garment figures, and you'll order and alter clothes with far more confidence.