How to measure
Step by step, for shoppers and for the stores that publish the charts: chest, waist, inseam, feet, rings, bras, heads, hands, dogs and kids.
- How to measure your chest for clothesPass the tape under your arms and around the fullest part of your chest, keep it level all the way round, and read it after a normal breath out. That number is your chest; on a women's chart labeled bust, the tape takes the same path.6 min
- How to measure your waist (and why pants differ)Measure your natural waist around the narrowest part of your torso, tape level, after a normal breath out. For pants and jeans, also measure where the waistband actually sits, because a pant size like 32 is a label, not always your natural waist.5 min
- How to measure your hipsStand with your feet together and wrap the tape around the fullest part of your hips and seat, level all the way round. That is the hip measurement dresses, swimwear, leggings and jeans are sized by, and often the one that decides.5 min
- How to measure inseam, and how it differs from outseamInseam is the length from the crotch to the floor along the inside of your leg, measured without shoes; on a pair of pants, from the crotch seam to the hem. Outseam runs down the outside of the leg from the top of the waistband, and shoppers' size charts rarely use it.5 min
- How to measure shoulder width and sleeve lengthShoulder width runs across the top of your back, from the bony tip of one shoulder to the other. Sleeve length runs from that shoulder point, over a slightly bent elbow, to the wrist bone; dress shirts measure it from the center back of the neck instead, so check which one a chart means.5 min
- How to measure your neck for a dress shirtWrap the tape around the base of your neck, where a shirt collar sits, with one finger slipped under it, and read the number. That is the neck size a dress shirt chart asks for: on the Men's shirts template, 39 to 40 cm is an M and 41 to 42 cm an L.5 min
- How to measure your foot length and widthStand on a sheet of paper with your heel against a wall, mark the tip of your longest toe, and measure from the wall to the mark: that is your foot length. For width, measure straight across the widest part of the foot. Do both feet and keep the larger numbers.5 min
- How to measure your ring size at homeWrap a strip of paper around the base of your finger, mark where it overlaps and measure the length in millimeters: that is your inner circumference, and your EU ring size. No paper? Measure across the inside of a ring that fits the same finger: that is the inner diameter.5 min
- How to measure your bra sizeYour band is your underbust rounded to the nearest 5 cm. Your cup comes from your bust minus your underbust: AA from 10 cm, then one letter for every 2 cm.7 min
- How to measure your head for a hat or a helmetMeasure around your head just above the eyebrows and ears, where a hat sits, and keep the largest reading. Between two sizes, take the larger one, for hats and helmets alike.6 min
- How to measure your hand for glovesGlove sizes follow your hand circumference, measured around the knuckles with the thumb left out. Hand length, from the wrist crease to the tip of the middle finger, settles the close calls.5 min
- How to measure your wrist for a bracelet or watch strapWrap a strip of paper just below your wrist bone, mark the overlap and measure it. Add 1.3 cm for a snug bracelet, 1.9 cm for a comfortable one and 2.5 cm for a loose one.5 min
- How to measure a dog for a coat or sweaterThree measurements, with your dog standing: the neck where the collar sits, the chest at its widest just behind the front legs, and the back from the base of the neck to the base of the tail. Choose by chest first.5 min
- How to measure kids for clothes: age, height or bothChoose kids' clothes by height first, then check the chest or the waist. The age on the label is only a guide: a tall four-year-old can wear a 5Y.5 min
- How to measure a garment flat for your size chartLay the garment flat and measure straight across from armpit to armpit, from the top of the shoulder to the hem, and along the sleeve. Then write "laid flat" in the header, so nobody takes half a chest for a whole one.6 min
- How to measure your belt sizeLay a belt that fits you flat and measure from where the strap meets the buckle to the hole you use most: that length is your belt size. No belt to measure? Take your trouser waist size and add 2 in (5 cm), so a 32 trouser takes a 34 belt.5 min
- How to measure biceps and thighsFor clothes, measure your biceps with the arm relaxed at your side, around the fullest part of the upper arm, and your thigh standing, around the fullest part of the leg just below the crotch, tape level. On a garment laid flat, measure straight across the sleeve or the leg at the same points and double it.5 min
- How to measure torso length for swimsuits and bodysuitsTorso length for a one-piece swimsuit or a bodysuit is a loop. Start on top of one shoulder, run the tape down over the bust, between the legs and up the back to the same shoulder, standing straight with the tape snug.5 min
- How to measure for a suit jacketMeasure your chest over a thin shirt, under the arms and around the fullest part, tape level: that number picks the jacket size. Then measure shoulders, sleeve and back length, which tell you whether you need a short, regular or long.6 min
- How to measure a dress for your size chartLay the dress flat and closed, then measure straight across the bust (armpit to armpit), the waist and the hips, and from the top of the shoulder down to the hem. The widths are halves: double them for the measurements around, and say in the chart which ones you publish.6 min
- How to measure pants and jeans flat: rise, thigh, leg openingButton the pants, lay them flat front up, and measure straight across the waistband, the hips, the thigh, the knee and the leg opening; then the front and back rise from the crotch seam to the top of the waistband, and the inseam down to the hem. The widths are halves, so double them for the measurements around.7 min
- How to measure a skirt: waist, hips and lengthMeasure your waist where the skirt's waistband will sit, your hips around the fullest part with your feet together, and the length from that waist line down to where you want the hem. On a skirt laid flat, measure across the waistband and the hips, double both, and measure the length from the top of the waistband to the hem.5 min
- How to measure a baby for clothesLay the baby on their back, legs gently straightened, and measure from the top of the head to the heel. That length, with the weight, picks the size; the months on the label (0-3 M, 3-6 M) are only a guide.5 min
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