Back length

Back length is the length down the center of the back. On a coat or a jacket, it runs from the collar seam at the center back of the neck to the hem. On a dog, it runs from the base of the neck, where the collar sits, to the base of the tail, and it is the length a dog coat is cut to.

How to measure

On a garment:

1. Lay it flat, back up, smoothed out.
2. Measure from the center of the collar seam straight down to the bottom of the hem.

On a dog:

1. Have the dog stand, head up.
2. Find the base of the neck, where its collar sits, and the base of the tail.
3. Run the tape along the spine from one to the other.

The dog template's step: "from the base of the neck to the base of the tail."

On a size chart

The Coats and jackets template lists it in its garment tab: 76, 78, 80, 82 and 84 cm for S to XXL, beside the sleeve. The Dog coats and sweaters template gives one back length per size, next to its neck and chest ranges:

Its note: "Choose by chest first, then check the back length. Breeds are only a guide."

In Ruban Size

On a dog chart, Find my size asks for Neck, Chest and Back length, or a breed. The chest counts most, then the neck, then the back length, read as a length: a short back makes a coat short, not unwearable. On a coat chart the back length is a garment row for shoppers to compare, and Find my size goes by the chest. Try the Dog coats template.