How to Measure Your Body for Clothing

Data shows that even before the worldwide pandemic, around 30% of consumers used to buy their clothing online. Hassle-free shopping at the comfort of your own home, saved time, and more competitive pricing are just a couple of reasons why individuals switch to online businesses.

As of today, such a way of shopping has become our new reality. However, shopping online comes with its own drawbacks, and when it comes to clothing, it’s usually the same for everyone – which size is right for me? The days when a Medium size in one store was the same Medium size in another are long gone, and if you look at your closet you probably have items all across the size chart spectrum.

That’s why it’s more important now than ever to not only know how to measure your body but also how to measure clothes. Lucky you - we are here to give you some guidance!

How to Take Body Measurements: General Rules of Thumb

Although many people think that taking accurate body measurements yourself is super hard, it’s really not – all you have to do is know exactly where to place the tape measure and the rest will follow.

Here are Some Easy-To-Follow Instructions Before Measuring Your Body

• Use a measuring tape for maximum accuracy (flexible tape, if possible).
• Make sure the measuring tape is level and neither too tight nor too loose.
• Measure on bare skin, not over clothes.

How to Measure for Women's Clothing

When measuring yourself for a piece of women’s clothing, the most important measurements are:

• Bust
• Waist
• Hip circumference
• Inseam length for pants

How to measure bust: Place one end of the measuring tape at the fullest part of your bust and wrap it around going under your armpits and shoulder blades back to the front. Keep the tape snug but not too tight.

TIP: Wear a non-padded bra to get the most accurate measurements.

How to measure waist: Wrap the tape measure across your natural waistline, which is located about 2 inches (5 cm) above your belly button. To check, bend to one side – the crease that forms is your natural waistline.

TIP: Don’t suck in your stomach as this will give you inaccurate results.

How to measure hips: Stand straight with your feet together and measure across the fullest part of your hips and buttocks, about 8 inches (20 cm) below your waist. Use a mirror to see if the tape is as level as possible. You can also take measurements of your thigh by locating the fullest part of your thigh and wrapping the tape measure around from side seam to side seam.

How to measure inseam: This type of measurement is taken only for pants (jeans, trousers, shorts). The inseam is the distance from the top inside of your thigh to the bottom of your ankle. You can cheat by measuring the distance from the crotch to the hem of the favorite, best-fitting pair of pants you already own. If you choose the latter option - make sure you place your pants on a flat hard surface and smooth out any bumps or wrinkles to get the most accurate results.

How to Measure Your Waist For a Dress?

When it comes to dresses, body measurement might get a bit confusing, especially when measuring the waist. To get the most accurate results, it is recommended to measure the narrowest part of the waist. If you struggle to find such a place - wrap the measuring tape around your waist and move it up and down.

Once you find the smallest waist measurement - that’s it! After that, simply double this number to get the full measurement of your waist.

How to Measure for Men's Clothing

When measuring yourself for a piece of men’s clothing, the most important measurements are:

• Chest
• Waist Hip circumference
• Neck size
• Arm’s length
• Potential shoulder width

How to measure chest size: Wrap the measuring tape beneath your armpits and around the widest part of your chest and shoulder blades. If someone is helping you, relax both of your arms down – this will help you to keep the chest in a natural state.

How to measure neck: To measure your neck, place the tape at the base where your neck connects to your shoulders. This should be just below your Adam’s apple. Assume a relaxed position and look forward. Put one finger between the tape and your body to ensure the collar isn’t too snug.

How to measure waist: Locate your natural waistline by bending towards one side and finding the crease. Then, place the measuring tape around your waist making sure it’s not too loose or too snug. Also, make sure that it wraps evenly around your waist. For a standard fit, put one finger between the tape and your body when you measure.

How to measure hips and inseam: Measuring the hip and inseam for men’s pants or shorts is the same as for women. For the hip, wrap the widest part of your hips and buttocks. For the inseam, run the tape down from your groin to your lower ankle.

How to measure shoulders: This one is best taken with a partner or you can take a favorite shirt that fits nicely and measure it. Measure from the back, not the front. Place one end of the tape measure at the point where the horizontal part of the shoulder and the vertical part of the arm meet. Then run the tape across your back mimicking the natural curve of your shoulders.

Body Measurements and Size Chart: How Do They Correspond?

When looking for clothes online, look for a size chart next to each garment you want to buy. In most cases, such a chart will include measurements for the waist, hips, and bust. Now that you know the measurements of your body - it's easy to figure out what size to choose.

Note: Different brands have different size charts, so it is important to check them every time you make an online purchase.

Hopefully, our provided body measurement tips will save you from bad purchases and help you buy the best fitting linen clothing online from the very first try!