How to Measure Yourself for Clothes (Bust, Waist, Hips and More)
Written by Artemis Clo
Learning how to measure yourself for clothes takes ten minutes, a soft tape and a little honesty, and it saves hours of returns. Once you have your own numbers, every size guide stops being a riddle. Here is how to take each measurement properly, and what to do with them afterwards.
Getting ready to measure yourself for clothes
You need a soft fabric or plastic tape measure, the kind used for sewing, not the metal one from the toolbox. A long mirror helps, as does a friend if you have one willing. A notebook or the notes app on your phone completes the kit.
Wear your usual everyday bra and either a thin fitted layer or nothing at all on top. A cosy jumper can add several centimetres, which is exactly the margin between two sizes. Stand barefoot on a hard floor, feet together, shoulders relaxed.
Three small rules make the numbers reliable:
- Keep the tape level all the way round. Check in the mirror; it loves to dip at the back.
- Hold it snug but not tight. You should be able to slip one finger under it without the tape lifting away.
- Breathe normally. Holding your breath in feels tempting and gives you a number for a body that only exists for four seconds.
Write everything down in centimetres and inches. One inch is 2.54 centimetres, and having both saves you a sum every time you read a European or American chart.
With those numbers in hand, even a dress with plenty of shaping, like a pleated midi dress with a sweetheart corset bodice, becomes much easier to choose. Have a look through the dresses once you are done and compare your figures with the size guide on each page.
Dresses to start with
A few pieces that fit what you have just read.
Pink Midi Shirt Dress with Botanical Hem Print
Printed Pleated Day Dress with Pockets
A-Line Dress with Embroidered Sheer Sleeves
How to measure your bust and underbust
Stand straight with your arms relaxed by your sides. Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your bust, usually across the nipples, and around your back at the same level. Check the mirror: the tape should sit straight across your shoulder blades, not ride up towards your neck.
For your underbust, place the tape directly under your bust where a bra band would sit, again level all the way round. This one should be snug. It matters most for fitted dresses, swimwear and anything with a structured bodice.
The bust measurement is usually the one that decides the size of tops, shirts and fitted dresses. If your top half and bottom half fall into different sizes, that is entirely normal, and it is one reason separates are so useful.
A word on bras
Measure in the bra you wear most. A plunge, a minimiser and a sports bra can each change your bust measurement by a surprising amount. If you are buying something for a special occasion, measure in the bra you plan to wear with it.
How to measure your waist
Your natural waist is the narrowest part of your torso, usually a little above your belly button. To find it, bend sideways: the crease that forms is your waist. Wrap the tape around there, keep it level, and breathe out normally before you read the number.
Here is the thing many guides forget. Your natural waist may not be where you like to wear your waistband. If you prefer trousers that sit a little lower, take a second measurement there and label it clearly. That second figure is the one to compare with waistbands, while the natural waist matters for dresses with a defined waist.
Elasticated, drawstring and shirred waists are kinder to an in-between waist measurement. A pair of high-waisted palazzo trousers with a bow tie belt adjusts in a way a fixed waistband cannot.
How to measure your hips
Stand with your feet together. Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your hips and bottom, which is usually around 18 to 23 centimetres below your natural waist. Look in the mirror from the side to check it is level, then move it up and down a little to make sure you have the widest point.
Hip measurement decides the size of trousers, skirts and straight dresses. For anything with a full or A-line skirt, it matters much less, because the fabric falls away from the hips. That is why the same person might choose a different size in a pencil skirt and a printed pleated day dress with pockets.
Thigh, if you need it
For slim trousers and jeans, measure around the fullest part of one thigh too. It explains why some straight-leg shapes feel snug even when the waist and hips agree with the size guide.
Shoulders, arms and back length
These are the measurements that make a jacket look as though it was made for you, and they are the ones most of us have never taken.
- Shoulder width: measure across your back from the bony point at the edge of one shoulder to the same point on the other. This is much easier with a helper.
- Arm length: with your arm slightly bent and your hand resting on your hip, measure from the shoulder point, over the elbow, to your wrist bone.
- Upper arm: wrap the tape around the fullest part of your upper arm. Useful for fitted sleeves.
- Back length: measure from the bone at the base of your neck down your spine to your natural waist.
With these in hand, a size guide for blazers becomes far more useful. If the shoulder width and sleeve length of a tailored piece like a double-breasted blazer with knit sleeves match yours, the jacket will sit beautifully, even if the size number is not the one you usually buy. Shoulders are hard to alter, so it pays to get them right and let a tailor deal with the rest.
How to measure inside leg and rise
Inside leg decides how your trousers land at the ankle. The easiest method is to measure a pair you already love: lay them flat and measure along the inside seam from the crotch to the hem.
To measure your body instead, stand barefoot with your feet slightly apart and measure from the top of your inner thigh straight down to where you want the hem to finish, usually the ankle bone. If you plan to wear the trousers with a heel, add a couple of centimetres, or measure in the shoes.
The rise is the distance from the crotch seam to the top of the waistband. It explains why two pairs of trousers with the same waist size can sit in completely different places. Again, measuring a favourite pair is the simplest way to know what you like.
Wide shapes are more forgiving on length, especially styles that skim the floor or finish just above the ankle. A pair of straight-leg summer trousers with turn-ups lets you play with length too. Browse the trousers with your inside leg written down.
Height and the lengths that depend on it
Your height affects where every hem lands. A midi that falls mid-calf on one woman can reach the ankle on another, and a cropped sleeve can turn into a three-quarter one.
Measure your height barefoot against a wall, with a book laid flat on your head to mark the spot. Then, for dresses and skirts, measure from the base of your neck at the side down to where you would like a hem to finish: knee, mid-calf or ankle. When a product page lists a dress length, compare it with that number rather than with the photograph.
This is especially useful with longer shapes. A pink midi shirt dress with a botanical hem print is designed to show off its hem, so it is worth knowing where that hem will fall on you.
Reading a size guide with your measurements
Size guides come in two kinds, and it is worth checking which one you are looking at.
Body measurements tell you the size of the person each size is meant for. Compare your figures directly and choose the size that matches.
Garment measurements tell you the size of the clothes themselves. Here you expect the numbers to be larger than yours, because clothes need room to move, often called ease. A fitted top might be only a few centimetres bigger than your bust; a relaxed one much more.
| Measurement | What it mostly decides |
|---|---|
| Bust | Tops, shirts, knitwear, fitted dresses |
| Waist | Trousers, skirts, belted and wrap dresses |
| Hips | Trousers, straight skirts, shift dresses |
| Shoulder width | Jackets, blazers, coats, structured shirts |
| Arm length | Long sleeves, coats, knitwear |
| Inside leg | Trousers and jeans |
For a loose, flowing style, the bust and shoulders are usually the only measurements that matter, so a floral blouse with puff sleeves or anything in the blouses collection is quick to size. Our guide to UK, EU and US clothing sizes explains how to use the same numbers with a European or American label.
Measuring a garment you already love
This is the shortcut professionals use. Pick a piece that fits you exactly the way you like, lay it flat on a bed or table, and smooth out any creases.
- For tops and dresses, measure straight across from armpit to armpit and double it for the chest.
- Measure across the waist at its narrowest point and double it.
- Measure the length from the highest point of the shoulder to the hem.
- For trousers, measure the waistband straight across and double it, then the inside leg seam.
Now you have garment measurements that you know suit you. When a size guide gives garment measurements, compare like with like, and you will rarely be disappointed. It works brilliantly with structured pieces, such as a single-button blazer with three-quarter sleeves, where a couple of centimetres across the shoulders make all the difference.
Keeping your measurements to hand
Numbers are only useful if you can find them when you need them, which is usually on your phone, late in the evening, with a basket half full. Make yourself a simple measurement card and save it somewhere obvious, such as a pinned note or a photo in its own album.
A good card has two columns, centimetres and inches, and these lines:
- Bust, underbust, natural waist and the waist where you wear your waistbands
- Hips and, if you buy slim trousers, thigh
- Shoulder width, arm length and upper arm
- Back length, height, and the length from the base of your neck to your favourite hem
- Inside leg, measured on your favourite trousers
- Foot length, measured in the evening
Add the date at the top. When it is more than a year old, or when your clothes start to feel different, take the tape out again. It takes a fraction of the time the first round did.
It is also worth noting the sizes you wear in the pieces you love most, with a word on how they fit: roomy, just right, a little snug. Over time you will see a pattern, and that pattern is more useful than any single chart. For your feet, our guide to UK to EU shoe sizes explains how to take the foot length with nothing more than paper and a pencil.
Common mistakes when you measure yourself
A handful of slips account for most sizing surprises.
- Measuring over clothes. Even a light jumper skews the numbers.
- Pulling the tape tight. It feels neater and gives a size that will feel snug.
- Letting the tape dip at the back. This adds centimetres to the bust and hips. Use the mirror.
- Using old numbers. Bodies change gradually; a measurement from years ago is a memory, not a fact.
- Ignoring the second measurement. If your waist sits differently from where you wear waistbands, note both.
And one more, which is not really a mistake. If your measurements fall across two sizes, choose the size that fits the part of the garment that has to fit closely, and let the rest drape. Nobody else is reading the label.
If you are curious about what to do with your numbers next, our gentle guide on how to dress for your body shape picks up from here, and our notes on a capsule wardrobe after 40 help you choose fewer pieces that fit properly.
Next, from our blazers
Something from a neighbouring rail, for the same moment.
Velvety Single-Button Blazer with Gold Buttons
Double-Breasted Blazer with Knit Sleeves
Relaxed Check Blazer with Patch Pockets
Your questions, answered
Can I measure myself without a tape measure?
Yes, at a pinch. Wrap a piece of string or a phone charger cable around yourself, mark where it meets, then lay it along a metal ruler or a steel tape. It is less precise, so measure twice and round up if in doubt.
Is my bust measurement the same as my bra size?
No. A bra size combines your underbust band with a cup letter, while a clothing size guide wants one figure: the full circumference around the fullest part of your bust. Two women with different bra sizes can share the same bust measurement, so take the tape round yourself rather than working it out from the label in your bra.
How often should I measure myself?
Once a year is plenty for most people, or whenever your clothes start to feel different. Bodies shift a little over time, and a fresh set of numbers saves a lot of guesswork.
Do I need to measure in centimetres or inches?
Write down both if you can. British size guides often use both, European ones usually use centimetres and American ones inches, so having both to hand makes every chart quick to read.
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