Every size chart is only as useful as the numbers you compare it with. Measuring yourself properly takes about five minutes, and you only have to do it once a year or so. After that, any brand's size chart becomes something you can read in seconds instead of a guess.
What you need
- A soft tape measure, the fabric or plastic kind used for sewing. A metal tape from a toolbox will not follow the curve of your body.
- A mirror, so you can check the tape is level.
- Ideally a second person for the shoulder and sleeve measurements, though you can manage alone.
Wear thin clothing or just underwear. A thick jumper can add several centimetres to your chest and waist, which is enough to move you a whole size.
How tight should the tape be?
Snug, not tight. The tape should sit flat against your body without pressing into it. If you can slide one finger under it comfortably, that is about right. Breathe normally and do not hold your stomach in; you want the measurement of the body that will actually wear the clothes.
Chest
Stand straight with your arms relaxed at your sides. Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your chest, under your armpits and across your shoulder blades. Check in the mirror that it is level all the way round, because a tape that rides up at the back reads short.
Waist
Your natural waist is the narrowest part of your torso, usually a little above your belly button. Measure there for tops and dresses. For trousers and jeans, many brands mean the point where the waistband sits instead, which is usually lower, around the top of your hip bones. If a chart lists a waist for jeans, measure where you wear your jeans.
Hip
Stand with your feet together and wrap the tape around the fullest part of your hips and seat. Look side on in the mirror to find the widest point, since it is often lower than people expect.
Inseam
The inseam runs from your crotch down the inside of your leg to where you want the trousers to end, usually the top of your foot or the floor. The easiest way to get it is from a pair of trousers that already fit well: lay them flat and measure the inside seam from the crotch to the hem.
Shoulder
Measure across your back from the tip of one shoulder to the tip of the other, where your arm meets your shoulder bone. This one is much easier with help.
Sleeve
Start at the centre of the back of your neck, go over the top of your shoulder and down the outside of your arm to your wrist bone, with your arm slightly bent. Brands measure sleeves differently, so check whether a chart means from the neck or from the shoulder seam.
Neck
Wrap the tape around the base of your neck, where a shirt collar sits, with one finger between the tape and your neck. This matters mostly for formal shirts.
Height
Stand barefoot against a wall, heels together, and mark the top of your head with something flat laid across it. Measure from the floor to the mark.
Common mistakes
- Measuring over clothes. Even a t-shirt adds a little. A hoodie adds a lot.
- A twisted or sloping tape. A tape that dips at the back can read two or three centimetres out.
- Pulling it tight. You are measuring the space the clothes need, not the smallest number you can get.
- Mixing up body and garment measurements. A size chart that says "chest 104 cm" might mean your chest or the width of the garment itself. Our guide on reading size charts explains the difference.
Write it down once
Keep your numbers somewhere you will find them: your notes app, or your clothly closet, where they are compared with every garment you check automatically. Re-measure if your weight changes noticeably or every twelve months.