How to take your body measurements for sewing

To take body measurements for sewing, wear thin, close-fitting clothes, tie a narrow elastic around your natural waist as a reference, and keep a flexible tape measure level and snug without pulling it tight. Measure girths around the fullest or narrowest part of the body, and lengths from clear landmarks: the bone at the back of the neck, the shoulder point, the waist elastic, the floor. Height, bust, waist and hip are enough to start most patterns; the other 20 measurements below refine the fit.

The 24 measurements are listed in the order that is easiest to take them, with exactly where the tape goes. They work for any pattern, drafted or bought.

What you need

• A flexible tape measure, 150 cm (60 in) long. Check it against a rigid ruler: old tapes stretch.
• About 1 m (1 yd) of narrow elastic or string to tie around your waist.
• A hardback book, a hard flat chair and a mirror.
• A helper if possible, for the back and shoulder measurements.
• The underwear you will wear under the garment, plus thin leggings and a fitted top, or underwear only.

Write each number down as you go, all in centimeters or all in inches, to the nearest 0.5 cm (1/4 in).

Rules for accurate measurements

• Stand relaxed, weight on both feet, looking straight ahead. Breathe normally; do not hold your breath or pull in your stomach.
• Keep the tape level all the way around for girths. Check the back in a mirror: a tape that dips at the back adds 2–3 cm (about 1 in).
• Snug, not tight: you should be able to slide one finger under the tape, and the tape should not dent the skin.
• Do not add anything for comfort. The pattern adds ease for movement and style; your measurements must be the body only.
• Take each measurement twice. If the two readings differ by more than 1 cm (3/8 in), take it a third time.

Mark your waist first

Bend to one side: the crease that forms is your natural waist, the narrowest part of the torso, usually a little above the navel. Tie the elastic there and move around a little so it settles at the narrowest point. Keep it on, because several lengths below start from it.

The four essential measurements

1. Height. Barefoot, stand with your back and heels against a wall. Rest a hardback book flat on your head, against the wall, and mark its underside. Measure from the floor to the mark.
2. Bust or chest. Around the fullest part of the bust, over the bust points (the fullest point of each breast, see bust point), with the tape level across the back and under the arms, arms relaxed by your sides. Wear the bra you will wear with the garment. For men and children, measure around the fullest part of the chest, across the shoulder blades.
3. Waist. Around your natural waist, over the elastic, with one finger under the tape. It is often higher than where jeans or trousers sit.
4. Hip. Around the fullest part of the hips and seat, feet together. Look at your side view in the mirror and slide the tape up and down to find the largest number; it is usually 18–23 cm (7–9 in) below the waist.

Girths of the upper body

5. Underbust. Snug around the ribcage, directly under the bust, where a bra band sits.
6. High hip. Around the hip bones, about 10 cm (4 in) below the waist. Many bodies have a curve or a fuller tummy here that the hip measurement misses.
7. Neck. Around the base of the neck, where a necklace sits: over the prominent bone at the back and right above the collarbones at the front. Keep a finger under the tape.
8. Upper arm. Around the fullest part of the upper arm, with the arm hanging relaxed.
9. Wrist. Around the wrist bone, snugly.

Lengths of the upper body

10. Shoulder width. Find the shoulder bone on each side: the bony point at the outer end of the shoulder, where the collarbone ends. Measure across the back from one point to the other, letting the tape follow the curve of the upper back. A helper makes this much easier.
11. Back waist length. Bend your head forward and feel for the most prominent bone at the base of the neck. Stand straight again and measure from that bone straight down the spine to the waist elastic.
12. Front waist length. From the high shoulder point, where the shoulder meets the neck at the side, down over the bust point to the waist elastic.
13. Bust height. From the same high shoulder point down to the bust point. It places darts and the fullest part of a bodice at the right level.
14. Bust point to bust point. Straight across from one bust point to the other, wearing your usual bra. Patterns use it to space darts and shape the front of a bodice.
15. Arm length. Put your hand on your hip so the elbow bends slightly. Measure from the shoulder bone, over the point of the elbow, to the wrist bone.

Lengths and girths of the lower body

16. Waist to hip. At the side, from the waist elastic straight down to the level where you took the hip measurement. A second string tied at hip level helps.
17. Waist to knee. At the side, from the waist elastic down to the middle of the knee.
18. Waist to floor. At the side, from the waist elastic straight down to the floor, barefoot. Let the tape hang vertically rather than following the curve of the hip.
19. Inseam. Inside the leg, from the crotch to the floor, barefoot. The easiest way: hold a hardback book between your legs, spine up and level, pushed up gently as high as it goes, and measure from the top of the book to the floor. Alternatively, measure the inside leg seam of trousers that fit you well.
20. Crotch depth. Sit upright on a hard, flat chair. At your side, measure from the waist elastic straight down to the chair seat; a ruler standing on the chair makes it easier to read. It sets the rise of trousers and shorts, so take it carefully.
21. Thigh. Around the fullest part of the thigh, usually a few centimeters below the crotch, standing with your weight on both legs.
22. Knee. Around the knee at the middle of the kneecap, leg straight.
23. Ankle. Around the ankle, over the ankle bone.

Head

24. Head. Around the head, right above the ears and across the middle of the forehead, where a hat sits. It sizes hats such as the bucket hat.

Which measurements matter for which garment

Measuring yourself without help

Use a mirror and take your time. For girths, hold the end of the tape against your body with one hand, or clip it to your clothing, and bring the tape around with the other. Two measurements are hard alone: shoulder width and back waist length. For those, measure a top that fits you well at the shoulders, or ask someone to help for those two only.

Children rarely stand still, so take height, chest, waist and hip first and the rest if they are patient. Measure them again before each new project: a few months of growth changes lengths noticeably.

Common measuring mistakes

• Tape too tight. It squeezes the body and the garment comes out too small. Keep a finger's room.
• Tape tilted at the back. Bust and hip come out too large. Check in the mirror.
• Waist measured where trousers sit. That is a low waist, not the natural waist, and it throws off every length measured from the waist.
• Measuring over bulky clothes. Thick jeans or a sweater add several centimeters.
• Mixing units. A waist of 28 is plausible in inches and impossible in centimeters. Write the unit next to every number.
• Rounding generously. Rounding every girth up by 1 cm (3/8 in) adds up; record what the tape says.

Using your measurements in Sewly

In Sewly you can start a made-to-measure pattern with height, bust, waist and hip only. The other measurements are filled in from the nearest standard size, scaled to your height and girths, and you can replace them with your own numbers whenever you take them. The measuring assistant explains each measurement and flags numbers that look unusual, such as a waist outside 40–170 cm, an underbust larger than the bust or an inseam longer than waist to floor. To compare your numbers with standard sizes, see body measurements and how to choose your size.