There are a variety of reasons why you may want to take your body measurements.

You could be making, tailoring, or purchasing clothes, or you may be trying to g

auge weight loss. Different purposes will require different measurements but all
are easy to take with basic tools and maybe a helping hand. Use the following s
teps when you take your measurements.
Method
1
Using a Tape Measure
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Use the correct type of tape measure. When taking body measurements, you need to
use the correct type of tape measure. You will want to use a soft cloth or flex
ible plastic/rubber tape measure, such as is used in sewing. Do not use a metal
measuring tape such as is used in construction (it will be inaccurate).
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Stand correctly. Stand straight, tall, and breathe normally when taking measurem
ents. Some measurements may be taken better when exhaling, some when inhaling (i
t will depend on the purpose of the measurement). This may be difficult to do yo
urself, so get a friend to help you.
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Measure correctly. You want to be sure that when you measure, the tape is straig
ht and in line with the appropriate body part. For example, for most circumferen
ce measurements the tape will need to be parallel to the floor while while lengt
hs will need to be either parallel or perpendicular (based on the line orientati
on of the body part being measured).
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Wear appropriate clothing. You can t get a very accurate measurement when wearing
baggy or thick clothing, so try to wear clothes which fit closely or wear nothin
g at all. Similarly, breast measurements for women will be most accurate when we
aring a well-fitting, unpadded bra.
If measuring for clothes tailoring, some measurements will need to be taken with
clothing on, such as pants measurements and shoulder measurements.
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Know when to measure circumference vs length. Different measurements will need t
o be either circumference measurements (the measurement around something) or len
gth measurements (the measurement between two straight points). Which is necessa
ry should be obvious but all will be indicated in the instructions below.
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Write down your measurements. Make sure that you write down the measurements as
you take them, so that you do not forget them and need to take them again.
Method
2
Monitoring Weight
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Measure your upper arm. Measure the circumference around the thickest part of yo
ur upper arm, usually at the bicep.
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Measure your chest. Measure the circumference around your chest at its widest po
int. For most men this will be at the armpits, for most women this will be at th
e nipple line.
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Measure your waist. Measure the circumference around your natural waist and your
lower waist (two separate measurements). The natural waist is the smallest poin
t of your waist (unlike where clothes waistlines are located these days) and is u
sually an inch or two above your bellybutton. Your lower waist is the widest par
t of your waist, usually at the bellybutton or just below, where weight is gener
ally gained first.
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Measure your hips. Measure the circumference around your hips at the widest poin
t. This will usually be roughly just above the crotch line.
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Measure your upper thigh. Measure the circumference around your upper thigh at i
ts widest point. This is usually to 3/4 s of the way up your thigh, from the knee.
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Measure your calves. Measure the circumference around your calf at its widest po
int, usually roughly of the way up from the ankle.
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Measure your weight. For weight monitoring, you may include your body weight as
a body measurement. This measurement will need to be taken with a scale, either
electronic or manual. You can find scales for sale at many stores, or for use at
gyms and doctor s offices.
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Measure your height. The easiest way to measure your height is to stand straight
with no shoes on and place your back against a wall. Using a pencil, place the
pencil flat against the top of your head with the writing end against the wall.
Carefully mark your height against the wall. Step away and measure from the mark
down to the floor using any measuring tape.
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Calculate your body fat or BMI. You may wish to use the above measurements to ca
lculate your body fat or BMI if you are intending to monitor your weight loss. B
e aware that body fat calculations are frequently inaccurate or unreliable, thou
gh BMI is a fairly accurate way of measuring your weight (unless you are a fit a
thlete, in which case better not).
Method
3
Tailoring or Making Clothing
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Take the measurements listed above. You will need many of the measurements liste
d above for tailoring and creating various items of clothing. Read above if your
pattern or instructions call for those measurements.
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Measure your shoulders. Measure the distance between the shoulder seams on an ap
propriately fitting shirt or jacket or the area you wish the shoulder seam to be
. This measurement should be taken across the top of the back and be parallel wi
th the floor.
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Measure your shoulder seam. Measure the distance between the seam or desired sea
m of your collar and your shoulder.
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Measure your sleeve length. Measure the distance between your shoulder seam and
your desired sleeve cuff. This measurement should be taken in a straight line al
ong the outside or top of the arm with the arm held up (parallel with the floor)
.
This will help account for the fact that the cuff will move up the arm when the
arm is extended, ensuring that your sleeve measurement is not too short.
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Measure your jacket length. Measure the distance between the middle of the upper
shoulder seam and the bottom hem or desired hem of the jacket. It may also be n
ecessary to take a measurement from the back center of the collar seam down to t
he hem, if the collar seam is particularly high.
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Measure your shoulder to waist length. Measure the distance between your shoulde
r seam where it meets with your collar and your natural waist, as described in t
he above section. This should align with the fullest part of your chest.
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Measure your shoulder to nipple length. Measure the distance between your should
er seam where it meets with your collar and your nipple line. This should align
with the fullest part of your chest.
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Measure your upper bust. Measure the circumference around your upper bust by ali
gning the measure at the middle of your back, just below the bust line (it shoul

d at this point be parallel with the floor), and then closing the tape over the
top of your breast. This should help measure breast fullness and rise.
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Measure your your under bust. Measure the circumference around your under bust b
y aligning the measure at the middle of your back, just below the bust line (it
should at this point be parallel with the floor), and closing the tap just under
your breast. This should help measure your rib cage width.
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Measure your pants length. Measure the distance between the waist and the hem or
desired hem of the pant. This should be taken in a straight line down the front
center of the leg.
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Measure your inseam. Measure the distance between the crotch seam or desired cro
tch seam and the cuff or desired cuff of the pants, along the inside seam. This
is considered a very personal measurement and tailors should generally respect y
our personal space and not get too close. If you are uncomfortable, tell them.
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Measure your cuff. Measure the circumference around your ankle and account for h
ow loose you would prefer the cuff or alternatively measure the cuff of an exist
ing pair of pants by taking the length from side seam to side seam along the hem
.
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Measure your front rise. Measure the distance between the front center of the wa
ist hem and the crotch seam. This is considered a very personal measurement and
tailors should generally respect your personal space and not get too handsy. If
you are uncomfortable, tell them.
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Measure your back rise. Measure the distance between the back center of the wais
t hem and the crotch seam. This is considered a very personal measurement and ta
ilors should generally respect your personal space and not get too handsy. If yo
u are uncomfortable, tell them.
Method
4
Fitting Bras
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Understand that there are many methods. Each company will use a slightly differe
nt method to calculate bra size. If you can find a measurement guide or sizing c
hart for your preferred bra manufacturer, use that. You can alternatively receiv
e a free fitting, over your clothes, at most department and lingerie stores. The
method described below is a good starting point for figuring out your bra size
but you may need to experiment to find the best fit.
Keep in mind that bras may fit differently depending on their type. You may need
a larger cup than normal, for example, with push-up bras. As with any clothing,
it is also possible for bra sizes to run small or large as well.
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Measure your under bust. Measure your under bust using the method described in t
he clothing measurement section above. Add three inches to this measurement. If
it is an even number then this is your band size. If it is an odd number, round
down to the next even number to get your band size.
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Measure your bust size. Measure your bust at the nipple line as described in the
monitoring weight section. The tape measure should just gentle touch you, not b
e pushing your breasts inward, and be parallel with the floor. If the resulting
measurement is not a whole number, round up to the nearest full inch.
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Subtract your band size from your bust size. This should give you a much smaller
number (usually between 2-4). This number is used to calculate your cup size. H
ere is how the numbers correspond:
0-1/2 = AA
1/2-1 = A

2 = B
3 = C
4 = D
5 = DD
This measurement system tends to be inaccurate for larger cup sizes and the syst
em for your preferred brand should be followed.
Community Q&A New! Answer questions, help people.
How can I get the full details of shirt measurements?
wikiHow Contributor
Look online, and there should be a measurements tab. All you need is to click on
that tab, and it should lead you in the right direction.
Flag as duplicate
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I want to know how to measure a trouser
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Tips
The cloth measuring tape will have both centimeters and inches on it so you can
measure according to your preference.
Remember when making or tailoring clothing that extra material will need to be l
eft for seam allowances and hems.
If your new body measurements are drastically different from your previous numbe
rs, you may wish to measure those areas again to double check for accuracy.
For weight loss records, keep a measurement log where you write down every measu
rement throughout your weight loss journey. Be consistent and take your measurem
ents every 30 days. Subtract the previous measurements from your new numbers to
find the difference.
Warnings
Do not pull the measuring tape too tight to where it will press into the skin, t
hough this will give a smaller measurement, it will not be accurate if you are t
ruly trying to record correct size information.
Things You'll Need
Cloth measuring tape
Measurement log
Pencil
Mirror