How to Take Accurate Body Measurements for Men

Perfect, Professional Dimensions for Tailoring, Fashion & Clothing

Feb 10, 2009

Time to Learn to Take Accurate Measurements, luci, sxc

It is important for a gentleman to know his dimensions; it allows him to be a much more consummate and learned consumer as well to better understand his shape & body

Taking measurements can be a daunting task facing those who've never used a sewing machine, let alone handled a measuring tape! The truth of the matter is that taking accurate measurements is not especially difficult – it simply requires attention to detail and double-checking your results until you grow confidence in your ability. As the old maxim goes, “Measure thrice, cut once.”

Upper Body Measurements

The most common measurements taken for a gentleman's upper body are as follows : neck, sleeve, insleeve, chest, and waist. For all of these measurements, the subject should be standing erect, facing forward, with arms at rest.

A neck measurement is very simple. Taking the measuring tape, simply create a circle (starting from the zero point on the tape) and wind the tape around the subject's adam's apple or the thickest part of their neck. Loosen up to allow two fingers to easily be able to enter the loop in between the tape and the neck. This is an accurate neck measurement for a dress shirt.
The sleeve is simply measured by placing the tape, starting from zero, at the exact middle of the spine, where the neck meets the shoulders. Holding the tape in place with one hand, bring it across the shoulders and then straight down the arm. End the measurement anywhere from the break of the wrist (for a more italian, bold look in your suits) to within a half inch of the division between thumb and forefinger. Anywhere in this range is acceptable – most gentlemen prefer somewhere in the middle.
The insleeve is measured by placing a suit jacket or blazer on the subject, placing the measuring tape against the seam of the underarm, and measuring straight downward until the break of the jacket sleeve (if the jacket sleeve is properly fitted) or simply to an inch past the inside of the wrist.
The chest measurement is very basic – a loop measured across the breast of the subject, at the widest part of their chest. It is important to relax the measuring tape slightly (or more aggressively if fitting huskier subjects) to allow for a bit of breathing room.
The waist measurement is also very quick – simply a loop around the largest part of the subject's midsection. Relaxing the tape an inch (or two, for larger subjects) will allow for a more comfortable fit.

Lower Body Measurement

The first lower body measurement that will need to be done is the seat – that's right, you'll need to measure your backside in order to select appropriate pants or to get professional tailoring done on your garments.

The seat measurement is taken across the largest portion of your thighs and rear, across the hips in a loop very similar to the chest and waist measurements. Relaxing the tape is unnecessary on slimmer men; for men with a more striking backside you may wish to relax the measurement by an inch.

A common misconception with regards to measuring for pants or slacks is predisposition to choose an inseam measurement most every time. While it is important to generally know one's inseam, it is in fact a poor measurement to take.

The reason for this is that the inseam is measured from the split of the crotch (or drop) downward to the hem. The problem with this is that different pants possess different drops, or distance between the waistline and the juncture where the legs must begin. What this means, very simply, is that inseam measurements may very from style to style very easily, and are a very unreliable or poor way of gauging your personal dimensions.

The outseam, by contrast, is a measurement that never changes from style to style – it is the measurement from the top of one's waistband to the hem of the pant leg. Simply place the measuring tape at the top of the waistband, standing to one side of the subject, and measure straight downward to the floor (if barefoot), or to the block of the subject's shoe. It should be obvious why this measurement would remain fairly static – it is based on the dimensions of your body rather than on a fluctuating aspect of each particular style of pant.
Shoe size is provided via a Brannock device commonly available at many quality footwear stores.

With these measurements in mind, it will be exceptionally easy for you to browse through suits, dress shirts, jeans, and dress pants with relative ease and somewhat renewed confidence. While it may take a bit of practice to perfect your abilities and measurements – as an informed consumer you will make much better choice with regards to size and structure of your own personal wardrobe.