Tailor Measurements: How to Take Every Body Measurement

Guide · Updated 26 October 2026

Accurate measurements are the difference between a garment that needs three fittings and one that fits the first time. This guide covers every standard measurement a tailor takes, where exactly to place the tape, and how to record it so you can cut with confidence.

1. Before you measure

• Use a soft, flexible tape that hasn't stretched. Old cloth tapes stretch over time and can add an inch or more over a long measurement.
• Measure over light clothing, or the clothing the client will wear under the garment. Measuring over a thick jumper or a folded wrapper adds bulk you'll sew into the fit.
• Have the client stand naturally, feet together, arms relaxed, looking straight ahead. People tend to hold their breath or pull their stomach in; ask them to breathe normally.
• Keep the tape level for every measurement that goes around the body. A tape that dips at the back is the most common cause of a wrong chest or hip figure.
• Snug, not tight. The tape should lie flat against the body without pressing in. A useful check is that one finger can slide under it.
• Record body measurements, not garment measurements. Add ease (the extra room for movement and style) when you draft and cut, not when you measure. That way one set of measurements works for a fitted shirt and a loose kaftan.

2. Upper-body measurements

Neck

Around the base of the neck, where a shirt collar sits, with one finger between the tape and the neck. Used for collars and necklines.

Chest (men) or bust (women)

Around the fullest part of the chest or bust, passing under the armpits and across the shoulder blades. Keep the tape level all the way round and have the client breathe normally. This is the most important measurement for tops, jackets and dresses.

Under-bust

Directly under the bust, level all the way round. Needed for fitted bodices, corsets and empire-line dresses.

Shoulder

Across the back from one shoulder point to the other. The shoulder point is the bony tip where the shoulder meets the arm. Follow the natural curve of the back rather than pulling the tape straight. A wrong shoulder measurement makes a garment look borrowed even when the chest is right.

Sleeve length

From the shoulder point, down the outside of the arm with the elbow slightly bent, to the wrist bone (for long sleeves) or to wherever the client wants a short sleeve to end.

Round sleeve (bicep)

Around the fullest part of the upper arm with the arm relaxed. Tells you how wide the sleeve must be so it doesn't pinch.

Wrist or cuff

Around the wrist bone. Add room for the cuff to slide over the hand, or for a watch if the client wears one.

Back length

From the prominent bone at the base of the back of the neck straight down to the natural waist. Used to place the waistline correctly on tops and dresses.

3. Lower-body measurements

Waist

Around the natural waist: the narrowest part of the torso, usually an inch or two above the navel. Ask the client to bend to one side; the crease that forms is the natural waist.

Trouser waist

Around the body where the client actually wears their trousers, which is often lower than the natural waist. Always ask; men in particular often wear trousers at the hip bone.

Hip (seat)

Around the fullest part of the seat, with the feet together, usually 7–9 inches (18–23 cm) below the natural waist. Look from the side to find the fullest point.

Thigh

Around the fullest part of one thigh, about 2 inches (5 cm) below the crotch.

Knee

Around the knee with the leg straight. Used for tapering trousers and for fitted skirts.

Ankle or trouser bottom

Either around the ankle, or the finished opening the client wants at the hem. Write down which one you took.

Inseam (inside leg)

From the crotch down the inside of the leg to where the trousers should end. If the client has a pair that fits well, measuring that pair along its inside seam is the most reliable method.

Outseam

From the trouser waist down the outside of the leg to where the trousers should end, with the client wearing the shoes they'll wear with the trousers.

4. Garment lengths

Lengths depend on style as much as on the body, so always confirm with the client where they want the garment to end. Measure from the highest point of the shoulder, beside the neck, down the front of the body:

• Shirt or top length: to the hip for a tucked-in shirt; longer for one worn out.
• Jacket length: commonly to the point where the cupped hand meets the seat.
• Dress, gown or kaftan length: to the knee, mid-calf or ankle, as the design needs.
• Skirt length: from the waist (not the shoulder) to the hem.

5. Measurement chart: what each garment needs

6. Inches and centimetres

Many tailors, including most in Nigeria, work in inches; patterns and fabric from elsewhere often use centimetres. 1 inch = 2.54 cm, and 1 cm ≈ 0.39 inches.

Pick one unit for each client record and write it down with the numbers. A sheet that just says "34" is a fitting waiting to go wrong.

7. Common mistakes

• Tape not level around chest, waist or hip: the figure comes out too big.
• Pulling the tape tight to be "accurate": the garment comes out too small.
• Guessing the waist position instead of asking where the client wears their trousers.
• Not writing the date. Bodies change; a two-year-old measurement is a starting point, not a pattern.
• Losing the notebook. Paper sheets get wet, torn and misplaced, usually right before a wedding order.

Prefer paper? Download our free printable measurement sheet.