How to take measurements so your clothes fit well

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

If you want the blouse you sewn to fit perfectly, and the dress ordered from the seamstress does not knit, you will need to take your measurements correctly. Well-taken measurements make it easier to build a pattern, reduce the number of fittings and corrections.

How to take measurements: general rules

• Measurements for building a pattern for a dress, skirt or trousers must be taken off by linen. Put on for fitting the underwear with which you are going to wear the product. This is important as different bra shapes, for example, can change the height and girth of the bust.
• All measurements are taken on the most developed part of the body. For right-handers, measurements are taken on the right side, for left-handers - on the left.
• When taking measurements, you need to stand straight, without tension, in a position familiar to the body. It is quite difficult to take measurements of oneself qualitatively. When the position of the body changes, its dimensions also change. A possible way out of the situation: take a product that fits very well on you, and take measurements from it.
• Mark the natural waistline with a rubber band or thin cord - this will simplify the task.
• Since the human body is symmetrical, usually the pattern is built only up to the middle of the figure. For convenience, some measurements are recorded at half size. These measures include the semi-girth of the neck, chest, waist and hips, back width, width and center of the chest. The rest of the dimensions are recorded and used in full.
• In different countries, the systems for constructing patterns and methods of taking measurements differ slightly. And depending on the school, the names of the measures may differ within the same country. If you are not sure what size we are talking about, read the description. This way you can quickly find a match.

Basic figure measurements

Measurements for the shoulder product

These measurements will be needed if you want to sew a dress, blouse, jacket, coat.

Measurements 1-10 are recorded and used at half size, the rest in full.

1. Semi-girth of the neck - measured at the base of the neck. The tape must be closed in the jugular cavity.
2. Semi-girth of the chest first - the tape runs horizontally behind the protruding points of the shoulder blades, in front - above the chest.
3. Semi-girth of the second - behind the measuring tape goes as in the previous version, in front it runs along the most prominent points of the chest. It is better to remove the first and second half-grips of the chest one after another, without changing the position of the tape on the back. Maintain a natural posture with your arms down, but do not pinch the tape in the armpits.
4. Semi-girth of the third - the tape runs around the body strictly horizontally, in front - along the most prominent points of the chest, in the back - keeping horizontal. This measurement is the mass production size that is right for you.
5. Half waist - measured by an auxiliary tape or elastic band located at the narrowest part of the figure. Do not try to create the waist yourself by pulling on the cord. You are beautiful no matter the size, and the correct number will help the product fit well.
6. Half hip - the tape runs horizontally around the figure, behind - along the most prominent points of the buttocks, in front - taking into account the protrusion of the abdomen.
7. First chest width - measured horizontally between the front angles of the armpits, above the chest.
8. Second chest width - a measuring tape is applied horizontally between the anterior corners of the armpits through the most prominent points of the chest glands.
9. Center of the chest - measured between the most prominent points of the chest. This size, like the half-bust, varies depending on the shape and density of the bra you are wearing.
10. Back width - measured along the shoulder blades between the posterior angles of the armpits.
11. Front waist length - Measured from the highest point of the estimated shoulder seam at the base of the neck to the front of the waistline. The ribbon is placed vertically along the shape. To find the highest point of the shoulder seam, wear a thin jersey shirt. Where the shoulder seam rests against the neckline, the desired point is located. You can find it before starting the measurements, mark it with a chalk, and remove the shirt.
12. Chest height - the distance from the highest point of the shoulder seam to the most prominent point of the chest.
13. Back waist length first - measured from the seventh cervical vertebra to the waist line. If you feel the base of the neck in the back, you will find a prominent vertebra. And you need it.
14. Back waist length second - measured from the highest point of the estimated shoulder seam at the base of the neck to the back of the waistline. The ribbon is positioned vertically, following the curves of the figure.
15. Back armhole height - the distance from the highest point of the shoulder seam to an imaginary horizontal line drawn from the posterior corner of the armpit.
16. Shoulder height oblique - measured from the end point of the shoulder to the point of intersection of the spine with the waist line. The end point of the shoulder can be found with a thin jersey shirt with sleeves. The place where the shoulder seam enters the sleeve stitching seam is the point we need. Since you've marked your waist with elastic or tape, it should be easy to find the intersection of your waistline with your spine.
17. Shoulder width - the distance from the highest point of the shoulder seam at the base of the neck to the final shoulder point.
18. The length of the sleeve - measured from the end of the shoulder point to the desired length. The arm should be in a natural position, slightly bent at the elbow.
19. Shoulder girth - the tape runs strictly horizontally at the widest point of the shoulder.
20. Wrist girth - measured over the hand over the protruding bones.
21. Length of the product - measured from the seventh cervical vertebra to the desired length.

Skirt measurements

The number of measurements required for a skirt depends on its silhouette. For a sun skirt, only the length of the product and the half-girth of the waist are needed. To sew a pencil skirt, you also need to measure the half-girth of the hips. The length of the skirt is measured from the waistline along the side seam to the desired level.

Trouser Measurements

In addition to the half-girths of the waist and hips, a few more measurements are required to build trousers.

1. Seat height - measured on a seated figure from the waist line along the side seam to the chair. For accurate measurements, the seating surface must be firm.
2. Knee height - measured while standing from the waist line along the side seam to the middle of the kneecap.
3. Knee width - especially important for tight trousers. The tape is placed around the bent knee.
4. Pants width at the bottom - is selected according to the model. If you are going to sew tight trousers, then the width of the trousers at the bottom will be equal to the circumference of the foot through the heel.
5. Length trousers - measured while standing from the waist line along the side seam to the desired length. In tight trousers, the length is taken to the bone. In medium or wide - to the middle of the heel, with which you will wear these trousers.

When creating a pattern, you need to remember that the measurements taken from the figure are not equal to the dimensions of the parts. When building drawings, an increase in the freedom of fitting is added to the measurements. This is not a constant value. It depends on the size of the figure, the properties of the fabric, the purpose and silhouette of the product, as well as the fashion.