First, be mindful of undergarments. Before measuring, put on the type of bra and undies you’d wear with the item you’re shopping for. Don’t measure your bust wearing your non-padded everyday bra if you’re shopping for a cocktail dress that requires a padded, strapless bra. If you plan to wear a bodyshaper, put that on before measuring.
It is possible to take accurate measurements yourself but if you’re nervous, grab a friend and have her help. Bonus points if you happen to be friends with a seamstress or tailor!
Use a plastic or cloth tape measure and record the following measurements:
- fullest point around the bust
- smallest point around the waist
- fullest point at the hip
- inseam
Make sure to keep the tape flat, even and snug but not tight. It shouldn’t pull into your flesh nor should it be too loose.
You can get fancier and measure from your waist to knee (for skirts), shoulder to wrist, shoulder to hip, etc. However, most online size charts are limited to bust, waist, hip, lengths for dresses and skirts, inseams for pants, and sometimes sleeve and overall garment lengths.
Finding your inseam length is easier if you just measure a pair of pants that fit properly, rather than trying to contort yourself into a position that would allow for measuring your actual inseam. Also, be mindful of the shoes you’ll wear with the item! If you’re into heels, be sure to take the extra height into account when making purchases.
Write the measurements down or keep them in a file on your computer so you’ll always have them handy to compare to size charts.
Speaking of measurements... Do you know where to find an extra long tape measure? I've been looking for awhile. I'd like one that goes at least to 70 inches, but 80 would be better.
I find it impossible to get accurate measurements using a standard size tape measure.
Posted by: WeightlessOne | June 18, 2009 at 01:04 PM
@ WeightlessOne - A trick you can use if you don't have an extra-long tape is to use yarn or string, and mark off the length of whatever you're trying to measure....then measure the string separately, in sections as needed. It's not as quick a process, but it will get the job done.
Posted by: Tari | June 18, 2009 at 01:44 PM
I got my extra-long measuring tape from AmpleStuff. ;)
Posted by: living400lbs | June 18, 2009 at 02:50 PM
Here's a tip for finding your waist, since sometimes the narrowest point is not obvious: stand up straight, and then bend to one side. The part where you crease is your waist. My biggest problem with measurements was always that I was measuring where my pants hit me, not at my natural waist.
After never being able to remember my measurements, I actually emailed them to myself and then put the email in a folder so I can access it through my webmail.
Posted by: OTM | June 18, 2009 at 03:53 PM
These tips are really helpful if you are going to be making clothing, too - books like Big Girl Knits have wonderful tips for measuring different areas of your body. One of my fav suggestions in that book is to actually measure a sweater or top that fits you nicely to get good data on how much "ease" you like in your clothes!
Posted by: Kristine | June 18, 2009 at 10:53 PM
I got my tape measure as well from Amplestuff and it goes to 96", which is quite handy for many things, and I think it was less than $2.00.
Posted by: mshell67 | June 19, 2009 at 06:17 AM
I just wanted to add that it can also be useful to measure your favorite clothing. I like to wear my pants a bit loose in the waist and I like low rise (but how low???), so it's useful to know that my favorite pants have a 40" waist and a 9-1/2" rise. Also, sounds crazy, but I like buying clothes off ebay because usually the seller can take ACTUAL measurements rather than the manufacturer's size charts, which are often so off it's crazy.
Posted by: Miss Laura Mars | June 19, 2009 at 04:30 PM
Thanks everyone for the tape measure suggestions!
Posted by: WeightlessOne | June 23, 2009 at 07:25 AM