TAILOR OF TWO CITIES MEASURING GUIDE

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1 TAILOR OF TWO CITIES MEASURING GUIDE

2 Measuring yourself for a new piece of clothing can be an intimidating prospect. Whenever possible, have a professional take your measurements. When a professional is not available, you can measure yourself by following the steps in this handy measuring guide. Here I have recruited a couple of friends to help me demonstrate the best ways to measure yourself. I ve included instructions for measuring: Bust Waist Hips Shoulders Back of neck to waist Waist to hip Waist to knee Much like I did, you will need to recruit a friend for some of your measurements. It is possible to get an approximate measurement by odd contortions and carefully placed mirrors, but surprisingly small differences can mean the difference between well fitting, flattering clothing, and clothing that s too tight or has droopy shoulders. You will also need a measuring tape. Mine happens to be a Dritz, but you can pick one up for under $5 at any fabric store and most Wal-Mart s. If you are taking any of the measurements on your own, you will want a mirror nearby. It is far easier to read the measurement off the mirror, than crane your neck around whatever curve you are measuring. Make sure you are measuring yourself in the undergarments you will be wearing with the outfit. If your planned bra lifts you up and together, but you measured after a jog in a sports bra that squishes you down and flat, your shirt will be curved in all the wrong places. This goes for the bottom half too. If you measure while wearing Spanx, but don t plan to wear them with the outfit, something may turn out a little too snug. Ideally, measure yourself in just the undergarments you plan on wearing, but if a friend is helping I recommend thin clothing, like a t-shirt and pajama pants, over the undergarments.

3 Bust Measure around the fullest part of the bust. Usually, this falls across the nipples, but that doesn t always hold true. Make sure the measuring tape is parallel to the floor, around both the front of your bust and around your back. Be careful not to let the tape slip down in back. It should sit across your shoulder blades and above your bra band. Watch out for slipping tape measures. As the arrow points to above, it s really easy for the measure to slip off the fullest part of your bust. High Bust: I also recommend measuring your high bust, which falls right above the curve of your breast. This gets an accurate size of your rib cage.

4 Waist The most common mistake I see in measuring your waist is measuring where the top of your jeans sit. Your actual waist is the smallest part of your torso. It s just below your rib cage and near your belly button. Don t suck in while taking this measurement. You might feel a little better when you re taking the measurement, but clothes that are too tight through the tummy aren t flattering. The natural reflex when measuring is to tense up, which can cause the measurement to come out a little off, so take a deep breath and relax.

5 Hips Hips are a tricky measurement. You will want to measure the widest part of your hips. Don t judge your hips by where your hip bones protrude, as my model did here. Everyone is built differently, so the widest point can vary. The widest part of my model s hips (shown by the dotted line) falls about crotch level. If you re having trouble finding the widest part, just start measuring all across your hips, keeping the measuring tape parallel to the floor. The place with the longest measurement is the right place. Remember where you hip measurement was taken. You ll need to reference this point in your waist-to-hip measurement. Get Some Help Now is the perfect time to coerce a friend, family member, or significant other to help you. The next few measurements really can t be taken on your own.

6 Shoulders It s not easy to determine where to set the measurements for your shoulders. You want to measure right up to where the shoulder rotates, but no further. Measuring there means the arms of your garment will be set in the right place to give you a full range of motion. The simplest way to determine the right spot is to bring your arms up level, so they make a straight line fingertip to fingertip. Keeping them level, bring your arms behind you, then in front of you. Have your helper feel for where the joint is. Have them mark it, with chalk on a shirt or washable pen on your skin. Put your arms down and relax. Have them measure from marked point to marked point. Back of Neck to Waist Lean your head forward, and have your helper feel for the knob at the base of your neck. Once they ve found it, bring your head up and stand in your natural posture. It s very common for people to stand up straighter when they re being measured, but fight the urge unless you re going to have perfect posture the whole time you re wearing your outfit. Your helper will need to measure from the knob of your neck to your waist, the same waist we measured earlier.

7 Waist to Hip and Waist to Knee Measure from your waist to the place you measured your hips. On average this is around 8, but everyone is built differently so don t be alarmed if the number is different. Measure along the curve of your hip, not down your front. To measure from your waist to your knee, do exactly as you measured your waist to hip, except go all the way to the knee. The bottom measurement should be taken where it falls right beside the knee cap. If you have any questions it means I didn t explain myself clearly enough! I want your clothing to fit and flatter you, and good measurements are the solid foundation good clothing is built on. If you have any questions at all please me at Deborah@TailorofTwoCities.com. Having custom clothes made should be an exciting process, and I want you to feel secure every step of the way. -Deborah Billingsley