How to measure yourself
for custom suits & shirts.

Before you start

• Use a flexible tailor’s tape, a mirror and someone to help.
• Wear thin, close-fitting clothes and remove bulky layers. Empty your pockets.
• Stand naturally, relax your shoulders and breathe normally.
• Keep the tape flat and snug without squeezing. Record the actual readings; describe your preferred fit separately.
• Choose centimetres or inches, label the unit and repeat each reading twice.
• The photos show measuring positions. Do not copy the numbers visible on the tape.

Tap or click a photo to view it full size.

Shirt & jacket measurements

Shirt measurements

• Neck, chest, belly and hips
• Shoulder width and sleeve length
• Front shirt length
• Front and back width

Jacket measurements

• Chest, belly and hips
• Shoulder width and sleeve length
• Front jacket length
• Front and back width

Both guides are shown below. Follow the shared measuring photos and specify whether each reading is for your shirt or jacket. Front and back width follow the shirt / jacket length step.

01 · Neck

Wrap the tape around the base of the neck where the collar sits. Keep it comfortably in contact with the skin without squeezing. Record the circumference and describe your collar preference separately.

02 · Chest

Pass the tape under the arms and around the fullest part of the chest. Keep it level across the back. Stand naturally with arms relaxed and breathe normally. Record the full circumference, not the width across the front.

03 · Belly / stomach

Measure around the fullest part of the abdomen with the tape level all the way around. Keep your stomach relaxed; do not pull it in or add extra room yourself.

04 · Hips / seat

Measure around the fullest part of the hips and seat. Keep the tape horizontal and stand naturally with your feet together. Use the photo to locate the tape, then relax your arms when taking the reading.

05 · Shoulder width

Ask a helper to measure across the back between the two shoulder points, following the natural curve. The left side of the picture shows the position. Use your shoulder points as the reference; a loose shirt’s seams may sit beyond them.

06 · Sleeve length

Start at the shoulder point shown and measure down the outside of the arm to the wrist or the agreed cuff endpoint. Keep the arm relaxed, with a slight natural bend. Record left and right separately and label this shoulder-to-wrist. A centre-back-to-wrist reading is a different measurement.

07 · Front shirt / jacket length

Start at the high shoulder point beside the base of the neck, as pictured. Run the tape down the front to the desired hem. Tell us whether the reading is for a shirt or jacket and confirm the endpoint with our team. This front reading is different from a centre-back length.

One shared method: Use these front and back width positions for both shirts and jackets. The photos demonstrate the positions on a jacket. Tell us which garment you are measuring, and keep these width readings separate from body circumferences.

08 · Front width · Shirts & jackets

Use this front-width measuring position for both shirts and jackets. The photo demonstrates it on a jacket. Measure across the front between the armhole reference points shown, keeping the garment in its normal wearing position. Tell us whether the reading is for a shirt or jacket and label it front width. It is a width reading, not a full chest circumference.

09 · Back width · Shirts & jackets

Use this back-width measuring position for both shirts and jackets. The photo demonstrates it on a jacket. Measure across the back between the corresponding armhole reference points. Tell us which garment you measured and label the reading back width. This is different from shoulder width and should not be doubled into a body circumference.

Trouser measurements

Agree on your waistband position first. Use that same position for your waist, side length and rise readings.

10 · Trouser waist

Measure around the position where you want your waistband to sit, following the photo. Keep the tape level and snug without squeezing. Note the waistband position; this may differ from your natural waist. Do not substitute a size-label number.

11 · Thigh

Measure around the fullest part of the upper thigh, keeping the tape level. Stand naturally and do not flex the leg. Record the actual circumference; tell us your fit preference separately.

12 · Trouser side length / outseam

Start at the top of the intended waistband and measure down the outside of the leg to the agreed hem endpoint. Wear the shoes you plan to use and tell us your preferred trouser break. Confirm the endpoints before ordering. This is not an inseam measurement.

13 · Crotch length / total rise

With a helper you are comfortable with, run the tape from the centre-front waistband, between the legs and up to the centre-back waistband. Keep it gently against the body without pulling tightly. The two views show the front and back positions. This reading is different from inseam or trouser side length; ask our team if you are unsure.

14 · Trouser cuff / leg opening

Measure around the trouser leg opening at the hem, as pictured, keeping the fabric in its natural position without stretching or pulling it tight. Record the full circumference and label it trouser cuff / leg opening. This is a garment measurement, not the circumference of your ankle. If you instead measure the hem flat across, label that reading flat hem width and tell our team which method you used.

A few other useful details

If requested, record your natural waist separately from your trouser waist, along with upper-arm and wrist circumferences. Mention which wrist carries a watch. For an existing pair of well-fitting trousers, a flat garment inseam runs from the crotch seam to the hem; label that separately as garment inseam. Leave any uncertain readings blank and ask for help.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Mixing inches and centimetres, or garment widths and body circumferences.
• Pulling the tape too tight, holding your breath or changing your posture.
• Confusing sleeve length with a centre-back-to-wrist measurement.
• Confusing jacket back width with shoulder width, or trouser rise with inseam.
• Adding extra room yourself instead of discussing the fit with our team.

Your measurement checklist

Copy this template into your notes. Fill in the readings you are confident about and contact us to confirm the rest.

This is a copyable checklist. Your measurements are not collected or submitted through this page.