How to take body measurements

How to take body measurements

Taking measurements is one of the most important stages in drawing patterns. How to take measurements from a female figure correctly and avoid mistakes when drawing patterns? In this tutorial, you will learn how to take body measurements accurately and avoid common mistakes.

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Helpful Tips for Taking Body Measurements

• Stand straight while taking measurements, keep your arms relaxed at your sides, and avoid slouching.
• In order to obtain a perfect result, measurements need to be taken on a person dressed with the lightest personal garment.

Bonus for you! In this article you will find formulas for measurements calculating and an measurements table for a tailor’s mannequin (size 46).

Basic tools for taking measurements

1. A tape measure

For taking measurements, use a flexible double-sided measure tape that starts from zero on both sides (pic. 1). Some Tape Measures have inch markings (pic. 2).

2. A rubber band

To simplify the process of taking measurements from the figure, you can use very simple devices. And one of them is a rubber band. Tie the tape around your waist. This tip it makes it easier to take measurements. Don’t pull the elastic too hard, just mark the thinnest part of waist.

3. A shoulder pad
Another useful tool is a shoulder pad (pic. 3). It can help you accurately take measurements associated with basic points. You can find a pattern and a master class on sewing and using a shoulder pad at the link How to sew a shoulder pad

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What are the basic points and how to determine them correctly?

There are six basic points on the figure (neck, shoulder, waist). Pay attention – the marking passes through the same points (pic. 4).

1. Point 1 – Neck – Shoulder. Located at the intersection of the neck base and the shoulder line. Measure the Waist Length, Chest height, Shoulder length, Back length to waist 2.
2. Point 2 – the edge of the shoulder. Located at the articulation of the shoulder with the arm. Measurements are connected with Point 2: Shoulder height (From waist to shoulder end), Sleeve length, Shoulder length.
3. Point 3 – The point of the seventh cervical vertebra is the most prominent point of the spinal column at the base of the neck. Point 3 is connected with a measurement of Back waist Length 1.
4. Point 4 – breast point – the top point of the breast. Measurements are associated with Point 4: Bust height, Front Waist Length, Breast height.
5. Point 5 – located at the intersection of the spinal column with the waist line. With point 5 connected points Back waist length, Shoulder height.
6. Point 6 – located at the intersection of the mid-front line with the waist line. Point 6 is associated with the Shoulder height measure.

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How to write down measurements

Write down measurements in tabular form. In the left column, write down the name of the measure, then its full value, half and quarter (pic. 5). You can add one or 2 columns to the right if you need to perform additional calculations – calculate 1/6 or 1/8 of the measure value.

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Practical Measurement Guide

Bust circ. (pic. 6). The main measurement for shoulder garment (blouses, dresses, jackets, coats, etc.).

Pass the tape measure around the body at bust point level. This is the most important measurement, because half of chest circumference is the size of a person. For example, circ. 92 cm (36 1/4″) = size RU 46 = size EU 40 = size US 8 . Values in inches are given in parentheses.

Waist circ. (pic. 7). Waist circ. is measured around the body at the the narrowest part of waist.

Hip circ. 1 (pic. 8). is measured around around your hips at the widest point. This will usually be roughly just above the crotch line.

Hip circ. 2 (pic. 8). For some figures with low hips, the measurement is taken below the level of the hips, at the widest point. Hip circ. 1 and Hip circ. 2 – two separate measurements. Hip circumference 2 is usually taken lower than Hip circumference 1.

Hip depth (pic. 9) is measured on the side from the waistline to the hipline.

Bust height (pic. 10) is measured from shoulder at neck to bust poin.

Breast distance (pic. 11) is measured between bust points.

Back width (pic. 12) is measured from left underarm to the right underarm on the blade bone level.

Back waist length (pic. 13) is measured from neck (seventh cervical vertebra) to waistline.

Front waist length (pic. 14) is measured from shoulder at neck to waistline passing by bust point.

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Shoulder Height Is an Important Measurement

The value of this measurement depends on the shoulder inclination and affects garment balance. Shoulder types can generally be divided into three categories: normal, sloped, and square.

• Back shoulder height is measured from the intersection of the center back line and waistline to the shoulder point.
• Front shoulder height is measured from the intersection of the center front line and waistline to the shoulder point. (pic. 15).

Neck circ. (pic. 16) is measured around the base of the neck.

Shoulder length (pic. 17) is measured from neck to the shoulder edge.

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Measurements for Calculating Bust Darts

Three additional measurements are used for calculating bust darts:

• Chest Width 1 – measured horizontally from one armhole to the other across the bust points (pic. 18).
• Chest Width 2 – measured horizontally from one armhole to the other across the upper bust level.

• Measure h – Distance between levels Chest width 1 and Chest width 2 (pic. 19).

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Measurements for the sleeve pattern

• Sleeve length (pic. 20). It is measured from the shoulder edge passing by the elbow point to the wrist along the arm. 3/4 sleeve length is measured in the same way, but to the elbow.
• Bicep circ. (pic. 20) is measured around the widest upper arm.

Wrist circ. is measured similar to Bicep circ. but around the wrist.

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Formulas for Armhole calculating

Armhole length (pic. 21a). In order to measure the armhole length, use a paper strip 3-4 cm (1 1/4″–1 5/8″) wide. Pinch the paper under your armpit horizontal to the spinal column. Measure the Armhole length vertical from the seventh cervical vertebra to the top paper strip edge.

Formula for Armhole length calculating:
Armhole length = 1 / 10 B.C. + 10,5 cm (4 1/8″), where B. C. is the Bust circ. measurement.

Armhole width (pic. 21b). In order to measure the armhole width, use a paper strip 3-4 cm (1 1/4″–1 5/8″) wide. Hold the strip horizontally under your armpit, arms along the body. Use a pencil to place vertical marks on the left and right of the arm. Measure the resulting distance between the marks on a paper strip (measure Armhole width).

The Armhole width measure is calculated by the formulas in two ways:

1. Using the measurement Bicep circ. (B.C.):
   Armhole width = 0.33 х B.C. + 0,5 cm (1/4″), where B.C. is the Bicep circ. Measurement;
2. Using the measurement Bust circ.:
   Armhole width = B.C. / 8 – 1,5 cm (5/8″), where B. C. is the Bust circ. measurement.

Trouser length (skirt length) is measured from the waistline:

• trousers – by side from waistline to floor (pic. 22a);
• skirts – in front from the waist to the desired length (pic. 22b).

Blouse, dress, jacket, coat length is measured along the back from the 7th cervical vertebra to the desired length.

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