How to Measure Yourself for a Suit: A Complete Guide
TL;DR
You need eight measurements for a suit and a soft tape measure. Chest, waist, hips, shoulder, sleeve, jacket length, inseam and outseam. Take them over a fitted shirt, not bare skin, and never pull the tape tight.
Most people have never taken their own measurements, and the first attempt is usually wrong in the same predictable ways. The tape is pulled too tight, the shoulder is measured from the wrong point, and the waist is taken where the trousers sit rather than where the body actually narrows.
None of this is difficult. It just requires knowing where each measurement starts and ends, and resisting the urge to make the numbers smaller than they are.
1. What You Need Before You Start
A soft tape measure, the kind used for sewing rather than the retractable metal type. A fitted shirt, since measuring over bare skin produces numbers that will be too tight once you are dressed. A mirror. And ideally a second person, because two of the eight measurements are genuinely difficult to take on yourself.
Write everything down as you go. Trying to remember eight numbers is how errors creep in.
2. The Eight Measurements That Matter
Chest
Run the tape around the fullest part of your chest, under the arms and across the shoulder blades at the back. Keep the tape level all the way round. Breathe normally, neither holding your breath nor expanding your chest deliberately.
This is the measurement that determines jacket size, so it is worth taking two or three times to confirm you are getting a consistent number.
Waist and Hips
For the waist, find the natural narrowing of your torso, usually slightly above the navel. This is not where your trousers sit. Trouser waist and body waist are different measurements and confusing them is one of the most common errors.
For hips, measure around the fullest part, usually around the seat. Keep the tape level and parallel to the floor.
Shoulder Width
Measure across the back from the outer edge of one shoulder to the other, following the natural curve rather than cutting straight across. The outer edge is the point where your shoulder ends and your arm begins, which you can find by feeling for the bone.
This is one of the two measurements that genuinely needs a second person. Taken on yourself, it is almost always inaccurate.
Sleeve Length
Start at the centre back of your neck, run the tape across the shoulder, down the outside of the arm with a slight bend at the elbow, and finish at the wrist bone.
Note that this is different from shirt sleeve measurement conventions in some countries, where sleeve is measured from the shoulder seam instead. When ordering, always confirm which method the tailor uses.
Jacket Length
From the base of the collar at the back of the neck down to where you want the jacket to end. A traditional guide is that the jacket should cover the seat, though modern cuts run shorter.
If you own a jacket that already sits well, measuring that garment flat gives you a more reliable number than measuring your body.
Inseam and Outseam
Inseam runs from the crotch to the top of the shoe. Outseam runs from the top of the waistband to the same point. Measuring an existing pair of trousers laid flat is far easier and more accurate than measuring your leg directly.
Wear the shoes you intend to wear with the suit while doing this. Shoe height changes trouser length by a meaningful amount.
3. Printable Measurement Chart
Keep a simple record with columns for the measurement name, the number, and the date taken. Bodies change, and a set of measurements from three years ago is not a set of measurements.
| Measurement | Value | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Chest | ||
| Waist | ||
| Hips | ||
| Shoulder | ||
| Sleeve | ||
| Jacket length | ||
| Inseam | ||
| Outseam |
4. The Five Most Common Measuring Mistakes
1. Pulling the tape tight. Snug is correct. The tape should stay in place without compressing anything, and you should be able to slide a finger underneath.
2. Measuring over bulky clothing. A jumper adds several centimetres that do not exist on your body.
3. Confusing trouser waist with body waist. These are different points and produce different numbers.
4. Measuring the shoulder alone. Almost always inaccurate. Ask someone.
5. Not standing naturally. Standing to attention changes your posture and therefore your measurements. Stand as you normally stand.
5. Why Self-Measurement Has Limits
Self-measurement gets you a useful set of numbers for ordering, comparing sizes, or checking whether existing garments fit. What it cannot capture is posture.
Tailors adjust for a forward head, a dropped shoulder, a slight stoop, or one shoulder sitting higher than the other. These are extremely common and almost nobody has a perfectly symmetrical frame. None of it shows up in a tape measurement, which is why a fitting in person will always produce a better result than a set of numbers alone.
Use these measurements as a starting point and a reference. Treat them as a conversation opener with a tailor rather than a substitute for one.
Book your appointment with us for a bespoke tailoring session.
Frequently asked questions
Can I measure myself accurately for a suit?
You can get close, though a second person makes shoulder and sleeve measurements considerably more reliable.
Should I measure over clothes or bare skin?
Over a fitted shirt. Measuring bare skin gives numbers that will be too tight once you are dressed.
How tight should the tape be?
Snug enough to stay in place, loose enough to slide a finger underneath.
Which measurement do tailors consider most important?
Shoulder width, since it is the one thing that cannot be meaningfully altered afterwards.
