I’ve made this page to help with taking your measurements. All of these can be taken by yourself (except a single “Less common” one below), but it is easier if you have a friend to help.
First, here are my best tips for taking accurate measurements:
Use a sewing tape.
If you don’t have one already, it’s a highly useful purchase! You can get one from Walmart, or any craft store. Or, here’s a link to the exact sewing tapes I use! They’re nice and thick and sturdy – and the white print is holding up perfectly for me, with frequent use. And instead of the usual 60”, they are 120” (10 feet) which can come in handy sometimes.
Be sure you’re using the correct end of the tape.
Don’t laugh, I’ve done this before! Although this mistake is fairly obvious with a 120″ tape, I always check for the 1″ mark, just to be safe!
What to wear to measure yourself:
You can wear thin fitted clothing while taking your measurements. It’s ok to wear a bra – but I recommend a non-padded bra so your bust measurement is accurate.
Here is a printable page you can use in taking your measurements:
Bust
Breathe in deeply. Breathe out to about half a breath of air in your lungs, then measure around your chest/bust at fullest point. In the back, the tape should be at bra line, just above shoulder blades.
Waist
Measure around your natural waist (at smallest point). Depending on your shape, this could be exactly at your belly button, or slightly above. And yes, feel free to suck it in when you take this measurement!
Low Hips
Measure around your hips and butt at largest point.
High Hips
Measure halfway between your low hips and waist – around the top of the hip bones. My skirt waistbands are designed to be placed at this point.
Upper Arm
Have a friend measure around your right (or left if you are left handed) arm, over the biceps.
Or, to take this measurement by yourself, hold the sewing tape in your dominant hand, at about the 20” mark, with the short end facing you. Hold your arm up horizontally in front of your face with wrist bent toward you, and drape the short end of the tape over your bicep. Wrap the tape around your bicep, and shift down in your hand until you have enough tape to take the measurement.
Skirt / Bustle Length
Measure this from high hips to the floor, in the shoes you plan to wear with your skirt. There are two ways to take this measurement. If you have a friend to help, that’s easiest. You will hold the tape at high hip, and your friend will sit on the floor to read the measurement.
Or, you can take this measurement by yourself, with a bit of masking tape. Line up the “0” mark on your sewing tape to the very bottom of a wall (where it meets the floor), and tape it to the wall upside down. Stand next to the wall, in your shoes, and take the measurement by marking the spot with your finger.
My skirts and bustles are made in even inches – 36, 38, 40, etc. Round down to get your correct skirt/bustle length. If you would like an ankle length skirt, subtract 2-3 inches. For an ankle length bustle, subtract 4-5 inches. Bustles, because of the way I gather the poofs, behave a bit differently when they aren’t brushing the floor.
Less common Measurements
These measurements are less common, but necessary for a few of my items.
Underbust
Measure around your rib cage just under the breasts or at bra band. Try to have about half a breath of air when measuring.
Torso height x2
If you’re ordering a gown with a dress jacket, I will need this measurement to be sure the jacket fits your vertical torso dimensions. Tie a string around your waist. Measure from your waist, over your bust, around the back of your neck, back down over your bust, and to your waist on the other side.
Back Width
You will need a friend to help with this measurement. Stand straight, with chest lifted slightly, shoulders comfortably back, and arms at rest. Measure from armpit crease to armpit crease, across your back.