How to Measure Guide
A practical guide
to help achieve
consistent clothing
measurements in
men’s trousers
and shirts
Introduction
This How to Measure Guide
has been produced with Before you start:
the clothing industry to • Ensure you have a flat surface
help identify the different to lay the garment on.
points and positions of • Ensure you have a recent tape
measurements for men’s measure (old ones can stretch
trousers and shirts. over time – measure yours
against a metre stick).
The aim of this guide is to help garment
technologists, designers, and buying teams working • Button up or zip up the
with garment factories and/or suppliers to achieve garments.
consistency of measurements across products. It
will help save time and achieve accuracy, with both
fit and pattern amendments, when issuing fit
• Make sure measurements
comments and size measurements. start from zero on the tape
measure.
This guide showcases photographs of fit critical and
additional measurement points and positions on
medium size garments. These photographs may be
used in conjunction with technical sketches.
Please feel free to use this guide to best fit your
needs, as some reference points will differ from
brand to brand, or even between different styles.
These have been marked as ‘brand/style specific ’.
All measurements provided in the guide are in
centimetres (cm). Tolerances are not indicated, as
these should be specific to each retailer.
02 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Introduction
Men’s Trousers
03 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Trousers
Fit critical measurements
Stage 1 Stage 2
Waist Measure along the top Waistband
from edge to edge Measure from
depth waistband’s top edge
(this measurement can be to bottom edge
doubled – brand specific)
04 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Trousers
Fit critical measurements
Stage 1 Stage 3 Stage 2
High hip Measure across trousers Low hip Measure across trousers
fromHigh Hip
edge to edge
8cm from edge to edge 18cm
below waistband below the waistband
(brand/style specific) (brand/style specific)
05 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Trousers
Fit critical measurements
Stage 5 Stage 3
Measure across leg from
Stage 6 Fold the leg in half; place your
tape measure at half point
Thigh High
edge Hip2.5cm
to edge
Knee inside leg, then measure
below the crotch point across leg from edge to edge
An alternative reference point An alternative reference point is to
is to measure at crotch point measure 33cm down from the crotch
point (brand/style specific)
06 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Trousers
Fit critical measurements
Stage 7 Stage 3 Stage 8 At centre front measure
straight from below
Leg AtHigh Hip
hem: measure Front waistband to the crotch point
opening straight from rise
An alternative method is to keep the
edge to edge garment flat, curve the tape along
the seam and start measuring from
the top of the waistband
07 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Trousers
Fit critical measurements
Stage 9 Stage 3
At centre back measure
straight from below
Stage 10
Back rise High
waistband Hip
to the crotch
point Inside leg
Measure from crotch
An alternative method is to keep the point to hem
garment flat, curve the tape along
the seam and start measuring from
the top of the waistband
08 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Trousers
Additional measurements (non-exhaustive)
Stage 11 Stage 3 Stage 12
Outside Measure from below Fly length
leg
High Hip
waistband to hem Measure from below
waistband to the bar
An alternative is to measure from tack closing the fly
the top of waistband to hem
09 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Trousers
Additional measurements (non-exhaustive)
Stage 13 Stage 3 Stage 14
Fly width High
Measure Hip under
fly width Zip length
Measure from under
waistband from outside
waistband to zip end
stitching to fly edge
10 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Trousers
Additional measurements (non-exhaustive)
Stage 15 Stage 3 Stage 16 Measure from pocket
Pocket High Hip
Measure below
Slant edge below waistband to
width pocket pocket edge at side seam
waistband from side
seam to pocket edge length at For other pocket types, measure
opening pocket depth along side seam from
below waistband to pocket edge
11 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Trousers
Men’s Shirt
12 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Shirt
Block measurements
Stage 1 Stage 3 Stage 1a
Front High
Measure Hip
from side
neck
Front
length point (high point on length Side neck point position
shoulder) to hem (close-up)
13 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Shirt
Block measurements
Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 2a
Centre MeasureHighfromHipcentre
back Centre
back back Centre back neck
neck seam (lowest needle
length (close-up) seam position
point at collar stand) to hem
14 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Shirt
Block measurements
side
neck
point
Stage 3 Stage 3
Measure across front
Stage 4
Measure across front
Chest between side seams, Across
High between armholes seams,
2.5cm belowHip
underarm
front 13cm down from
point of armholes
side neck point
An alternative measurement point is
to measure at underarm points
(brand specific)
15 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Shirt
Block measurements
side
neck
point
Stage 5 Stage 3
Measure across back
Stage 6
Measure across front
Across between armholes
High Hip seams, Waist between side seams, 20cm
back 13cm down from below underarm point of
side neck point armholes
(brand specific) (brand specific)
16 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Shirt
Block measurements
Stage 7 Stage 3
Measure at hem across
Stage 8
Hem High Hip
front between side
seams
Shoulder Measure along shoulder
width seam seam between collar
(here measured straight, can also be
measured along the curve – brand
length and armhole seam
specific)
17 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Shirt
Sleeves and cuffs measurements
1
Stage 9a Stage 3 Stage 9b An alternative measurement method
is the pivot method (2 stages):
Sleeve Measure along
High Hip
Sleeve
length overarm from shoulder length 1. Measure from centre back neck
point on armhole seam (Alternative)
point to outer shoulder point
to cuff edge 2. Measure from outer
shoulder point to cuff edge
18 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Shirt
Sleeves and cuffs measurements
Stage 10 Stage 3 Stage 11
Armhole Measure straight across
Highfrom
Hipouter
Cuff width Measure across
straight armhole (at cuff sleeve opening at cuff
shoulder point to opening) with buttons closed
underarm seam
19 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Shirt
Sleeves and cuffs measurements
Stage 12 Stage 3 Stage 13
Cuff Gauntlet Measure from placket
depth
High Hip
Measure from top length point to cuff seam
seam to cuff hem or cuff hem
(or sleeve
placket length) (brand specific)
20 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Shirt
Collar measurements
1
Stage 14 Stage 3 Stage 15
Collar High
Measure Hip centre
between Collar Measure along collar leaf
stand top button and centre top leaf edge edge from point to point
length buttonhole (here shown in two stages)
(or neck
circumference)
21 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Shirt
Collar measurements
Stage 16 Stage 3 Stage 17
Collar High along
Measure Hip the Collar
point spread Measure between
edge between collar
the two collar points
seam and end point
22 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Shirt
Collar measurements
Stage 18 Stage 3 Stage 19
Tie High the
Measure Hipspace
Collar Measure between
space on top edge of the stand the two edges
front of the collar depth at centre back
23 WRAP | How to Measure Guide | Men’s Shirt
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24 WRAP | How to Measure Guide
