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How to Measure Your Body for a Custom Tailored Dress Shirt
To measure your yourself for a custom-made dress shirt, use a soft measuring tape to measure your chest, belly, neck, sleeve length and shirt length as described below.
August 7, 20263 min readBy Sipho Sibanda
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How to Measure Chest Circumference
Have them raise their arms so that you can pass the measuring tape under their arms and around their back to meet at the front. Then have them lower their arms.
Hold the tape snug to the body without squeezing and take the measurement while the person is relaxed and breathing naturally. -
Belly Circumference
The stomach measurement is taken around the fullest part of the belly, generally around one inch below the navel. Start with the person facing you.
Press the measuring tape around the lower back to meet around the fullest part of the belly. Ensure that the measuring tape is level all the way around.
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Shirt Length (Optional)
The shirt length measurement is taken from the base of the neck straight down to where you want the tail of the shirt to fall.
Starting from the base of the neck — or if they are wearing a dress shirt, the base of the collar — measure straight down to the desired length of the shirt.
If the shirt is to be worn tucked in, you want to measure to the bottom of the buttocks. If the shirt is to be worn untucked, you want to subtract 2 to 3 inches from this measurement.
A common mistake is to underestimate the length for a shirt that will be worn untucked. Keep in mind that the sides of the shirt may curve up. You don't want this to curve up above the pant waist.
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Neck
The neck measurement is taken in the same position that the collar lays. Run the tape measure around the back of the neck and bring it together just below the Adam's apple.
While taking the measurement, the tape should be held comfortably snug against the skin of the neck.
Do not add any extra room. We will add the appropriate amount of fabric allowance to this measurement. -
Cross Shoulder (Optional)
The cross shoulder measurement is taken following the natural curve of the upper back from the edge of one shoulder to the other. Locate the edge of the shoulder with your hands as shown.
Starting from the edge of one shoulder, run the tape along the natural arc of the trapezius muscles to the edge of the other shoulder. -
Sleeve Length (Optional)
The shirt sleeve length is measured from the top edge of the shoulder down to the hand. Start by having the person being measured stand up straight with their arms relaxed at their sides.
Locate the edge of the shoulder with your hands as shown. Place the end of the tape measure at the shoulder's edge, then run it down along the outside of the arm.
While measuring, anchor the tape at the natural bend in the elbow, then continue down to the hand. Take the measurement to the center of the meaty part of the back of the hand.
We suggest repeating this measurement a couple of times on each arm. It's not uncommon for the left and right arms to vary in length. In this case, take the average of the two measurements.
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