How to measure for a suit
So, you need measured for a suit? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
You may already have a suit hanging in your wardrobe that is a comfortable fit; if so, use this as a basis for your measurements.
Or, you might not have worn a suit for a while, but fear not; we are here to help. Tape measures at the ready, guys!
N.B. It is possible to measure yourself, but you'll likely get more accurate results if you get someone to help you! Remember, all sizes are in inches.
Trousers
For your trousers, you need to know your waist and inside leg sizes.
Firstly, take a waist measurement from approximately 1” above the hip bone or 1” below the navel. This shouldn’t be too tight as there are side adjusters or belt loops on all trousers. If you’ve chosen a Slim Fit suit, you might want to go up a waist size in the trouser to ensure a more comfortable fit.
To take an inside leg measurement, it is best to measure while wearing a pair of trousers that are fully pulled up to the waist. If you are wearing jeans, please make sure that they are pulled up as these normally sit slightly lower.
Place the tape under the crotch (where all the seams meet) then, if you’re measuring whilst barefoot, take the measure right down to the floor. If you are measuring whilst wearing shoes, take the measure to the top of the heel where it meets the shoe upper. Do not measure whilst wearing trainers.
Jacket
The two measurements required for your jacket are chest size and fitting.
To measure your chest, place the measuring tape comfortably across the widest part of the chest under the arms and all around the back to full circle. You should be able to move the tape slightly when taking this measure, so make sure that you can put a couple of fingers inside the tape at this point.
An outline of estimated fittings* is shown below, based on your height:
Height Fitting Below 5' 6" Extra Short (XS) 5'6" to 5'9" Short (S) 5'9" to 6'0" Regular (R) 6'0" to 6'3" Long (L) Above 6'3" Extra Long (XL)
This is just a guide and you can, of course, opt for a shorter/longer fitting if you wish.
When it comes to measuring children, a common-sense approach is best. If your boy is of average size/height for his age, a regular fit should be fine. If he’s slightly smaller than average, go shorter. If he’s slightly larger than average, go longer.
Shirt
For your shirt, you need your collar and sleeve length.
Ensure that you measure around the broadest part of your neck when determining your collar size. For a comfortable fitting shirt, you shouldn’t feel restricted by the tape. A good tip is to make sure that you can still put your index finger inside the tape, otherwise the shirt will definitely be too tight when it’s buttoned up!
If your jacket fitting is long or extra-long, you would normally choose an extra-long sleeve length. If your jacket fitting is regular or smaller, a standard sleeve length will probably suffice.
Waistcoat
Generally speaking, if you have a jacket which is slightly loose fitting, you will usually be OK to order the same size of waistcoat.
However, if the jacket is a slimmer, neater fit, the safe option would be to go a size up in the waistcoat.
Remember, we always allow time to get a replacement so if it doesn’t fit first time, don’t worry.
Sizing Abbreviations
Fit Description XS Extra short S Short R Regular L Long XL Extra Long