How to Measure for a Dress in a Few Minutes

This article explains how to measure for a dress, considering tools you'll need to use and taking measurements for all body parts
By
Jean Chaney
Jean Chaney
Research Writer
Jean is the brains behind her fashion label. She's a whiz with a needle and thread, and has been sewing since she was old enough to hold a pair of scissors. Jean has always read more
reviewed
Reviewed By
Isabel Misner
Isabel Misner
Expert Consultant
A professional seamstress. Isabel has her own video blog where she shares her experience about all the aspects of sewing – from choosing suitable materials to step-by-step read more
Last updated: September 15, 2023
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Can any dress have the perfect fit without accurate body measurements? The simple answer is no. Even the best fashion designers can’t do without measuring various body parts to get the right fit for their clients’ dresses. That tells you all you need to know about the inevitability of body measurements when making dresses.

If you are new in the business of sewing clothes or you want to up your game, you couldn’t have visited a better page. Learning how to measure for a dress involves knowing the tools you will need for the exercise and the body parts you will have to measure. Although the bust, waist, and hips are the most critical parts for dress measurements, there are other areas you cannot ignore.

Rest assured, this article will discuss everything you need to learn how to take measurements for a dress. Ride along with us!

How to Take Measurements for a Dress

How do dress sizes work? As we hinted earlier, learning how to measure yourself for a dress involves several steps that you will need to take seriously. Even the best automatic sewing machines, despite their marvelous functions, won’t save you from the rigor of measuring the necessary body parts.

Whether you want to learn how to measure for a formal dress, how to measure for a wedding dress, or how to measure for a bridesmaid dress, we have every information you need. Read on to learn all about how to measure a dress size.

Tools you’ll need

How to Measure for a Dress in a Few Minutes

Of course, you cannot take dress measurements without using the necessary tools to help you. Here are the tools you will need as you learn how to measure your body for a dress and how to measure someone for a dress:

Measuring tape: You need this one to  measure the size Trusted Source A History of Measuring The word tailor comes from the French “tailleur”, which roughly translates to “one who cuts material”. While today we think of tailors as people who sew, the skilled trade of tailoring is actually in the measuring, drafting, and cutting of garments. Sewing is important, of course, but as addressed in this post, the effect of a finished garment is largely determined by the cut rather than the assembly. (The opposite holds true in traditional Japanese clothing, but even a kimono requires certain body measurements to ensure that the panels are the right length.) One cannot cut without first measuring. www.moodfabrics.com of the relevant body sizes. Choose a high-quality product to help you. The highly-rated five-pack iBayam Measuring Tape, which features accurate and clear markings in both centimeters and inches, is a great option.

Pen and paper: Always record your measurements right after you took them,

Dress form (optional): This representation of the human torso helps to obtain excellent precision for your dresses. There are many products on the market, but the Singer Adjustable Red Dress Form seems popular among buyers, thanks to its 12 dials that let you find the perfect fit in seconds.

Mirror (optional): You need it if you’ll be measuring yourself.

Neck and shoulders

First of all, you will use your measuring tape to measure your neck or that of the client. This measurement is the neck’s circumference. You will need to put the tape around the neck loosely to suit how you want the dress’s neck to be.

Once you get the neck measurement, turn to the shoulders. Choose any of the shoulders you would like to measure. Then, measure from the base of the neck to the area where the shoulder begins tapering off. There, you have your shoulder measurement.

Bust and bust spread

How to Measure for a Dress in a Few Minutes

The next task is to learn how to measure bust for a dress. You put your measuring tape around your bust, front through the back. More specifically, measure the fullest part around the bust. That should be where the nipples are.

Then, measure the bust spread, also known as “apex to apex.” That is the distance between the fullest area of one part of the bust to the other (typically nipple to nipple).

Front length and back width

You will need to measure the vertical distance between the waistline and the base of the neck for the front length. This measurement should be on the front of the dress owner’s torso. The same move applies to the back length, but the back width requires a different process. You will measure the back width as the horizontal distance of the widest part of the back.

Waist

This one is simple. You measure around the waist at the same spot the body bends. You may want to bend side to side to pinpoint where to measure.

Hip and high hip

Measure the circumference of the fullest part around the hip section to get the hip measurement. On the other hand, the high hip measurement is slightly different. You will need to measure around the fullest area, about 3 – 4 inches below the waist.

Front waist length

Measure the front waist length from the shoulder (next to the base of the neck) to the waist. Make sure to place the tape over the fullest area of the bust.

Back waist length

In this case, measure from the center of the base of the neck to the center of the waistline.

Arm length

How to Measure for a Dress in a Few Minutes

Measure the arm length from the top of the arm to the wrist. It would be best to bend the elbow while measuring to allow movement when you make a sleeve.

Thigh

Here, measure the circumference around the fullest part of the thigh, just below the crotch.

Inseam

Measure the inseam from the bottom of the crotch (along the inner thighs) to the ankle. You need help from someone to do this part of the measurement.

Outseam

This one is similar to the inseam measurement, but the outseam measurement starts from the waist. More specifically, you need to measure from the waist to the ankle.

Crotch depth

You or your client will want to sit on a firm chair to measure the crotch depth. After doing this, measure from the waist down through to the top of the chair’s seat.

Final Thoughts

You now know even the best sewing machines for making clothes cannot help you skip measuring a dress. The fit of a dress largely depends upon the accuracy Trusted Source Planning of clothing design, pattern making and cutting In this chapter, garment-pattern construction, pattern making and fabric utilization are discussed. The chapter first discusses garment-pattern construction, and pattern-pieces and their preparation. It then explains the cutting-marker process, before defining cutting-marker parameters that impact on the quality of the garment parts to be cut. The chapter then discusses technological requirements when arranging pattern-pieces in a cutting-marker. Finally, the chapter describes the factors affecting efficient cutting-marker utilization. www.sciencedirect.com of the measurements. We recommend never to size the dress down for a future fit, the most accurate results are taken on the present body parameters.

Luckily for you, this article contains everything you need to know about how to measure for a dress correctly. It involves simple explanations that even a beginner can quickly understand and apply. From arming yourself with the right tools to measuring the right areas, you can always get the right fit out of any dress. Don’t hesitate to choose from the best dress forms if you need extra help.

References

1.
A History of Measuring
The word tailor comes from the French “tailleur”, which roughly translates to “one who cuts material”. While today we think of tailors as people who sew, the skilled trade of tailoring is actually in the measuring, drafting, and cutting of garments. Sewing is important, of course, but as addressed in this post, the effect of a finished garment is largely determined by the cut rather than the assembly. (The opposite holds true in traditional Japanese clothing, but even a kimono requires certain body measurements to ensure that the panels are the right length.) One cannot cut without first measuring.
2.
Planning of clothing design, pattern making and cutting
In this chapter, garment-pattern construction, pattern making and fabric utilization are discussed. The chapter first discusses garment-pattern construction, and pattern-pieces and their preparation. It then explains the cutting-marker process, before defining cutting-marker parameters that impact on the quality of the garment parts to be cut. The chapter then discusses technological requirements when arranging pattern-pieces in a cutting-marker. Finally, the chapter describes the factors affecting efficient cutting-marker utilization.
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