How to take your body measurements

Measure bust, waist and hip in your underwear with a flexible tape held level and snug but not tight. A friend helps; a mirror will do.

Pinny's tip
Tie a length of narrow elastic round your waist and let it settle; that's where to measure your natural waist.

What you'll need

• Flexible tape measure: not a metal tape.
• Notebook: write the date; measurements change.
• A helper or mirror: to keep the tape level.

Step by step

1. Wear the underwear you'll wear with the garment.
2. Bust: round the fullest part, tape level across the back.
3. Waist: round the narrowest part, usually just above the belly button.
4. Hip: round the fullest part of your bottom, keeping the tape level all the way round.
5. Note other measurements the pattern asks for, such as back waist length or inside leg.
6. Compare with the pattern's size chart and use the finished garment measurements to check ease.

Common mistakes

• Pulling the tape tight. Snug, with a finger’s room.
• Tape dipping at the back. Check in a mirror.
• Measuring over clothes. Adds centimetres.

Watch it done

• How To Measure For Sewing Patterns | Sewing For Beginners by The Stitch Sisters on YouTube. Opens on YouTube; the video belongs to its creator.
• Sewing 101 | How to Accurately Measure Your Body by Studio Quirk on YouTube. Opens on YouTube; the video belongs to its creator.
• How To: Measure (Fitting, Dressmaking, Sewing) by Made to Sew on YouTube. Opens on YouTube; the video belongs to its creator.

Sources

All checked November 1, 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.

1. Sew Over It: Size chart and taking measurements
2. Tilly and the Buttons: How to Select Your Sewing Pattern Size
3. YouTube: How To Measure For Sewing Patterns | Sewing For Beginners (The Stitch Sisters)
4. YouTube: Sewing 101 | How to Accurately Measure Your Body (Studio Quirk)
5. YouTube: How To: Measure (Fitting, Dressmaking, Sewing) (Made to Sew)