How to Measure Yourself For a Tailored Men's Shirt?

Answer 1

Investing in a fine, button-up shirt doesn’t have to be an arduous process. It definitely helps to have someone on hand who knows the ins and outs of the textile trade, but in the event that you’re buying without a knowledgeable salesclerk, as many modern day purchases are made, you can determine some basic hot points at home, so you’re equipped with the right information, no matter where you buy. Fitting a shirt is about more than collar size and sleeve length. The shoulder and torso size are also major factors to appearance and comfort.

First, you may need to enlist the help of another person in order to get the most accurate measurements.

Then, acquire a cloth measuring tape. These can be found in the craft section of most giant retailers, or in smaller retail stores that specialize in crafts or sewing. You could always borrow one for this short- term use.

Starting with the collar, place the end of the tape against the base of the neck just under the Adam’s apple, where the collar would rest. Write down the inches, rounding up to the nearest ½ inch for the collar.

Next, measure the arm length. Put on a proper-fitting shirt, relax your arms and measure from the top shoulder seam, down to the ring finger knuckle. Subtract 1 ½ inches from this measurement to find the sleeve length.

Keeping your shirt on, measure your torso by wrapping the tape just around the center of the chest, pulling the tape taught, but not too tight. A constricting shirt will simply bunch up under a tie and eventually end up in the back of your closet.

Last, but certainly not least, measure the shoulders. Place the tape at one end of the shoulder seams, and stretch the tape taut along the back to the other shoulder seam. The slope of your shoulders will determine whether the neck plate would need to be square or tapered, so get a classification of your shoulders, whether square, normal or sloped. Normal would usually go with a square neck plate, if one is necessary.

The only numbers that will show up on a shirt tag are the collar (in ½ increments) and sleeve length. The torso and shoulder measurements will help if you send the information in to an online retailer, or if it is listed in a detail for an item to purchase.