How To Measure A Shirt

Use a shirt that already fits well

For this route, you are measuring a finished shirt, not your body.

Choose a shirt that feels comfortable and fits the way you want your new SHIRTMKR shirt to fit. Lay it flat on a smooth surface, fasten the buttons, and remove any wrinkles before measuring.

Use a soft tape measure and record every measurement in inches.

Collar

Open the collar and lay it flat.

Measure from the centre of the button to the far end of the buttonhole.

Do not include the button itself.

Chest

Button the shirt and lay it flat.

Measure straight across from the bottom of one armhole to the bottom of the other.

Double this figure to obtain the full chest measurement.

Waist

Measure straight across the narrowest part of the shirt body.

This is usually around the middle of the shirt, below the chest.

Double the figure for the full waist measurement.

Seat or Hem

Measure straight across the shirt near the bottom, at the widest point.

Double the figure for the full measurement.

Shoulder Width

Measure across the back from one shoulder seam to the other.

Follow a straight line across the top of the back.

Sleeve Length

Measure from the shoulder seam down the outside of the sleeve to the end of the cuff.

Keep the sleeve flat and straight.

Measure the left and right sleeves separately if they differ.

Cuff

Open the cuff and lay it flat.

Measure from the centre of the button to the far end of the buttonhole.

Measure both cuffs separately, particularly if you wear a watch.

Bicep

Lay the sleeve flat.

Measure straight across the widest part of the upper sleeve, then double the figure.

Shirt Length

Measure from the base of the collar at the centre back, straight down to the bottom of the shirt.

Back Width

Measure across the back from one armhole seam to the other at the narrowest point.

Keep the tape straight and level.

Before submitting your measurements

Check every figure twice.

Small differences can noticeably affect the finished fit, so avoid estimating or rounding unnecessarily.

You may copy your existing shirt exactly or make small improvements, such as:

  • Adding sleeve length

  • Reducing the waist

  • Increasing a cuff for a watch

  • Adding body length

  • Increasing room through the chest

Important note

We will make your new shirt as closely as possible to the measurements supplied.

Construction methods vary between shirtmakers, so an exact replica of another shirt cannot be guaranteed.

For the most reliable result, you can use Send Us Your Shirt to Measure and let us record the measurements professionally.

Design Your Shirt

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