Measurement and size converter

Where each measurement is taken

These are the same definitions GradeThread uses when it records measurements on an item, so a number here and a number in a GradeThread listing mean the same thing. Pick a measurement above and it lights up on the diagram.

Chest (pit to pit)

Lay the garment flat, fasten it, and measure straight across from one armpit seam to the other.

This is half the chest, not the whole chest. A 21 inch pit to pit fits a 42 inch chest. Doubling it is the step most buyers skip.

Length

From the highest point of the shoulder seam, next to the collar, straight down to the hem.

Measuring from the back collar seam instead of the shoulder gives a shorter number, and the two are not interchangeable between listings.

Shoulder

Across the back, from the seam where one sleeve joins the body to the same seam on the other side.

On a dropped-shoulder or oversized cut this number says almost nothing about fit. Use chest and length instead.

Sleeve

From the shoulder seam down the outside of the arm to the cuff.

Raglan sleeves have no shoulder seam. Measure from the centre back collar instead and say that you did.

Waist (flat)

Lay flat, smooth the waistband, and measure straight across from edge to edge.

Another half measurement. A 16 inch flat waist is a 32 inch waist. Stretch waistbands should be measured relaxed, with the stretched number given separately.

Hip

Flat, across the widest point below the waistband, usually 7 to 9 inches down.

Measuring at the pocket line rather than the widest point understates it.

Inseam

From the crotch seam straight down the inside leg to the hem.

Cuffed hems must be unrolled first, or the listing understates the inseam by an inch or two.

Front rise

From the crotch seam up to the top of the waistband at the front.

Rise is what decides whether jeans sit at the hip or the waist, and it is the number most often left out.

Leg opening

Flat, straight across the hem at the bottom of the leg.

Half measurement again. Double it for the opening the foot has to pass through.

Common questions

What does pit to pit mean, and do I double it?

Pit to pit is the distance straight across a garment laid flat, from one armpit seam to the other. Yes, you double it. The garment is folded, so the tape only crosses half the circumference: a 21 inch pit to pit fits a 42 inch chest. The same doubling applies to a flat waist, hip and leg opening, and it is the most common misreading of a clothing listing.

What size is a US 8 in UK and EU sizing?

A women's US 8 is usually a UK 12, an EU 40 and a Japanese 13, which lands around a medium. Usually is doing real work in that sentence: no standards body governs clothing sizes, brands cut to their own blocks, and vanity sizing moves the number a full size in either direction. Use it to narrow down, then check the measurements.

How do I convert men's sizes to women's?

For shoes it is reliable: add 1.5 to a men's US size to get the women's equivalent, so a men's 8 and a women's 9.5 are the same shoe. For tops it is not. Men's and women's garments are cut differently through the shoulder, chest and waist, so the label converts but the fit may not. Compare the pit to pit and the shoulder before you buy.

Why do size charts disagree with each other?

Because none of them is authoritative. Clothing sizing has no governing standard in the US, UK, EU or Japan, so every chart is one brand's or one retailer's convention written down. That is why a measurement in inches or centimetres is the only number in a listing that means the same thing to everyone.

How do I measure a garment I am selling?

Lay it flat on a hard surface, smooth out the wrinkles, fasten any buttons or zips, and measure edge to edge without stretching the fabric. Give the flat number and say it is flat. Buyers who know the convention will double it, and the ones who do not will ask rather than return.

Measurements say whether an item fits. Condition says whether it is worth the price.What the condition terms mean