Measuring the Man: How to Measure Yourself for Clothing

by Brett McKay

The other day I walked into J.C. Penney’s to pick up a white oxford shirt. I looked down at the table crowded with shirts and took in all the different sizes available: 14 1/2, 15, 17.

Uh oh.

I forgot that you needed to know your neck size when you buy a dress shirt.

This isn’t the first time this has happened to me. I’ll walk into a clothing store needing to pick something out, but I don’t know what my measurements are. When you’re looking for a pair of trousers or a nice shirt, knowing that you’re a L or an XL won’t cut it. A clerk can usually give me a quick measurement, but I’d rather just be able to walk into a store, pick up what I need, and not have to bother with measuring myself every time I need a new dress shirt or a pair of new slacks.

I figure I’m not the only man out there who has had this problem. So I whipped up this article on how to measure yourself for clothing, but more importantly, I created a card that you can write your measurements on and keep in your wallet. The next time you walk into a store, you’ll have your sartorial vitals on hand so you can make your purchase quickly and get on to doing more important things!

How to Measure Yourself For Clothing

We’re going to take measurements that you can use to buy standard sized products like oxford shirts, khakis, or off-the-rack sport coats. These are general measurements. You will, of course, need to alter clothing (particularly sport coats and dress pants) to get the best fit possible. And custom clothing requires much more extensive measurements. For guidance on how to measure yourself for custom clothing, check out A Tailored Suit’s Measuring Guide.

Download the Art of Manliness Clothing Measurement Card

Print if off, cut along the dotted lines, fold in half, write down your measurements, and stick it in your wallet. Now you’ll never again have to worry about remembering your pant size.

Chest. When you go into a haberdashery looking for a sport coat, you’ll notice the sizes for jackets will have numbers like 40L or 38R. That number comes from your chest measurement. Also, when you buy a nice dress shirt, you can’t just tell the clerk you want one in a large. You’ll need to know your chest size.

How to measure your chest:

• Wrap the tape measure under your armpits, around the fullest part of your chest.
• The tape measure should be snug. Not so tight that it constricts breathing, but not so loose that the tape measure slides down.
• Don’t puff out or flex your chest. Just stand normally.

The letter in off-the-rack jacket measurements corresponds to your height. If you’re between 5'7" and and 6' you’re a Regular(R). If you’re between 6'1"–6'3" you’re a Long(L).

Neck. You need to know your neck size lest you strangle yourself to death with a tight collar.

How to measure your neck:

• Wrap the tape measure around the lower part of your neck. It should be about an inch below your Adam’s Apple.
• Don’t choke yourself with the tape measure. For a comfortable fit, place 2 fingers between the tape and your neck. Round up to the next 1/2".
  

Read the rest of the article

July 31, 2010

Copyright © 2010 The Art of Manliness