We're going to learn measure a man for a shirt and suit so he'll look like this!
This article is intended to assist those who don't have the time or patience to go and try on a man's shirt or suit at a men's suit store before buying. After reading this, you'll know measure a man for a dress shirt as well as a suit.
If you know measure a man for a suit, you can even do it yourself. A man can be measured by someone at home, whether it's for a man's tuxedo rental or a man's suit.
If you follow my instructions, you're going to be very close if not right on target!
Instructions
1. Have the man stand in a t - shirt and dress pants if possible. He should wear the shoes he plans to wear with the clothing you're about to purchase.
Have him stand normally, and with his midsection in its normal state, not sucked in. That is, unless he plans to suck in his gut every moment he wears the shirt and suit you're about to measure him for. And that's not going to happen.
2. First have the man stand with his back against a wall or doorway so you can mark his height after measuring. Make sure he stands straight, with his back against the wall, when you measure his height.
Then have him step on a pair of bathroom scales to get his weight. If possible, take all measurements at approximately the same time of day or night he'll be wearing the clothing; you want accuracy. Don't do this after a huge meal.
Ask him how tall he thinks he is, and keep under consideration that he's most likely a tiny bit shorter than that. His weight estimate, on the other hand, is usually underestimated. Come on, guys. You know it's true.
3. Next you'll measure him for the shirt. This is something a man will need a bit of help with.
As you asked how tall he thinks he is, also ask what size shirt he normally wears. It helps to have the proper shirt size when deciding on the correct suit or jacket, especially the arm length. First measure around his neck, about where he'll button his shirt collar. Remember, you need to do this loosely enough to fit a finger or two inside the tape measure.
Other than the waist, all measurements are taken with a gentle touch. You don't want him to be too constrained for comfort; he has to breathe and have room to move. Be sure you can stick a finger or 2 between his neck and the tape measure. Don't forget to jot these measurements down as you do them.
4. Next measure his shirt sleeve length. Some recommend having the man hold his arm in front of him and then bend his arm 90 degrees at the elbow; others say have him simply stand naturally. Although either way is usually accurate, I prefer the latter.
Measure from the middle of his shirt label would normally be at the top of his back and over the highest part of the shoulder. Then straight down to the wrist, where the actual break is between the hand and the arm. Try to measure to exactly where you want the sleeves to come when he stands in this position. Remember, you want the shirt sleeves a little longer than the jacket.
Most men rarely walk around with their elbows bent at a ninety degree angle. As a former tuxedo and menswear retailer, that's why I prefer this second method of measuring.
5. A great fitting dress shirt and suit make for a great looking man. Accurate measurements are vitally important. Now measure the chest and hips. When you measure the chest, please be sure he's standing normally. Men tend to want to flex or develop "chest-puff-itis" when you do this, and that can be disastrous. Again, that's assuming he won't be walking around with his chest puffed out the entire time he's in public wearing this shirt and suit.
When you measure the chest, place the tape measure underneath his arms and around his back, gathering the ends in front. or slightly to one side. Be sure you can easily put two of your fingers between the cloth tape measure and the man. Don't measure tightly except for the waist.
Measure the hips around the largest part of his buttocks. Again, loosely enough to be able to put two fingers between the man and the tape measure.
6. Measure the waist. This is where it can get tricky.
Ask him what size pants he normally wears. If the man is average sized or larger, always assume he's a bit larger in the waist than he claims.
However - and this really is important - that is NOT always the case. Remember those fatty areas we call love handles tend to be more malleable. I used to say "Fat gives"! It's true. So measure this area more tightly. You want those pants to remain in their intended position, on his waist. You also want him to be able to button his coat, though.
If the man is in the habit of wearing his pants beneath a bit of a paunch or belly, you must consider that properly fitted pants are worn at the waist, not below. Convincing him of this is another issue.
7. Now measure the length of each individual leg, both outseam and inseam. Actually, outseam is more accurate, but go ahead and get both. Have him stand in an upright position with his pants in the correct place; around his waist. The man must stand erect, not look at you down there holding the tape at his shoe.
Have him hold the tape at the very top of his pants on the outside of each leg at the seam. His legs should be about shoulder width apart or a bit less. Measure straight down the sides of both legs, stopping at the point of the shoe where the desired length will be. That is the outseam. That will be approximately 10 inches longer than the inseam.
Now measure the inseam. As you did with the outseam, measure and note the length of each leg separately. Many people have a slight variance in leg length.
For the inseam, have him stand with his feet approximately 6 inches apart, in a normal standing position. Ask him to hold the tape on the seam in the inner crotch area. Again, measure to the desired length on each leg individually.
8. As a general rule, a man's jacket or coat size will be 6 to 8 inches larger than his waist, and between the measurement of his chest and hips, a bit closer to the chest size. Don't be surprised if his hips are larger than his chest. That's common. Especially if he eats at McDonald's often.
For example, if the chest measures 42 and the hips measure 40, and the waist is 35, he probably wears a size 42 jacket. But he may look better in a 41.
Regarding length, arms 34 inches or longer on a man 6' or taller will usually require a "long" rather than a regular jacket. If the sleeves are 32 or shorter, and he's under 5'9", it'll most likely require a "short" size. The median jacket or coat size is 40. As you go over size 40, the average arm or sleeve length for a regular coat goes higher (longer) than the median 33 inches. If he appears to be under a size 40, the regular sleeve length can be expected to shorten.
Average height is around 5'10". Average neck size is around 15-1/2" and average sleeve length is around 33". The average chest and hip size is 40", and the average waist 34". Average length - if you want a slight break in the trousers - is approximately 31-1/2" on the inseam, and 41-1/2" on the outseam.
When worn, the jacket should drape the man and hang to a point slightly below the top part of his thighs. The coat should cover his butt. He should be able to stand normally and, with his hands straight down, cup the outside of the coat or sport jacket at the bottom when buttoned. Many times a man might wear a regular length jacket and require alteration of the coat sleeves to get a proper fit.
Tags: shirt suit, tape measure, sleeve length, length each, longer than, measure chest
