How To Measure Menswear

Making sure your clothes fit correctly is as much a part of looking good as what you wear. If you have a poor fitting suit, you’ll probably look worse than you would in just a shirt and jeans. Or if your jeans are too big you’ll ruin them by dragging them along the floor, or having them constantly falling down without a belt.

Therefore, Mainline Menswear has constructed this sizing guide. Letting you know how to measure your clothes to ensure they fit correctly and look great. 

Jeans/Trousers

As with everything, the best way to get the correct fit is to measure when you’re wearing an item of clothing you already have that fits perfectly.

First off, measure your waist. Men’s jeans should sit on or just above the hipbone, whichever is more comfortable. Another way to find your jeans size is to lay your jeans down on a flat surface and measure across the waistband, then double it. So if the front measures 18 inches, you will have a 36-inch waist.

You should then measure the outside and inside leg. Outside leg is from the top of your trousers down to where you want them to end. Inside leg is from the crotch down to the bottom. With these three main measurements you should be able to find a pair of jeans or trousers which fit perfectly. Other measurements you could also take include your hips, or the widest part of your legs, the rise, from your crotch to your upper button and the cuff width for around your ankles.

Suit Jacket

When measuring for a suit jacket, make sure you wear a shirt underneath that you would normally wear with a suit. Don’t go for a suit measurement in a t-shirt or jumper, as this will corrupt the sizing.

Measure your back width; from one shoulder seam to the other. Or from the shoulder seam to the mid-seam and double it. Then take a sleeve measurement. This should be from your wrist where you want the end of your jacket to sit – note that when wearing a shirt underneath, an inch of sleeve cuff should be visible below where your jacket ends – to the top of your arm where it begins to curve into your shoulder.

Other jacket measurements that you may want to take are the length of the jacket; from underneath the collar to an inch or two below your waistline. You may also want to measure your collar, although this is more use when measuring for shirts.

Shirts

This is where you definitely need to measure your neck. There’s nothing worse than a collar which is too tight and choking you. Simply measure all around your neck, so the tape measure starts and ends in the same place.

Sleeve length is the other most important shirt measurement. Start on your shoulder just under the collar, and measure over your shoulder and down the outside of your arm to where you want the sleeve to end. Most people prefer the cuff to fall about an inch below the wrist bone. Chest measurements can also be useful when measuring for a shirt, however it’s definitely sleeve and collar which are the most important.

Extra Top Tips

When measuring for a full suit, it’s definitely best to try everything on together. Certain jackets will be affected by the sizing of the shirt, or vice versa. If you’re buying any clothing online, most websites will have a size guide available. This means you can see what chest or leg size will be a small, medium or large.

Some websites also have sizing technology where you can input your exact measurements, and it will tell you what size is best to suit you. This new technology is coming to Mainline Menswear in the near future, so watch this space!

Sizing’s for other clothing like t-shirts, jumpers and overcoats are a lot more straightforward. Most of the time in that department you will already know what size you are. However, it’s always useful to have your chest and arm measurements to hand – remember these should differ for a t-shirt and a coat you’re going to wear over many other layers.

If you want to find a new, well-fitted look to impress, check out our website here. We have lots of useful sizing advice, and if you still aren’t certain what size to choose, our customer service team are on hand via a live chat system to personally help you out. We have thousands of items of clothing, so you’re sure to find what you need with us.