Views: 41 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2016-04-20 Origin: Site
Measuring your jacket size gives you the numbers you need to find well-fitting garments whenever and wherever you shop. To get your size, you'll need to take measurements of several different parts of your body: your chest, waist, shoulders, arms, and back. Once you know these measurements, you can compare them to a brand's sizing guide and pick out a jacket that fits you perfectly.
Method 1. Measuring Your Body
1. Take off any thick clothing. Thick clothing, like sweaters or bulky jeans, can distort your measurements, as you'll want to measure as close to your body as possible.
Add an additional inch to your chest measurement if you're looking for a more casual jacket. Casual jackets tend to be more loose-fitting.
Make sure the tape is always being held level as you're having your measurements taken.
Clothing companies will usually cut a jacket's chest about 10.16 cm (4.00 in) longer than their estimate of your chest size. This is why chest size does not equal jacket size.
If your jacket has buttons, it should button neatly over your natural waist without strain or tightness. This is why it's crucial to get your waist measurement right.
4. Measure the width of your shoulders. Stand with a relaxed, natural posture. Stretch the tape measure horizontally across the back of your shoulders and measure the full width of your shoulders.
This measurement is important because — especially with a suit or formal jacket — you'll want the shoulder of your jacket to lie flat, and not to bunch up or sag down over your upper bicep.
If the shoulder of a jacket doesn't fit right, you'll often see wrinkles or lumps in the sleeves and top areas of the jacket.
This is a key measurement because, if your sleeves are too short or too long, it can make it look like the whole jacket is too small or too big for you.
For men, a nice-fitting formal jacket should go past the waist and fall just over the widest curve of your hips, so this is a good measurement to know.
Jacket length varies based on height and the style of the jacket. For a standard blazer or coat, a good rule of thumb is to measure down to the top of the thigh.
This may differ for women, though, as many women like the cropped jacket look because it can have a leg-lengthening effect.
Many sites will include measurements in the product description of the specific item that you're looking at.
Regretfully, because different countries have instituted different systems of measurement for jackets, don't rely too much on any general country-wide jacket guidelines. It's better to compare your measurements with the specific measurements of the product you're looking to purchase.
Method. 2 Taking Measurements of a Jacket That Already Fits You
If you don't have a similarly-styled jacket, ask similarly-sized friends or relatives if they have anything similar to what you're looking for, and if you can try it on.
2. Lay the jacket, facing up, on a flat surface. Button or zip it up, and make sure the sleeves are not bent. To get accurate measurements, the fabric should be as flat as possible.
3. Measure the width of the chest and multiply it by 2. Connect the lowest points of the armpit seams using your measuring tape. Multiply this number by 2, and you have your chest circumference.
4. Find the length of the jacket. Starting from the base of the collar, measure straight down to the bottom hem of the jacket. If you like the length of this particular jacket, you can use this measurement to look for jackets of a similar length. Again, it's really a stylistic and personal preference — there is no perfect jacket length that you should look for.
5. Flip the jacket over and measure the sleeve length. Start your tape measure at the center of the back of the jacket, right below the collar. Then, run it down the length of the sleeve, ending your measurement at the cuff.
6. Find your shoulder width. With the coat still facing back side up, flatten the shoulders and measure the distance between the 2 shoulder seams. You don't want the shoulders to be too tight-fitting or too loose.
