The waist is two different lines: the natural waist that skirts, lehengas and kameez are shaped to, and the lower line where jeans and trousers actually sit. Most sizing mistakes come from measuring one and ordering with the other. Here is how to take both, alone, in a minute.
No measuring tape? Prop your phone, turn around twice, and the Silai scanner takes every measurement on this page in about two minutes, free, for men and women. Try the scanner
Use a soft tape over thin clothing. Give body measurements only; the tailor adds ease for the style you choose.
| Size | Women's natural waist | Men's trouser waist | Trouser label |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 60 to 64 cm (24 to 25 in) | 24 to 26 | |
| S | 65 to 69 cm (26 to 27 in) | 76 to 81 cm (30 to 32 in) | 28 to 30 |
| M | 70 to 75 cm (28 to 29 in) | 82 to 88 cm (32 to 35 in) | 30 to 32 |
| L | 76 to 81 cm (30 to 32 in) | 89 to 96 cm (35 to 38 in) | 32 to 34 |
| XL | 82 to 88 cm (32 to 35 in) | 97 to 104 cm (38 to 41 in) | 36 to 38 |
| XXL | 89 to 96 cm (35 to 38 in) | 105 to 114 cm (41 to 45 in) | 40 to 42 |
Body measurements at the natural waist for women and at the trouser waist for men. A jeans label is the waistband in inches and usually measures 3 to 5 cm more than the label says, so a 32 label often fits an 84 to 86 cm band.
The waist is where a garment either sits or slides. A lehenga or petticoat whose waistband is 3 cm too big migrates downwards all evening; a kameez shaped to the wrong waist line puckers under the bust or balloons above the hips. Because the waist is also the easiest measurement to take wrongly, a tailor will often ask you to confirm it.
The gap between waist and hips sets the shaping of everything below the bust: darts on a fitted blouse or kameez, the flare of an A-line, the number of pleats a skirt needs. A 25 cm difference and a 15 cm difference are different garments cut from the same size label.
Ease at the waist is small and specific. A fitted waistband on a skirt or lehenga carries about 2 to 3 cm; a drawstring pajama or salwar carries none at all because the string does the fitting. Send the relaxed body measurement and say which waist line you measured.
Scan yourself with your phone camera on Silai: about 2 minutes, free, no tape and no second person. You get every measurement on this page, and you can see your own sheet right now, no account needed.
Bend to one side; the crease that forms is the natural waist. It sits at the narrowest point of the torso, usually 2 to 3 cm above the navel and roughly a hand's width below the ribs. On some bodies it is at the navel, which is fine, just measure at the crease.
Over a thin top only, never over a waistband or belt. The tailor is fitting your body; anything thick on it gets built into the garment.
Jeans are labelled in inches at the waistband, which sits below the natural waist, and most brands cut the band 3 to 5 cm bigger than the label (vanity sizing). Measure where your jeans sit for trousers, and at the natural waist for skirts, lehengas and kameez.
Lehenga: the natural waist, or the line just below it if you prefer it lower, with a note saying so. Salwar or pajama with a drawstring: the line where you wear it, which is usually the trouser waist; give the hips too, because the salwar must pass over them.
About 2 to 3 cm on a fitted skirt, lehenga or trouser waistband, so you can sit and eat. Drawstring and elastic waists need none. That allowance is the tailor's; you send the body measurement.
Yes. The Silai scan reads the natural waist along with bust, hips and the lengths, within about 2 percent of a careful tape on average. Wear something fitted so the waistline is visible to the camera.
Body measurement chart: what size am I? · How to measure your bust or chest · How to measure your hips · How to measure your inseam and trouser length · How to measure sleeve length and arm length · How to measure shoulder width
Measuring for a garment? Saree blouse measurements · Kurta size chart, sizing and measurements · Lehenga measurements · Salwar kameez measurements · Gown and anarkali measurements · What measurements does a tailor need?