Free template
One sheet per garment with every field a tailor asks for, a blank for centimetres and one for inches, and a one-line note on where each measurement is taken. Print it, or fill it on your phone and send a photo.
Before you start: use a soft tape over thin clothing, snug but never tight, and write body measurements only. The tailor adds the room the style needs. Each field links to the guide that explains it, and the body measurement chart shows what your numbers mean on a size label.
| Measurement | cm | inches | Where it is taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bust | fullest part of the chest, level, in the bra you will wear | ||
| Underbust (band) | around the ribcage under the bust | ||
| Upper bust | above the bust, under the arms | ||
| Waist | natural waist, relaxed | ||
| Shoulder width | across the back, bone to bone | ||
| Single shoulder | base of neck to shoulder bone | ||
| Armhole | around the shoulder joint | ||
| Bicep | fullest part of the upper arm | ||
| Sleeve length | shoulder bone to the sleeve hem you want | ||
| Blouse length | shoulder to the hem, usually 35 to 40 cm | ||
| Front neck depth | base of neck to the neckline | ||
| Back neck depth | base of neck to the back neckline |
Style notes to add: sleeve type, neckline shape, opening at front or back, lining, padding.
| Measurement | cm | inches | Where it is taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bust (chhaati) | fullest part of the chest, level | ||
| Waist (kamar) | natural waist, relaxed | ||
| Hips | fullest part of the seat | ||
| Shoulder width (teera) | across the back, bone to bone | ||
| Sleeve length (baanh) | shoulder bone to the hem you want, elbow bent | ||
| Bicep | fullest part of the upper arm | ||
| Armhole | around the shoulder joint | ||
| Kameez length (lambai) | side of neck to hem | ||
| Front and back neck depth (gala) | base of neck to neckline | ||
| Salwar length | waist where the string sits, to the ankle bone | ||
| Thigh | fullest part of the upper leg | ||
| Mohri | ankle opening you want, or name the style |
Style notes to add: straight, A-line or anarkali (ghera), kameez length, salwar style (plain, churidar, patiala, palazzo), dupatta.
| Measurement | cm | inches | Where it is taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bust | fullest part of the chest, level | ||
| Underbust | around the ribcage under the bust | ||
| Waist | natural waist, or where you want the skirt to sit | ||
| Hips | fullest part of the seat; the skirt must pass over it | ||
| Lehenga length | waist to floor in the shoes you will wear, minus 1 cm | ||
| Shoulder width | across the back, bone to bone | ||
| Armhole | around the shoulder joint | ||
| Sleeve length | shoulder bone to the hem you want | ||
| Choli length | shoulder to the hem, above or at the waist | ||
| Front and back neck depth | base of neck to neckline |
Style notes to add: flare in metres, can-can or lining, waistband with zip or drawstring, dupatta drape, heel height.
| Measurement | cm | inches | Where it is taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chest | fullest part of the chest, level; over the kurta for a sherwani or jacket | ||
| Waist | natural waist for the kurta; where the string sits for the pajama | ||
| Hips | fullest part of the seat | ||
| Shoulder width | across the back, bone to bone | ||
| Sleeve length | shoulder bone to wrist bone, elbow bent | ||
| Bicep | fullest part of the upper arm | ||
| Armhole | around the shoulder joint | ||
| Neck | base of the neck, for a stand collar or bandhgala | ||
| Kurta length | side of neck to hem; knee for classic | ||
| Jacket or sherwani length | side of neck to hip (jacket) or below the knee (sherwani) | ||
| Pajama length | waist to ankle bone | ||
| Thigh and knee | fullest thigh; around the knee for a churidar | ||
| Bottom opening (mohri) | ankle opening, or name the style |
Style notes to add: classic or short kurta, collar type, straight pajama or churidar, sherwani length, whether the jacket is worn buttoned.
Measure in the underwear and shoes you will wear with the garment, standing straight, with someone holding the tape wherever you cannot see it. Take each girth level all the way round and read at the end of a normal breath. Write every number with its unit, and never round to the nearest inch; a fitted blouse notices half a centimetre. Fill the style notes: sleeve length and neckline for a blouse, kameez length and mohri for a suit, the shoe height for a lehenga, and the collar for a kurta or sherwani. Those words save the tailor a guess.
If you are sending the form to a tailor in another country, photograph it flat in good light, or better, scan yourself on Silai and let the sheet travel with the order: the tailor receives every field above from a two minute phone video, and there is no commission on the order.
Prop your phone, turn around twice, and the scanner fills every body field on these sheets in about two minutes, free, for men and women.