What measurements does a tailor need? The master list

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

The measurements, and how to take them

Use a soft tape over thin clothing. Give body measurements only; the tailor adds ease for the style you choose.

Height: Head to feet against a wall, no shoes, heels and shoulders touching the wall. Anchors every length on the garment, which is why it is the one number Silai requires before a scan.
Bust: Around the fullest part of the chest, tape level front and back, wearing an everyday bra. Check in a mirror that the tape has not dipped at the back before you read it.
Underbust: Around the ribcage under the bust or chest; for women your bra band number, usually 70 to 100 cm. Together with the bust it tells the tailor how much shaping the front needs.
Waist: Natural waistline, the narrowest point above the navel. Bend sideways and measure at the crease that forms, breathing normally rather than pulling in.
Hips: Fullest part of the hips and seat, feet together, tape level all the way around; on most bodies that is 18 to 23 cm below the waist.
Shoulder width: Across the back, seam point to seam point. This one genuinely needs a helper; self-measured shoulder numbers are the least reliable on the sheet.
Arm length and bicep: Shoulder to wrist with the arm slightly bent, so sleeves do not ride short in motion; and around the fullest upper arm, relaxed, for any fitted sleeve. Add the wrist girth if you like closed cuffs.
Armhole: Around the shoulder joint, under the armpit and over the top of the shoulder, arm hanging relaxed. Snug tape, never tight.
Thigh and hip-to-ankle: Around the fullest upper leg, standing; and from the hip bone straight down to the ankle bone for bottoms. Fitted bottoms also borrow the knee, calf and ankle girths, so take those four together when you plan churidars or cigarette pants.
The torso lengths: Tailors also use a few verticals: nape to hip down the spine, shoulder to hip down the front, and bust and underbust to hip. They place hems, darts and seams at your proportions instead of an average, and they are exactly the numbers a phone call to a tailor tends to forget.

Quick reference

Garment	Uses
Saree blouse	bust, underbust, shoulder, armhole, sleeve, bicep, blouse length, neck depths
Kurta / kurti	bust, waist, hips, shoulder, armhole, sleeve, kurta length
Lehenga	waist, hips, length to floor, plus the blouse list
Salwar kameez	kameez list plus salwar length, thigh, mohri
Gown / anarkali	bust, underbust, waist, hips, shoulder, sleeve, length to floor, flare start

Which numbers each garment actually uses.

Mistakes that ruin the fit

Adding looseness yourself; tailors add ease on top of whatever you send, so it doubles.
Using inches for some numbers and centimetres for others; pick one unit and label it.
Reusing numbers from years ago; re-measure after any change of about a size, or once a year.
Measuring over jeans, a hoodie or a thick kurta. Thin clothing or none; every layer becomes part of the garment.
Using a stretched old tape or a metal construction tape. A soft tailor's tape costs a couple of dollars; a stretched one quietly adds a centimetre to everything.
Taking each measurement once. Take each girth twice and keep the second reading; if the two disagree by more than a centimetre, take a third.

Or skip the tape entirely

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.

Try the scanner free How the scan works

Common questions

Should I send measurements in inches or centimetres?

Either works if you label them, but centimetres are finer grained and what Silai uses everywhere. One inch is 2.54 cm.

How do I give measurements to a tailor in another city?

Scan yourself once on Silai with your phone camera and your full measurements travel with any order you send, to any tailor on the platform, in any country.

How accurate does home measuring need to be?

Within a centimetre or two on girths. If a friend can hold the tape, accuracy roughly doubles; if not, the camera scan avoids the solo-taping problem entirely.

What should I wear while measuring?

Thin, close-fitting clothing, or underclothes, with the bra you would actually wear under fitted outfits. Empty your pockets, take off belts and bulky jewellery, and stand on a hard floor rather than carpet for the height.

Who sees my measurements on Silai?

Only the tailor stitching your specific order. Scan photos are deleted the moment your measurements are ready, and on the Pre-Loved rack buyers see a fit score against a listing, never your numbers.

Do men's garments use the same list?

Largely, yes. A kurta pyjama order uses chest instead of bust, drops the underbust, and adds a neck girth for collared styles; sherwanis lean on the same shoulder, chest and length numbers. The taking technique, tape level and snug over thin clothing, does not change.

More garment guides

Saree blouse measurements · Kurta size chart, sizing and measurements · Lehenga measurements · Salwar kameez measurements · Gown and anarkali measurements · Men's kurta pajama measurements · Punjabi suit measurements, with the Punjabi and Hindi terms

Measuring the body itself? Body measurement chart: what size am I? · How to measure your bust or chest · How to measure your waist · How to measure your hips · How to measure your inseam and trouser length · How to measure sleeve length and arm length