How We Measure

Fine tailoring is not cut to a chart. Every garment here is measured by hand, from the garment itself, laid flat. Nothing is taken from the label or a size guide, and nothing is converted. The figures on a listing are what the tape did.

Laid flat · buttoned or closed · measured in centimetres, inches alongside · published flat, not doubled

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Jackets & CoatsFive figures

A jacket is decided at the shoulder and carried down through the chest and the sleeve. Each one is laid face up and buttoned at the top button, smoothed from the centre outward and allowed to settle, and the tape is laid on rather than pulled.

A tailor's tape held across the shoulders of a charcoal wool jacket laid flat

Jacket

Shoulder to Shoulder

Seam to seam across the back, from the point where the sleeve head meets the shoulder on one side to the same point on the other. Straight across, never over the sleeve heads and never on the diagonal.

A tailor's tape held across the chest of a charcoal wool jacket, below the armholes

Jacket

Chest (Pit to Pit)

Straight across the body, 2 cm (0.8 in) below the armhole, with the sleeves lifted clear so the tape rests on the body alone. Published flat, not doubled.

A tailor's tape held across the waist of a charcoal wool jacket, under the fastened button

Jacket

Waist

Straight across the body at the waist, edge to edge, the tape passing under the fastened button (the top button on a two-button coat, the middle button on a three).

A tailor's tape held down the centre back of a charcoal wool jacket, collar to hem

Jacket

Centre Back Length

From the collar seam at the back of the neck, straight down the centre back to the hem. The collar itself is not included in the figure.

A tailor's tape held along the sleeve of a charcoal wool jacket, shoulder seam to cuff

Jacket

Sleeve Length

From the shoulder seam along the outside of the sleeve to the cuff edge, the sleeve laid flat. The tape stops at the shortest point of the cuff, never at the vented edge. The difference is about two centimetres on paper and none in cloth.

Also recorded on every jacket

Reserve, jacket sides Seam allowance measured inside each side seam, and what it will let out.
Sleeve buttonholes Whether they are closed or cut open, which decides whether the sleeve can be lengthened at all.
OuterwearThree figures

An overcoat is measured on the same points as a jacket, by the same method, fastened as it is meant to be worn. Three of the figures behave differently on a coat, and those are the ones set out here.

A tailor's tape held across the chest of a charcoal wool overcoat laid flat

Outerwear

Chest (Pit to Pit)

Straight across the closed front, 2 cm (0.8 in) below the armhole. On a padded, quilted or heavily lined coat the tape is laid on and the cloth left as it falls. Nothing is pressed down to win a centimetre.

A tailor's tape held down the centre back of a charcoal wool overcoat, collar to hem

Outerwear

Total Length

From the collar seam at the back of the neck straight down the centre back to the hem: the coat's full length as it will hang. Where a coat has a storm collar or a hood, the figure begins below it, and we say so.

A tailor's tape held along the sleeve of a charcoal wool overcoat, shoulder seam to cuff

Outerwear

Sleeve Length

From the shoulder seam to the cuff edge, laid flat. Where a coat is cut raglan or with a dropped shoulder there is no shoulder seam; we measure from the collar seam instead and label the figure accordingly, because it is not comparable to a tailored sleeve.

Also recorded on every coat

Reserve, coat sides Seam allowance inside each side seam, where the construction allows any.
Fastening How the coat closes, and whether every button, toggle, stud or zip is present and working.
TrousersSix figures

Trousers are measured closed and laid flat, front and back waistbands aligned, so that the rise and the leg you read here are true to how they will wear.

A tailor's tape held across the closed waistband of charcoal wool trousers

Trousers

Waist

Across the top of the closed waistband, edge to edge, with the front of the band lying directly over the back. Published flat, not doubled.

A tailor's tape held from the crotch seam up to the waistband of charcoal wool trousers

Trousers

Rise

From the crotch seam straight up to the top of the front waistband. It is the figure that decides whether a trouser sits at the waist or below it, and the one most often left out.

A tailor's tape held across the thigh of charcoal wool trousers, below the crotch seam

Trousers

Thigh

Straight across one leg, 2 cm (0.8 in) below the crotch seam, the leg laid flat and untwisted. Published flat, not doubled.

A tailor's tape held down the inside leg of charcoal wool trousers, crotch seam to hem

Trousers

Inseam

From the crotch seam down the inside of the leg to the hem.

A tailor's tape held down the outer seam of charcoal wool trousers, waistband to hem

Trousers

Total Length

From the top of the waistband down the outer seam to the hem.

A tailor's tape held across the hem opening of a charcoal wool trouser leg

Trousers

Leg Opening

Across the hem, edge to edge, the leg laid flat. Where there is a turn-up we give its depth as well.

Also recorded on every pair of trousers

Reserve, waist and hem Allowance measured inside the waistband and in the hem, and what each will let out.
Turn-ups Whether the leg finishes in a turn-up, and how deep it is.
ShirtsSix figures

A shirt is measured buttoned, collar closed, laid face up and smoothed flat. Six figures, taken in the same order every time.

A tailor's tape held along the closed collar band of a white cotton shirt

Shirt

Collar

Along the collar band with the collar laid flat, from the centre of the button to the far edge of the buttonhole. This is the figure the shirt was cut to, not the figure of the neck that will wear it.

A tailor's tape held across the shoulders of a white cotton shirt laid flat

Shirt

Shoulder to Shoulder

Seam to seam across the back, where the yoke meets each sleeve.

A tailor's tape held across the chest of a white cotton shirt, below the armholes

Shirt

Chest (Pit to Pit)

Straight across the body, 2 cm (0.8 in) below the armhole, buttoned. Published flat, not doubled.

A tailor's tape held across the waist of a white cotton shirt at its narrowest point

Shirt

Waist

Straight across the body at its narrowest point, usually about halfway between the armhole and the hem.

A tailor's tape held down the centre of a white cotton shirt, collar to hem

Shirt

Length

From the base of the collar at the back of the neck, straight down the centre to the lowest point of the hem.

A tailor's tape held along the sleeve of a white cotton shirt, shoulder seam to cuff

Shirt

Sleeve Length

From the shoulder seam along the outside of the sleeve to the end of the cuff. A raglan sleeve has no shoulder seam: it is measured from the collar seam and labelled as such.

Also recorded on every shirt

Cuff The finished circumference of the cuff, and whether it takes a link or a button.
Alterations Whether the sleeves or the body have been shortened, and whether the collar has been turned.
KnitwearFive figures

Knitwear is laid to its own natural shape and left there. Nothing is stretched, squared up or pulled to a number. A knit will give you two centimetres if you ask it to, and those two centimetres are not the garment.

A tailor's tape held across the shoulders of a cream knitted sweater laid flat

Knitwear

Shoulder to Shoulder

Seam to seam across the back, where the shoulder meets the sleeve. Where a piece is raglan or dropped-shoulder there is no such seam, and we say so rather than invent a point.

A tailor's tape held across the chest of a cream knitted sweater, below the armholes

Knitwear

Chest (Pit to Pit)

Straight across, 2 cm (0.8 in) below the armhole, the piece relaxed. Published flat, not doubled.

A tailor's tape held across a cream knitted sweater above the ribbed welt

Knitwear

Waist

Straight across at the narrowest point of the body, above the welt.

A tailor's tape held down the centre of a cream knitted sweater, neck to welt

Knitwear

Length

From the base of the back neck straight down the centre to the bottom of the welt.

A tailor's tape held along the sleeve of a cream knitted sweater, shoulder seam to cuff

Knitwear

Sleeve Length

From the shoulder seam along the outside of the sleeve to the cuff edge. On a raglan, from the neck, and the figure is labelled so you know which it is.

Also recorded on every knit

Gauge and hand How fine the knit is, because it decides how the figures above will behave on the body.
Condition of the knit Pilling, thinning, any repair, and whether the welt and cuffs still hold their shape.

A variance of half a centimetre or so is ordinary in hand tailoring. More than that is a mistake, and we would like to hear about it. If a figure here ever disagrees with a figure on a particular listing, the listing was measured individually and it wins, but tell us, because this page then needs correcting. We re-measure anything a customer queries, on request and without qualification. If you are unsure, measure a garment that already fits you, flat, and send us those figures.