Buying clothing online can sometimes be a little tricky. Clothing sizes in Australia tend to vary dramatically from shop to shop so it’s best to take measurements yourself and then compare them to our size guides. You can either measure your actual body or measure a piece of clothing that fits you perfectly. Here’s how to get accurate body measurements.

Chest:  This measurement should be taken directly under the armpits and span right around the body across the widest part of the chest.

Bust: Wrap tape measure around the body under the armpits, and around the fullest part of the bust.

Shoulders: Measure across the top back of the garment from shoulder seam to shoulder seam.

Sleeves: For mens shirts, this is the measurement taken from the back of the middle of the neck to the end of the cuff.  For women’s garments, this measurement can be taken from the shoulder seam to the end of the cuff.

Waist:  To measure your own waist size, wrap the tape measure around your waist at belly button height. To get the right size of pants and skirts, measure across the very top of the garment, then double.  For shirts and dresses, measure at about 6 – 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) below the armpit, then double.

Hips:  Stand with legs about 6 inches (15 cm) apart and measure around the fullest part of the hips. If you’re measuring an actual garment (pants and skirts) measure about 8 – 9 inches (20 to 23 cm) down from the waist, then double.

Length: For skirts, measure the front center of the garment from the top of the waist to the bottom of the hem.  For shirts and dresses, you may measure one of several ways, depending on the style of the garment – measure from the shoulder seam to the bottom of the hem, from the armpit to the bottom hem, or from the center back neck to the bottom hem.