How to Take Your Own Measurements for a Made-to-Measure Suit
Because a Vane Kensington suit is cut to the measurements you provide, getting them right matters more than it would with an off-the-rack size. Here's how to take each one accurately before you order.
What you'll need
A soft fabric tape measure, a mirror, and ideally a second person to help — self-measuring works, but a second pair of hands makes the shoulder and back measurements considerably more accurate.
The nine measurements
- Chest — around the fullest part of your chest, under the arms, tape held level and snug but not tight.
- Waist — around your natural waistline, where your torso bends side to side, not where your trousers currently sit.
- Hips — around the fullest part of your seat.
- Shoulder width — from the edge of one shoulder bone to the other, across the back.
- Sleeve length — from the shoulder edge to the wrist bone, with your arm slightly bent.
- Jacket length — from the base of the collar at the back of the neck down to where you want the jacket hem to sit.
- Trouser outseam — from the waistband down the outside of the leg to where you want the trouser hem.
- Inseam — from the crotch seam down the inside of the leg to the ankle.
- Neck / collar — around the base of the neck where a shirt collar sits, with a finger's width of ease.
Tips for accuracy
Measure in your normal indoor clothing, not bulky layers. Keep the tape level and snug against the body rather than pulled tight. If a measurement falls between two numbers, round up rather than down. Measure twice and use the consistent figure.
Choosing your fit
Alongside your measurements, you'll choose a fit preference — slim, regular or loose — which tells us how much ease to build into the cut around those numbers. See our guide to choosing between them in the Journal if you're not sure which suits you.
What happens after you submit them
You'll review your measurements and confirm the acknowledgment checkbox on the product page before checkout — this isn't a waiver of your rights, it's simply confirming the garment is custom-made to the specification you've entered, so it's worth double-checking the numbers before you tick it. Your exact measurements are then preserved on your order confirmation for our records and yours.
Ready when you are: shop made-to-measure suits.