Women each come, not just in a one-of-a-kind shape and size, but with individual proportions as well. Whether you're taking measurements so that you can order properly sized clothing or using body measurements to track your weight loss progress, all you really need is a couple of minutes of a friend's time and a flexible tape measure. If you're measuring for fitness or weight loss purposes, spend a few dollars on a tape measure that won't stretch and use that same tape measure every time you take new measurements.
Step 1
Ask a trusted friend to help you take the measurements, as they're difficult to do on your own. Some seamstresses will take your measurements for you at no extra charge if you're ordering tailored clothes or having your old clothes altered. When the time comes for the actual measurement-taking, strip down to your everyday bra and underwear or bring a swimsuit with you and put it on for the occasion.
Step 2
Raise both arms so that your friend can wrap the measuring tape around your chest, then lower both arms and hold them, relaxed, at your sides. Have your friend maneuver the tape so that it wraps around the fullest part of your bust and across your shoulder blades in the back. The tape should run in a straight, level line across your back, be snug to your skin but not tight, and your friend shouldn't push the tape in between your breasts. Have her read the measurement where the tape overlaps; this is your bust measurement.
Step 3
Wrap the measuring tape around your waist, level with the ground and just above your hipbones on either side, and read the number off. This is the appropriate way to measure waist circumference for purposes of charting your weight loss, and can be done easily on your own without a friend's help. If you're measuring for clothing, measure where you want the waistband of your garment to fit, or see Tips for another way of finding your waist.
Step 4
Ask your friend to measure around the widest part of your hips or buttocks. The tape measure should be level with the ground and snug, but not tight or pinching, against your skin. Let your arms hang at your side, relaxed, as your friend measures. This is the hip measurement.
Tips and Warnings
- If you're measuring for clothes sizing, it's okay to wear whatever bra you plan to wear underneath the clothing, whether it's padded or not. Similarly, if you plan to wear control-top or body shaping panties underneath a skirt, you should have your measurements taken with that undergarment on. If you're measuring to keep track of weight loss, don't wear a padded bra or other shaping undergarments, and you should wear the same underclothing every time you take the measurements so the numbers accurately reflect how your body, not your clothes, has changed. If you're not sure where to take your waist measurement for clothing, tie a piece of string around your waist; it should be snug but not tight, and shouldn't pinch. Bend from side to side a couple of times, and the string will move to your natural waistline.
Things You'll Need
- Flexible tape measure
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