Measuring guide
Send us eight numbers and we will do the rest
You do not need to do any of this before visiting. We measure everyone properly in the shop, and our measurements are the ones we cut from. This page is for people who want a quote before they fly, or who have been measured here before and want to reorder from home.
Before you start
Five things that decide whether the numbers are any use
- 01
A soft tape, not a builder’s tape
A length of string marked with a pen and laid against a ruler works if you have nothing else.
- 02
Ask someone to help
Measuring your own back and shoulders accurately is close to impossible.
- 03
Stand relaxed
Arms down, breathing out normally, not holding your stomach in.
- 04
Do not pull the tape tight
It should sit flat with a finger’s slack. We add the ease ourselves. If you build it in too, the garment ends up too big.
- 05
Measure the garment, not just the body
The single most useful thing you can send us is the measurements of a jacket or shirt you already love the fit of, laid flat.
Jacket
Eight numbers cover a jacket
Take them in this order. Point at a line, or at a row, and the other one will answer.
- Chest Around the fullest part, under the arms and across the shoulder blades, tape level.
- Waist At the natural waist, roughly at the navel, not where your jeans sit.
- Hips Around the fullest part of the seat, feet together.
- Shoulder width From the outer shoulder bone, across the back, to the same point on the other side.
- Sleeve length Shoulder seam, over a slightly bent elbow, to the wrist bone.
- Jacket length Base of the collar at the back of the neck down to the hem you want.
- Bicep Around the fullest part of the upper arm, arm relaxed.
- Wrist Around the wrist bone.
Alongside the numbers, tell us your height, weight and age. Those three let us sanity check the rest, and they catch transcription errors before they become a cut piece of cloth.
Shirt and trousers
The two that people get wrong
The neck
Measure around the base of the neck where a collar sits, then add roughly one finger’s width. A collar that measures exactly your neck will feel like a noose with a tie on.
The waist
At the natural waist, not where your jeans sit. Those are two different places on almost everybody, and the difference is usually four centimetres.
For trousers we need waist, seat, thigh, knee, outseam and inseam. Take waist and seat on the body. Take the rest from a pair that already fits you, laid flat on a table. Tell us where you like the waistband to sit, because that changes the rise and it is not something we can infer from a number.
Women
Underbust is the one that matters
For a jacket or blouse: bust, underbust, waist, hips, shoulder width, sleeve length, back length and the finished length you want.
Take the bust at the fullest point with the tape level all the way round. It is easy to let it ride up at the back. The underbust measurement is what lets us shape the garment properly rather than just making it wider, and it is the one most guides leave out.
For trousers, add the rise you prefer, and say whether they are cut for flats or for heels. If for heels, roughly what height. Hem length is the detail most often adjusted at the third fitting, and telling us the shoe up front saves that round trip.
For a skirt or dress: waist, hips, and the length from the natural waist to where you want the hem. If there is a specific silhouette you have in mind, a photograph communicates it far better than any measurement does.
When you have the numbers
Send them and we will reply with a price
Write them into a message with your name, the garments you want, and roughly when you will be in Phuket. You will get a size recommendation, fabric suggestions and a price before you arrive.
Common questions
Four things people ask before sending numbers
Do I need to measure myself before visiting?
No. We measure everyone in the shop and cut from our own numbers. Sending measurements ahead is about getting a quote and a timeline before you fly, not about replacing the fitting.
What is the most common mistake?
Pulling the tape too tight, and measuring the waist where trousers sit rather than at the natural waist. Both produce a garment that feels fine in a fitting room and uncomfortable after dinner.
Can I reorder from abroad?
If we have measured you in Patong before, yes. We keep your measurements on file, cut from them and ship worldwide. For a first order we strongly recommend being measured in person. Three fittings is what separates a suit that fits from one that nearly fits.
How long do you keep my measurements?
Indefinitely. But bodies change, so after a few years we will re-measure rather than assume the old numbers still hold.