If you’re planning to order a suit remotely, whether from us or anyone, you’ll need accurate measurements. Getting them right at home is harder than guides suggest. Here’s what we actually use from your numbers, and what you can skip.
Before you start
Three small things that prevent 90% of measurement errors:
- Wear a thin shirt, a t-shirt or close-fitting dress shirt, not a hoodie or heavy layer.
- Get a helper. Most suit measurements are hard to take on yourself accurately. A partner, family member, or friend works.
- Use a fabric (soft) tape measure. Rigid rulers or metal construction tape won’t work.
If in doubt, we’d rather you come into the shop. But if remote is your only option, here’s the full list.
The 14 measurements
Upper body, jacket-critical
1. Neck. Wrap the tape around the base of your neck where a shirt collar sits. Don’t pull tight. The tape should sit flat and close but not pressing in. Record the number; typical is 37-42 cm.
2. Chest. Wrap the tape horizontally around the fullest part of your chest, under the armpits. Arms down at sides, relaxed. Don’t puff up or suck in.
3. Stomach (waist, jacket). Around your natural waist, the narrowest point, usually about 2 cm above the belly button. Don’t confuse this with trouser waist, which is lower.
4. Seat (hip). Around the widest point of your hips/seat, with trousers on.
5. Shoulder width. The hardest one to self-measure. Ask your helper to run the tape across your back from the bone at the outer edge of one shoulder to the same bone on the other shoulder. Not around the front, straight across the back.
6. Sleeve length. From the shoulder bone (the outer edge, where shoulder width ends) down the arm to the wrist bone. Arm slightly bent.
7. Jacket length. From the base of the back neck down to where you want the jacket to end. Traditional length ends at the curve between the thumb and index finger when your arms are relaxed at your sides. Slimmer/shorter “Italian” cut is 2-4 cm above that.
8. Scye (armhole depth). Measured from the base of the back neck down to the point under the armpit, vertically. Helper required. Most customers skip this and let the tailor estimate from the shoulder and chest, that’s fine for remote ordering.
Lower body, trouser-critical
9. Waist (trouser). Where you’d normally wear your trouser belt, around the top of your hip bones for modern cuts, at the natural waist for classic. Specify which you prefer.
10. Seat. Same as measurement 4 above, around the widest point of your hips/seat. Don’t double-count if you already recorded it.
11. Thigh. Around the fullest part of your upper thigh.
12. Knee. Around the middle of your kneecap, standing straight.
13. Inseam. The inner leg, from crotch seam down to the ankle bone. Take this with your shoes off but think about what shoe you’ll wear, you’ll add 1-3 cm at the trouser hem depending on shoe type.
14. Outseam (optional). From the top of your waistband down the outer leg to the trouser hem. Helps us cross-check your inseam number.
Additional info we need (not measurements but critical)
- Height. Useful as a sanity check.
- Weight. Ditto. Weight changes of more than 2 kg between measurement and fitting will require re-cut.
- Posture notes. Do you stand with shoulders forward? Slightly stooped? One shoulder noticeably lower? These details matter for jacket balance.
- Preferred fit. Classic (traditional, comfortable), slim (closer to body), or relaxed (Japanese-style looser drape).
- Dominant side. Right-handed or left-handed. Some tailors cut sleeves slightly longer on the dominant side because of daily use.
Photo requirements for remote orders
If you’re ordering remotely, send us four photos wearing a fitted t-shirt or dress shirt:
- Front: standing straight, arms at sides, feet shoulder-width apart.
- Back: same pose.
- Left profile: sideways, arm hanging naturally.
- Right profile: sideways, arm hanging naturally.
Good lighting, plain background. Photos let us see posture, shoulder slope, and back curve, which no tape measure captures.
The most common self-measurement errors
After years of correcting remote measurements in the shop, these five errors come up again and again:
- Over-tightening the chest tape. Relaxed is the correct state. Don’t pull.
- Shoulder width measured front-to-front instead of across the back. Too narrow.
- Confusing jacket waist with trouser waist. They’re different heights. Record both separately.
- Measuring the inseam from hip instead of crotch. Crotch seam to ankle, not waistband.
- No helper. Self-measuring shoulder width is almost always off by 1-3 cm.
When to skip measuring yourself
If you’re coming to Phuket anyway, don’t bother. We’ll take 18-24 measurements in 15 minutes and they’ll be more accurate than any DIY attempt. Self-measurement is only necessary for:
- Ordering remotely after a previous in-shop visit (your pattern is already on file, the re-measurements just update it).
- A preliminary quote while you plan your trip.
- Emergency remote orders where time doesn’t allow an in-person visit.
Our remote ordering process
For returning customers: you send us measurements + photos, you choose fabric from our online swatch catalogue, we cut from your existing pattern block updated with new numbers, and we ship. Turnaround is 7-10 days including international post. No fittings, we rely on your pattern block being accurate (which it is, because you’ve been in the shop before).
For first-time customers ordering fully remote: we don’t recommend it. The first pattern cut needs an in-person measurement. Come in once, get a block cut, then you can order remotely forever.