How to take measurements for a dress?

Have you decided to try your hand at sewing? Before you start sewing the coveted dress, you must be aware of how to take measurements for the dress. Factory clothes, correctly selected for the figure, emphasize the merits of the human constitution, or - on the contrary, hide the flaws. Exactly this effect should be achieved with individual sewing things. In our article we will tell you how to take measurements correctly in order to build a good pattern for a dress of a silhouette that suits you.

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Types of silhouettes and the importance of basic measurements

If you are not a professional seamstress, then you may not know that silhouettes come in several types:

• Very fit;
• A little snug;
• Semi-adjacent;
• Straight.

Measurements for tailoring a dress is a very crucial moment, half of success depends on the result of which. The correct fit of a blouse or dress directly depends on the accuracy and the correct sequence of measurements.

Important! Any errors in the process will lead to an incorrect construction of the drawing, and in the future, to incorrect fit of the dress. In the process of constructing patterns, consider the features of your figure to sew a dress that successfully emphasizes the features of your constitution.

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Useful recommendations on how to take measurements for a dress:

• The person from whom measurements will be taken should stand freely, strictly exactly in front of the mirror.

Important! If the model has a noticeable stoop or other features of posture, do not specifically change its inherent position.

• Measurements should be taken without clothes, the model should only be in underwear.

Important! If there will be more than one fitting of the product, you should wear the same linen in which the measurements were made.

• Tie a belt or braid at the waistline.
• With a pencil or pen on the figure, mark the point of the shoulder and its direction,
• From the back, mark the point 7 of the cervical vertebra, as well as the most protruding points of the shoulder blades.

Important! They are located on the same level with the upper points of the armpits.

• The centimeter tape during the measurement process should fit snugly against the body, it should not be weakened or too tight.

Important! All necessary allowances for a loose fit are added in the process of constructing the drawing.

• The size of the allowances depends on the type of model, type of fabric and your silhouette.

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How to take basic measurements?

Measurements should be taken slowly and very carefully so that in the end the dress does not have errors in the form of hanging fabric or too tight in some places. To get the basic parameters, you will need a centimeter tape. The following describes in detail how to take the basic measurements that are necessary for sewing a dress.

SS - half neck circumference

A centimeter tape is circled around the neck at its base through the mark of the seventh vertebra.

Important! In the table write the value divided by two.

SG1 - half chest 1:

1. Standing in front of the model, wrap the tape behind her back.
2. The centimeter should pass through the protruding points of the shoulder blades.
3. The measuring tape should also pass through the upper corners of the armpits and cross over the chest.

Important! Half the result is written to the table.

SG2 - half chest 2:

1. The measurement is taken immediately after SG1, without removing the tape from the model.
2. Without moving or displacing the tape from the shoulder blades, move it to the protruding points of the chest.

Important! The table is written half the measure.

SG3 - half chest 3:

• A centimeter tape passes through the protruding parts of the chest.

Important! When taking measurements, the tape should be parallel to the floor.

• In this case, the protrusion of the blades is not taken into account.

Important! Half the result is written to the table. Using the measurements obtained, SG2 and SG3 determine the depth of the chest tucks.

ST - half waist:

1. The ribbon runs along the narrowest section of the waist.
2. Place the centimeter for taking measurements strictly parallel to the floor line.

Important! In the table, write the value divided by two.

SB - Hips:

1. In most cases, the measurement is taken 18-20 cm lower from the waistline.
2. The tape runs parallel to the floor, through the most protruding parts of the buttocks.

Important! The result is divided in half and recorded in a table.

If a person has a small tummy, in the process of taking the measurement, this point must be taken into account:

1. Attach a ruler or bar to the protruding abdomen.
2. Taking a measure of the half-circumference of the hips, the centimeter should pass in front through the line of the ruler.

LL - line of blades:

1. It is necessary to take measurements for a dress of a line of shoulder blades from the back of the model.
2. From the mark at the base of the neck we go down to the marked point on the shoulder blade.
3. The tape runs parallel to the spine.

LH - chest line:

1. Measurement is done from the back.
2. The chest line is visible when measuring SG2.
3. From the base of the neck parallel to the spine down, through the convex points of the shoulder blades descend to the line of the chest.

DTS - back length:

1. Measurements are taken from the back from the base of the neck.
2. We lower the centimeter parallel to the spine through the protruding points of the shoulder blades down to the waist line.

DSP2 - back length 2:

1. It is only necessary to take measurements for a dress with back length 2 if the stoop of the model is too noticeable.
2. The difference in measurements shows the depth of the neck on the back.

Important! Standard measurements are 1.5-2 cm, in light dresses can be arbitrary, for building a jacket - 2.5 cm.

DIZ - product length:

1. Measurement is carried out from the back.
2. From the mark of the seventh cervical vertebra along the spine, lower the tape to the desired length.

Important! At the level of the waistline, the tape must be pressed by hand and measured strictly vertically.

AL - back width:

1. A centimeter is applied horizontally along the line of the shoulder blades.
2. Measurements are made between the upper corners of the armpits at the level of the protruding sections of the shoulder blades.
3. The measurement is carried out at approximately 12-13 cm from the shoulder line.

Important! The result is recorded in the table, previously divided in half.

ШПр - armhole width:

1. Measurement is carried out with a freely lowered hand.
2. Measure the width at hand from the front to back corner of the armpits.
3. Visually draw straight lines from these points upwards and measure.

VPR - armhole height:

1. Draw a line from the top of the armpit corner or use braid.
2. Further from the point of the base of the neck to the line, we drop vertically and record the result.

Accident - the length of the front to the waist:

1. Measurements are taken while standing in front of the model.
2. From the base of the neck, passing through the protruding part of the chest, the tape is lowered to the waist line.

Here are some features of the data that you need to know about in order to properly measure the dress:

• For standard figures with correct posture, the difference between measurements is from 2 to 5 cm.
• Models with magnificent breasts - 10-14 cm.
• In the case of an apparent stoop, the length of the front may be less than the result of measuring the back.

Important! The result is recorded in the table completely.

VG - chest height:

1. Measurements are taken in front of the model.
2. Place the ribbon at the base of the neck.
3. Lower the tape vertically down to the center of the chest.

Important! It is advisable to take measurements and try on the dress in the same bra that you are going to wear with the product.

ШП - shoulder width (length):

1. Measurements are taken from the side of the model.
2. A centimeter is located from the base of the neck to the marked shoulder point.

OP - shoulder girth:

1. Measure the shoulder girth on the side of the model.
2. The hand is freely lowered in the usual position.
3. Measure should be taken at the level of the widest place of the hand, touching the back corner of the armpit.
4. Position the centimeter horizontally.

SH - chest width:

1. This measurement is taken in front of the model.
2. The distance from one corner of the armpit to the second above the chest is a measure of the width of the chest.

Important! In the table write the value divided in half.

CH - the distance between the centers of the chest:

1. Stand in front of the model and identify the most prominent points of the chest.
2. Centimeter measure the distance between them.

In order not to be mistaken, consider the standard parameters of people with different body constitutions:

• For the thin, this measurement is 15-16 cm.
• In people whose clothes are 48 to 18-19 cm in size.
• In people with magnificent breasts - 20-24 cm.

All necessary allowances of 2-3 cm are added during the design process of the pattern.

Important! Half the result is written to the table.

VPCS - shoulder height oblique front:

1. In front of the model, position the tape from the nipple on the chest to the marked shoulder mark.
2. The tape lies obliquely.

Vspk - back height slanting:

1. Using this measure, the shoulder line is more accurately plotted during the design process of the drawing.
2. The basic slope during construction is 2.5 cm.
3. For the constitution of a person with sloping shoulders, the slope can be 3-3.5 cm.
4. For athletes and people with straight shoulders is only 1.5-2 cm.

Important! When designing a pattern for a jacket or coat, consider the allowance for the shoulders.

OZ - the circumference of the wrist

Measurements are taken through the protruding bone above the model’s wrist.

OK - brush circle

Measurement is carried out at the widest point of the hand.

DR - sleeve length:

1. Measurement is carried out at the side of the model.
2. The arm is down and slightly bent at the elbow.
3. The tape is measured from the shoulder point to the required length of the sleeve.

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Stock footage

Now you know how to measure the dress. If you are new to sewing, check the results several times. It is better to carefully double-check the accuracy of your measurements during the drawing process than in the future to think about how to fix mistakes and defects in dress tailoring. We hope that with the help of the information in our article you can sew beautiful, exclusive things that emphasize your figure.