Article: Find the size of your or another woman's chest by wrapping your measuring material around the back over your shoulder blades, under the armpits, and across the fullest part of the bust. Ensure that you do not pull whatever material you're using to measure too tightly around the chest. To measure for a bra, bathing suit, or other garment that calls for it, you will use this bust measurement along with the circumference just below the bust to find the cup and band size. Use your measuring material to find the length around your or another woman's torso at its smallest point, which is your natural waist. Find this point by observing where the torso creases when bending side to side, and note that it will fall above the bellybutton and below the ribcage. Note that there is a difference between the natural waist and where the waistband may be worn on pants, skirts, or shorts. When clothing measurements call for a waist size, it refers to the narrowest part of the torso, the natural waist. You may want to take another measurement below the natural waist where you know you will wear a garment. Be sure to exhale and relax, or have the woman you're measuring do so, before you take a waist measurement. The abdomen shouldn't be enlarged with air, sucked in smaller, or otherwise in an unnatural or unrelaxed state. Wrap your measuring material around your own or another woman's hips at their fullest point to determine hip size. The fullest point of the hips is generally about 8 inches below the natural waist, but of course the distance varies from person to person. Take a few different measurements if you need to ensure that you find the widest point. If you're taking the measurement on yourself, make sure your measuring material is level across your hips and rear end by observing yourself in a mirror. Take the measurement of the inseam for a pair of pants by measuring along one leg from groin to ankle with the leg remaining straight. This is best done on another person or with help from someone else to take a measurement on you. If you don't have someone to help, you can also measure the inseam on a pair of pants that fits you well. The proper inseam for a pair of pants may vary depending on the style of pants and the height of the heel on the shoe worn with them. Use your measuring material to take any other measurements that a sizing chart or clothing pattern calls for. Make sure that you always take a measurement from the fullest part or longest extension of a body part. Measure around the widest part of your arm or thigh, for example, and measure for the length of a sleeve with your arm bent to accommodate movement. It may be helpful to keep a piece of string or elastic tied around the natural waist, as it will be used as an endpoint for other measurements like front waist length, back waist length, and rise.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Measure bust size. Take a waist measurement. Measure hip size. Find the inseam. Take any other measurements necessary.