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Guide artisanat - Prenez correctement vos mesures

La prise de mesure est l'une des étapes les plus critiques de la création de vêtement. Si les fondations sont mauvaises alors l'édifice ne peut tenir. Découvrez le guide artisanat dédié.

Castiane Lefeuvre

6/16/20253 min read

The equipment

Measuring tape: Make sure you use a tape measure in centimeters and start measuring from 0.
Your phone: This will allow you to easily measure angles.
Someone to help: very important !

The measurement chart

The measurement charts below represent almost all of the measurements I use to create my costumes. Each measurement is linked to a code, which is itself linked to a measurement name in the table. You will need to provide me with all of these measurements if you take your own measurements.

Different colors for different measurements:

Blue measure means that it is a circumference, so you will need to measure around the item with the tape measure.
Red measure means that it is a length, so you will need to measure the element to be measured from one arrow to the other.
Green measure means that it is an angle to be measured.

A19
A20
A21
G02
G04
G07
G09
H05
H19
H36
I01
I03
I08
J01
J02
L01
L02
L03
L12
L15
L19
N06
N07
N08
M06

From waist to knee
From waist to hips
From knee to ankle
Neck circumference
Chest circumference
Waist circumference
Hip circumference
Side neckline at waist, front
Back neckline at waist, back
Shoulder slope to side neckline
Shoulder length
Front shoulder width
Back shoulder width
From one point to the other
From the point of the breast to the neckline
From the point of the shoulder to the wrist
From the point of the shoulder to the elbow
From the elbow to the wrist
Bicep circumference
Wrist circumference
Armhole circumference
Back height
Front height
Side height
Ankle circumference

Identify the key elements

Several measurements will depend on the placement of others, so it is important to know how to identify the key areas. To help you, you can use a tape measure to measure around these three circumferences.

Chest circumference: This is the largest circumference at the chest. It is located at the most prominent point of the chest. It must be measured horizontally. This horizontal measurement will be used for several measurements.
Waist circumference: This is the narrowest circumference of the torso. It must be measured horizontally. This horizontal line will be used for several measurements. If you cannot find a slimmer area on your torso, take this measurement at the navel. Men often tend to think that their waist is lower than it actually is.
Hip circumference: This is the largest circumference at the hips. It can be confused with the small hip measurement (located higher up, which is considered the “waist” measurement for pants). The hip measurement is taken at the most prominent point of the buttocks. It must be taken horizontally. This horizontal measurement will be used for several measurements.

You can mark these three points visually with tape or a pencil on your skin.

Some complicated elements

From experience, the most complicated measurements to take are the following:

Front and back widths. These measurements are used to measure the distance between the shoulders. They should be taken at the shoulder line, or in other words from one armpit to the other. If in doubt, measure generously. Unless there is a significant exception, they may differ by a few centimeters—on average 2 to 3. If the difference is greater, check your measurement.
Neckline to waist heights. Unless you have a large bust, they may also differ by a few centimeters.

And the phone ?

Use your phone to measure the angle of your shoulder.

To do this, take a photo of yourself standing up straight. Go to edit the photo and rotate it until your shoulder appears horizontal. The angle displayed (here 29°) is the angle to indicate on the measurements.

Good practices

Body position: Unless otherwise specified in the measurement instructions, the body should be at rest. Do not puff out your chest, suck in your stomach, or stand particularly straight. Similarly, do not raise your arms in a T shape, but keep them close to your body.

Using a tape measure: Do not pull on the tape measure or tighten it to reduce the measurements.

What to wear: The measurements are taken from the body, so you should wear close-fitting clothing. If you need to wear something specific while the measurements are being taken—armor, for example—I will let you know in advance.