How to Measure a Dress Shirt?

First Things First

Before we start with the measuring, lay down the garment on a flat hard surface and smooth out any wrinkles.

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Steps to Measure a Dress Shirt

1. Collar:  Unbutton the shirt and spread it out on its back. Place one end of the measuring tape at the center of the button where the button stitching comes through to the inside of the collar band and measure along the collar up to the button.
2. Neck to Shoulder: Measure from middle of the neck to end of shoulder (where sleeve starts).
3. Sleeve length: Measure from the shoulder to the wrist.
4. Shoulder to Shoulder:Measure this length from one shoulder to another.
5. Chest: Place the tape close under the arms and make sure the tape is flat across the back.
6. Front Length: Measure from the highest point of the shoulder to the desired hemline.
7. Sleeve cuff: At the widest point of the wrist, measure its circumference. Leave enough room for watches or jewelry worn often. Take this measurement from above the elastic area same as Hem length measurement.
8. Hem: Measure from one side to another.
9. Done!

Pro Tip: If you are selling clothing online, sign up for the free size chart creator.

Tips for Taking Measurements:

• Take all measurements lying flat. Lay the dress shirt out on a flat surface. The front should be facing up. Hanging clothes can stretch as you measure and if you have them on a dress model of a different size this can skew your measurement.
• Use a flexible tape measure at least 36″ long. Don’t try to take clothes measurements with standard 12″ ruler you’ll end up with an inaccurate measurement. If you have no tape measurement handy and this is somewhat of an emergency, you can always download a printable measuring tape online.
• Measure twice! If you don’t get the same measurement both times try again.
• Record measurement to the nearest 1/4 inch. Anything more specific is irrelevant but remember lying flat measurements are generally doubled (e.g. lying flat waist of 12.5″ can be understood as a 25″ waist) so a 1/4 inch could make a difference.
• Take measurements when you’re taking photos. Trying to measure as your listing at your desk ends up taking a lot more time and energy moving back and forth between tasks.

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How to measure a dress shirt video (detailed)

Our friends from Proper Cloth created a series of very detailed videos on how to measure a dress shirt. Please note that this video includes by far more measurement spots than most people will ever used. Yet, it's always great to learn something new. That said, enjoy;) In case you can't see watch the full playlist, please click here.

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Additional Tips:

How to read a dress shirt size tag?

The first number refers to the neck size, the second number to the sleeve length. For instance, the below image reflects a 16inch neck size, and a 32-33 inch sleeve length, as well as the overall shirt size "Large".

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