How to measure
Five minutes with a soft tape, and you never have to guess a size on this site again. Write the numbers down — every product page compares against them.
What you need.
- A soft fabric tape measure, not a metal builder's tape
- An unpadded, non-push-up bra — or nothing at all
- A mirror, so you can check the tape is level at the back
- Somewhere to write five numbers down
Keep the tape snug but never tight — you should be able to slide one finger underneath. Stand relaxed and breathe normally. Pulling the tape tight or holding your breath is the single most common reason a garment arrives too small.
Take each one twice.
If the two readings differ by more than half an inch, take a third. Small errors compound: half an inch out at the bust and half an inch out at the hip is enough to land you in the wrong size.
Bust
Around the fullest part of your chest, usually across the nipples. Keep the tape level all the way round — check the back in a mirror, because it tends to ride up. Arms down and relaxed once the tape is in place.
Underbust
Directly beneath your bust, where a bra band sits. Snug, and level at the back. This is the measurement that decides band fit on anything with a closure, and most charts skip it entirely.
Waist
The narrowest part of your torso, usually an inch or so above the navel. If you cannot find a narrow point, bend sideways — the crease that forms is your natural waist. Do not pull in your stomach.
Hip
Around the fullest part of your hips and seat, usually 7–9 inches below the waist. Feet together. This is where the tape most often sits too high, so take it twice.
Torso length
From the top of your shoulder, straight down the front of your body, through the crotch, and back up to the same shoulder. This is the measurement that decides whether a bodysuit or teddy works, and almost no size chart publishes it. Take it with a friend if you can — it is hard to keep level alone.
Where measurements usually go wrong.
Snug, not tight — one finger should slide underneath. A tape pulled tight can read two inches under, which is a whole size.
It almost always rides up behind you. Check in a mirror, or take the measurement against a wall so you can feel the tape sitting straight.
Padding adds up to two inches at the bust. Measure with an unpadded bra or bare.
Measure how your body actually sits when you are relaxed. A garment fitted to a held breath is uncomfortable for the whole evening.
The natural waist is the narrowest point, not where trousers sit. Bend sideways and measure at the crease.
Bust and hip can both be perfect and a bodysuit will still pull if the torso is short. On one-piece styles it is the measurement that matters most.
Now compare them to the fit record.
Every product page publishes the model’s own measurements and the exact size she is wearing, so you can see how the garment sits on a body close to yours.