How to measure items for listings

Pick what you are selling, follow the numbered lines on the diagram with your tape, and type what you read. The measurement block is ready to paste into your description.

Unit Centimetres Inches

Show both units Add the "all round" figure for flat widths

Pit to pit

Straight across the front, from one underarm seam to the other.

Length

From the highest point of the shoulder, next to the collar, down to the hem.

Shoulders

Across the back, from one shoulder seam to the other.

Sleeve

From the shoulder seam down the outer edge to the cuff.

For your listing

Measurements (taken flat):
- Pit to pit: 58 cm (22.75 in)
- Length: 64 cm (25.25 in)
- Shoulders: 52 cm (20.5 in)
- Sleeve: 61 cm (24 in)

Measure flat, the same way every time

Lay the item on a table, smooth it without stretching, and do up buttons and zips. Use a soft tape for clothes and a rigid one for shoes, bags and furniture. Measure in a straight line between the points the diagram shows and give the number you read, to the nearest half centimetre or quarter inch.

Widths taken flat across the chest, waist or hips are half the distance round. Buyers can compare them with a piece of their own laid flat the same way, so the flat figure is the one to give; switch on "all round" if you also want the doubled figure. Switching units converts what you typed, using 1 inch = 2.54 cm exactly.

Sources

NIST, NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.9: inch to centimetre, 2.54 (exact).

Questions

Why give measurements when there is a size label?

Sizes vary between brands and decades, and labels get cut out. Two or three measurements let a buyer check the fit against clothes they already own.

How do I measure shoes with no size inside?

Measure the insole from the inside back of the heel to the end of the toe box, and the sole across its widest point. Buyers can compare those with shoes that fit them.

What about furniture with splayed legs?

Give the widest point including the legs, and say so. For anything with a seat or shelf, its height from the floor helps buyers picture it in their room.