A couture garment is only as flawless as its measurements. Explore our detailed, step-by-step guide to measuring yourself accurately for designer blouses, bridal lehengas, and custom ethnic ensembles.
Serving clients in USA, UK, Canada, Australia & Gulf with precision remote fitting guarantees.
Before pulling out the measuring tape, ensure you have set the foundation correctly. Taking measurements over heavy jeans or bulky sweaters will distort your pattern.
Use a flexible fabric or vinyl measuring tape. Metal construction tapes will fail on body curves.
Wear the exact bra type (padded/non-padded, push-up) you intend to wear under your final blouse.
Wear the exact heel height intended for your event when measuring lehenga or gown lengths.
Stand naturally straight in front of a full mirror. Having a friend assist yields 100% accuracy.
Detailed step-by-step measurements required for a sculpted, crease-free blouse pattern.
Wrap the tape loosely around the fullest part of your bust over the nipple line. Keep the tape parallel to the floor across your back shoulder blades.
Wrap the tape directly under your armpits, above the bust mound. Essential for wide sweetheart, boat neck, and off-shoulder blouse cuts.
Measure around your torso directly under your bust, right where the lower band of your bra rests. This determines the exact blouse waistband fit.
Measure across your back from the outer edge bone of one shoulder to the outer edge bone of the other shoulder across the nape of the neck.
Measure vertically from the highest point of your shoulder (near the base of neck) down to the apex/nipple point of your bust.
Measure horizontally between the highest points of both bust mounds. Typically ranges between 6.5 to 8.5 inches.
Measure vertically from the shoulder neck junction straight down over the bust to your desired blouse bottom hem edge.
Measure diagonally from the shoulder-neck junction down to the center point of your desired front neck drop line.
Measure diagonally from the shoulder-neck junction down the center back to your desired back neck opening depth.
Wrap the tape over the top of your shoulder and down under your armpit in a loop. Keep arm hanging naturally.
Measure around the fullest part of your upper arm bicep muscle. Slide one finger under the tape for comfort.
Measure from the tip of shoulder bone down to desired sleeve length (Cap, Mega, Elbow, or Full). Also measure cuff round at sleeve end.
Ensure your lehenga skirt falls gracefully to the floor with perfect waist security.
Measure around your waist at the exact height where you prefer to tie your lehenga (typically 1 to 2 inches above the navel).
Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your hips/buttocks. Crucial for A-line and Mermaid cut lehengas to slide on smoothly.
Stand straight with wedding heels on. Measure from the lehenga waist tie point straight down to the floor.
Essential measurements for straight kurtis, flared anarkalis, and salwar bottoms.
Measure from top shoulder seam near neck down over bust to desired bottom hemline (knee, calf, or ankle height).
For straight kurtis, measure from shoulder down to where you want the side slit opening to begin (usually hip bone line).
Measure from waist elastic/drawstring point down to the ankle bone. For churidar bottoms, add 6 to 8 inches for gathering folds.
Quick reference for converting inches to centimeters or cross-referencing US/UK sizing.
| Boutique Size | Bust (Inches) | Bust (CM) | Empire Waist (Inches) | Lehenga Waist (Inches) | US / UK Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XS (Extra Small) | 32" - 33" | 81 - 84 cm | 26" - 27" | 26" - 28" | US 2 / UK 6 |
| S (Small) | 34" - 35" | 86 - 89 cm | 28" - 29" | 28" - 30" | US 4 / UK 8 |
| M (Medium) | 36" - 37" | 91 - 94 cm | 30" - 31" | 30" - 32" | US 6 / UK 10 |
| L (Large) | 38" - 40" | 96 - 101 cm | 32" - 34" | 32" - 34" | US 8-10 / UK 12-14 |
| XL (Extra Large) | 41" - 43" | 104 - 109 cm | 35" - 37" | 35" - 38" | US 12 / UK 16 |
| XXL & Plus Custom | 44"+ | 112+ cm | 38"+ | 38"+ | Bespoke Fitting |
Unsure about taking measurements on your own? Head designer Hetal Patel will personally guide you step-by-step over a live 1-on-1 WhatsApp video call to ensure 100% fitting accuracy.