How to Take Men's Measurements
Learn how to take measurements for men no matter your skill level. You don't want to miss this beginner guide on how to take body measurements for males.
Make sure your husband or son has clothes that are stylish and flattering by learning how to correctly take measurements for males. If you're new to sewing, or you've never made men's clothing before, finding men's measurements can seem intimidating.
That's why AllFreeSewing has created a quick and handy guide on How to Take Men's Measurements. That way, it won't matter whether you're sewing for men or need to quickly get measurements for dress shirts or men's pants, you'll be completely prepared.
We've designed an easy-to-follow photo guide for taking basic men's measurements, from how to find a neck measurement for dress shirts to taking inseam measurements for jeans. You will be able to easily see where the measuring tape should be held when looking to find the sizes for various parts of the body.
And as a special bonus, we've rounded up our top 10 favorite sewing projects for guys, so that you can make an easy DIY shirt for your son or learn how to sew boxers as a quick gift idea.
No matter what sewing project you have in mind, our guide for taking men's measurements shows you how easy it is to create well-fitted and flattering clothes.
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Table of Contents
Learning how to alter a pattern can be a project-saving skill. With this in mind, we have collected a few key tips on how to alter a pattern and make it fit just right in How to Alter a Sewing Pattern
Tips for Taking Men's Measurements
Our simple guide to taking measurements for men shows you how to correctly find the perfect sizes to make men's clothing (or to buy the right size). Accurately measure your husband's waist measurement or your nephew's sleeve length in just a few short steps. After you've decided what type of garment you'd like to sew, you'll need just a couple of items to get started:
- The person you'll be sewing for. If you're sewing for yourself, you'll need someone to help you take your measurements.
- Measuring tape (flexible with the preferred units and marks).
- A pen and paper to write down your measurements. Make sure you are writing down what the measurement is for each time.
How to Find Men's Chest Measurements
Measure around the fullest part of the chest. You want to make sure that the measuring tape is fitted to the body but is not too tight to the chest so that clothing will be fitted but comfortable.

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How to Find Neck Measurements for Men
When taking neck measurements, it's important to make sure that your garment will fit comfortably and isn't too tight against the neck. This is also applicable for buying men's dress shirts in which a collar or neck measurement is needed.
To ensure a comfortable fit at the neck, with your measuring tape in place, place two fingers between the neck and your measuring tape; this will ensure a fitted but breathable neckline.

How to Find Men's Sleeve Measurements
Taking the measuring tape, measure across the top of the shoulder and down to where the cuff or sleeve hem of the shirt should hit. The arm should be slightly bent so that the sleeve fit is not too tight or too loose.


No matter if you're sewing for Dad or Grandpa, you're sure to find the perfect sewing project for men in this collection! Check it out here: 30+ Simple Sewn Gifts for Men & Father's Day Sewing Projects
How to Measure a Man's Waist
Finding the waist measurement for men is quite simple. For finding the natural waist measurement, begin by placing your measuring tape around the waist, starting at the naval and going around the body.
For a more relaxed or lower waist measurement (if the pants are meant to fit closer to the hips instead of the natural waist), place your measuring tape at where the waistband would normally sit, going around the body, with the measuring tape laying flat.

How to Find an Inseam Measurement
Inseam measurements are taken to find the inseam of a pair of pants. These measurements can be used when making or shopping for jeans or dress slacks. To find the inseam measurements, begin by placing the measuring tape at the top of the inner thigh and measuring down to the floor, making sure the measuring tape is parallel to the floor.
If a slightly shorter pant length is preferred (for example, a tighter fitting pair of skinny jeans), measure from the top to the inner thigh to the ankle hem.
Another part you may want to measure when making or buying pants is the seat (butt). Draw the measuring tape around the circumference at the widest part and that's the seat measurement.
If you're shopping for ready-to-wear clothing, be sure to round up to the nearest quarter inch.

BONUS! Top 10 Favorite Sewing Patterns for Men
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Lynn K
Nov 28, 2018
There is always something to be learned from these excellent tutorials - even for someone, like me, who considers themself to be an experienced sewist. I didn't know that to measure sleeve length one does so from the centre of the shoulder blades! Or that the arm should be slightly bent! A big thank you from me!

sbanganayi 2044356
Dec 01, 2017
Thank you. This helps. Some patterns want a measurement of that "seat". What do they mean by this?

KLC
Apr 23, 2019
The seat is the butt. We added instructions for measuring it. Thanks for asking! - Krista, Editor

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