Tailoring & Measurements FAQ

Everything customers commonly ask about how to measure, how garments should fit, and how made-to-measure works. Updated November 2026.

How to measure yourself

Specific measurements

Fit & sizing

Tailoring & alterations

Body shape & posture

Made-to-measure & custom

Units & conversion

Still have a question?

Reach out from the storefront chat — our tailoring team is happy to help.

How to measure yourself

How do I measure myself accurately at home?

Do I need someone to help me, or can I measure alone?

Should I measure over clothes or in my underwear?

How tight should the measuring tape be?

Where exactly is my natural waist?

What's the difference between body measurements and garment measurements?

Specific measurements

How do I measure my chest or bust?

Where do I measure my hips?

How do I measure sleeve length?

What is inseam vs. outseam?

How do I measure my neck for a dress shirt?

What is rise on pants and why does it matter?

Fit & sizing

Why doesn’t my size fit consistently across brands?

What's the difference between slim, regular, and relaxed fit?

How do I know if something fits well?

What if I’m between sizes?

Why does my shirt fit in the chest but not the shoulders?

Tailoring & alterations

What can a tailor actually alter?

Can pants be let out, or only taken in?

How long does tailoring take?

Is it cheaper to buy off-the-rack and tailor, or go made-to-measure?

Body shape & posture

Does posture affect my measurements?

Should I measure differently if I’m muscular, plus-size, or petite?

Why do my left and right sides measure differently?

Made-to-measure & custom

What's the difference between bespoke, made-to-measure, and made-to-order?

How accurate do my measurements need to be?

What happens if I gain or lose weight after ordering?

Can I send measurements from a shirt I already own?

Units & conversion

Inches or centimeters — which should I use?

How do I convert between US, UK, EU, and Asian sizing?

How to measure yourself

How do I measure myself accurately at home?

Do I need someone to help me, or can I measure alone?

Should I measure over clothes or in my underwear?

How tight should the measuring tape be?

Where exactly is my natural waist?

What's the difference between body measurements and garment measurements?

Specific measurements

How do I measure my chest or bust?

Where do I measure my hips?

How do I measure sleeve length?

What is inseam vs. outseam?

How do I measure my neck for a dress shirt?

What is rise on pants and why does it matter?

Fit & sizing

Why doesn’t my size fit consistently across brands?

What's the difference between slim, regular, and relaxed fit?

How do I know if something fits well?

What if I’m between sizes?

Why does my shirt fit in the chest but not the shoulders?

Tailoring & alterations

What can a tailor actually alter?

Can pants be let out, or only taken in?

How long does tailoring take?

Is it cheaper to buy off-the-rack and tailor, or go made-to-measure?

Body shape & posture

Does posture affect my measurements?

Should I measure differently if I’m muscular, plus-size, or petite?

Why do my left and right sides measure differently?

Made-to-measure & custom

What's the difference between bespoke, made-to-measure, and made-to-order?

How accurate do my measurements need to be?

What happens if I gain or lose weight after ordering?

Can I send measurements from a shirt I already own?

Units & conversion

Inches or centimeters — which should I use?

How do I convert between US, UK, EU, and Asian sizing?