Before attempting to measure a figure, take time to check your tapeline against your ruler for accuracy.
Clients should wear fitted dresses while their measurements are taken so extra values won't be added to their measurement values.
The second finger should always be placed inside the tape while taking measurements to allow room for little allowance.
Let's first of all take a critical look at all the illustrations and try understand them. This would help us understand every point we are to measure.
Don't worry, relax your mind, this won't be be difficult to achieve.
Figure 1 and 2 represent the front and back bodice respectively and they are called model forms.
The Black dots on each of the model forms represent each points measurements would be taken.
A- Center Base of Neck: This is the hollow on the base of your neck. Try using your finger to locate this point.
B- center waist point: Located exactly on your navel or belly button as you may prefer to call it.
C- neck shoulder point: this is the point where the shoulder line meets the neck.
D- shoulder tip points: this is measured from one shoulder tip to the other. This might be hard to locate especially in some ladies. Look at the model form again, try tracing this point on your shoulder but this time around, try raising your arm up, you would notice a slight depression at the edge of your shoulder line. This is your shoulder tip point.
E- Armpit
F- Side waist point
G- Bust point. Simply call it nipple for figure 1 and shoulder blade for figure 2.
Notes : All points except A, G, B are common to both front and back. Point G aids in determining length of basic control dart.
Understanding these points would help you in drafting your basic patterns.
When measurements are taken in length, it means they run either vertically, or horizontally or diagonally from one point to another and when measurements are taken in widths, it means around the figure. Width measurements are also referred to as girths.
SO LETS BEGIN
TAKING MEASUREMENTS FOR BODICE/BLOUSE AND SKIRT
1) Center Bodice Length : this is taken from center base of Neck to center waist point. i.e. A-B.
2) Fill Bodice Length : this is what we generally refer to as Bodice front or Bodice Back. It is taken from shoulder neck point, falling over the bust point, to the center waist line.
3) Across Measurements : also called Across back. Taken from one point to the other at the back on the point where the arm joins the body, with the tapeline running across the chest. It is usually 4 inches below center base of Neck. This measurement helps in shaping the armscye (armhole) of the draft.
4) Shoulder point width: this measurement is taken from one shoulder point to the other with the tapeline resting on the center base neck. Most tailors call this measurement "across back" but this is wrong. This measurement also aids in shaping the armscye of the draft and it's value is few inches more than that of the across back.
5) Full Bodice Width : this measurement is also called "Bust". It is measured with the tapeline running round the fullest part of the bust along the bust point. It is considered as the largest part of the bodice for an hour glass shape (figure 8), thus all other values are constructed against it while drafting the bodice block.
Question : How do you construct a bodice block for a client, whose waist is far larger than the bust, considering that the bust is supposed to be the largest part of the bodice? Remember you would have clients with different interesting shapes, so you need to take this seriously.
6) Shoulder pitch: this measurement is taken from the shoulder tip point running down the bust to the center waist point. It is not so important a measurement. It is usually used to check the posture of a figure.
Question: what is the difference between these measurements : full bodice length and shoulder pitch? Yes Oma Montana was once confused by these.
7) Shoulder width: this measurement is taken from the shoulder tip to the shoulder neck point. It is used to determine the neckline.
8) Neck measurements : this is measured round from one shoulder neck point to the other, with the tapeline resting on the neck center base.
9) Shoulder height: this measurement runs from shoulder tip, following the armscye down to the side waist line. It's an optional measurement.
10) Side bodice length: from armscye down to side waist.
11) Waist measurements: this depends on the kind of waist you would want to use.
There is the empire waist, the high waist, the natural waist and the de facto waist. Let me explain.
Empire waist is usually referred to as underbust, just below the bust or we say the base of the bust(breast)
High waist is usually 3-4inches below the empire waist
Natural waist is the line that runs round the navel
De Facto waist is usually 3-4inches below the natural waist. This is the region your undies/panties rest on.
To measure any of these waists, place your tapeline round it with your 2nd finger slightly in between your body and the tapeline.
12) Bust point Height: this is measured from bust point (nipple) to the center waist point. This measurement is used to determine the length of the dart for the bust.
13) Bust point width: Let's simply say from nipple to nipple. This measurement is used to correctly place the dart on the right position.
14) Hip measurement: the hip is considered as the largest part of the buttocks. It varies from 6-10inches from the natural waist line. Measurement is taken round this largest part.
15) Side/Skirt length: this measurement is taken from the side waist down to any desired point.
TAKING MEASUREMENTS FOR PANTS
1) Side length measurement
2) Hip Measurements
3) Waist
4) Crotch depth Measurement: just as the illustration, ask your client to sit erect on a chair, then place your tapeline from the side waist and measure vertically down to the chair. This is your crotch depth. Please note that if this measurement is taken too short, pants will bind when wearer is seated.
5) Pants Cuffs/Bottom: for standard sizes, this is usually determined from the clients height, usually 7-8th of foot length.
6) Knee height: taken from the side waist point down to the knee.
7) Thigh circumference : taken round the upper thigh.
Note : please be free to make comments and point out corrections so we could learn from one another.
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Thank you.
Notes compiled by Oma Montana
Illustrations by Harriet Peppin
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