I touched briefly on taking proper bra measurements already, but I neglected to take it to the next level and show how to measure the rest of the body.

The Mighty Triumvirate - Bust, Waist, and Hips

For most women’s plus size clothing you’ll buy, you will need to know your bust, waist, and hip measurements. These three measurements should take care of 90% of your needs. For the best results, measure yourself without clothes on - have on comfortable undergarments and measuring tape handy!

Other measurements, such as chest, inseam, and shoulder length help when you purchase more specialized pieces of clothing, such as suits and tailored pants. In general, just knowing your bust, waist, and hip measurements give you a leg up when shopping for the styles you love!

The Bust - Measuring your bust isn’t difficult. While wearing a comfortable bra, take the measuring tape and measure across the fullest part of your chest. Make sure that the tape is resting snugly against your chest, but not tightly.

The Waist - The waist measurement is often the most confusing one. It’s important to take this measurement along the smallest part of your natural waist. If you’re confused, look at the way those comfortable pants and jeans hiding in your closet fit. Your pants, skirts, and jeans will generally (but not always) rest on your hips, not your waist. Also, if you prefer to pull the front of your bottom-half downward (called a “dipping waist”), you may need to adjust your measurements to account for this.

The Hips - The hip measurement should be taken with the legs pressed together as comfortably as possible, and around the fullest part of the hips. Like the bust and waist measurements, the tape should be snug, not tight. It is better to have higher numbers but comfy, well-fitting clothing than low numbers and not have anything fit right!

With these three measurements, you can be well on your way to the plus size clothing you love!

Tags: measurements, plussize, measuring, clothing, fashion