Skirts are a game-changer.
In fact, we’ll go as far as admit it:
We can’t imagine our wardrobe without them! Completing your outfit with a gorgeous skirt – whether cute or chic, always leaves a lasting impression.
Not if the skirt is the wrong size, though. Here’s a guide to taking skirt measurements so you don’t end up in an awkward situation.
Measuring skirts the right way in 3 steps
A right-fitting skirt is a result of carefully considering three measurements:
- Waist
- Hips
- Length
We’ll take a look at each one of them.
How to measure the waist of a skirt
Hands down, this is the most complicated factor when taking skirt measurements. The approaches differ depending on the fabrics used and the state (relaxed/stretched) of the skirt.
For non-elastic fabric waistbands:
- Prepare the skirt
- It should lay flat on an even surface, with no wrinkles present.
- If there are any creases, smoothen them to get an accurate measurement.
- Measure the waistband
- Using a soft measuring tape (cloth, paper) measure from one end of the waistband to the other.
- Keep in mind that even non-stretch fabrics can be stretched by 0.4-0.8 inches (1-2 cm).
For elastic (stretchy) fabric waistbands:
You need to differentiate between a skirt’s relaxed and stretched state here.
- Measuring in a relaxed state
- Place the skirt flat and do not stretch the waistband.
- Measure the waistband from one end to the other.
- Measuring in a stretched state
- Stretch the waistband to its maximum capacity.
- Measure from end to end.
We recommend you write down both the relaxed and stretched measurements.
How to measure the hips of a skirt
Compared to waist measurements, this one is a breeze. All in all, there are three stages:
- Locate the hip line:
Typically, this would be 8 inches (20 cm) below the waistband. - Measure across the hips:
Keep the tape straight and run it from one side of the hipline to the other. - Double the measurement:
Multiply your result by two to get the full hip circumference.
And that’s just about it!
How to measure the length of a skirt
The final piece of the puzzle!
You can get this measurement by:
- Starting at the waistband:
Place the end of the measuring tape at the top of the skirt’s waistband. - Measure down to the hem:
Glide the tape all the way down to the bottom hem of the skirt.
It’s that simple, yes.
How to find a skirt that fits right:
Notes on your waist and hips
If you have your eyes on a particular skirt, you need to consider two of your body measurements:
Your waist and your hips.
Finding the right fit according to your waist
Your baseline here should be the skirt’s waist measurement in its stretched state. Compare this to your waist dimensions. The difference between the two should be no more than 0.4 inches (1 cm).
It doesn’t matter whether the skirt is made of non-stretch or stretchy fabric. The small difference in size has to be there.
In the case of elastic waistbands, here’s what we recommend:
Finding the right fit according to your hips
The biggest distinction here comes from the skirt’s design/style.
- For pencil and fitted skirts:
The hip measurement should equal your hip size plus at least 0.8-1.2 inches (2-3 cm) of ease.
- For A-line skirts or full/flare skirts:
Always search for a skirt that corresponds to your waist measurement.
This short cheat sheet will help you pick a skirt that suits your body well.
However, we’ve prepared something extra for you! This is our list of…
Skirt style recommendations for each body type
Skirts are versatile garments, just as female bodies are diverse and abundant in proportions. This allows for many, many variations of bringing out your best features when wearing a skirt.
Here are some of our recommendations for different body types.
Hourglass shape
Characteristics: Balanced bust and hips with a well-defined waist.
Top recommendations:
Pear shape
Characteristics: Wider hips and thighs, with a smaller bust and defined waist.
Top recommendations:
Apple shape
Characteristics: Broader shoulders and bust, less defined waist, slimmer legs.
Top recommendations:
Rectangle shape
Characteristics: Balanced bust and hips, minimal waist definition.
Top recommendations:
Inverted triangle shape
Characteristics: Broader shoulders and bust, narrower hips.
Top recommendations:
Five body types, three recommendations per each one. Hopefully, our list inspired you to experiment with your style!
Still having skirt fit headaches?
Let SizeSense help
Finding the perfect skirt size online can be infuriating.
The reasons are clear:
You can be at a good starting point by measuring a skirt you already own. However, differences in fabric elasticity and skirt design skew the fit.
Stretchy skirts coming with a looser fit will drastically differ from tailored skirts made of less elastic materials. A Medium size suddenly appears to be a notch larger (or smaller) with different fabrics.
SizeSense is here to help both fashion brands and customers. Our size recommendation tool improves over competitors by matching individual body measurements to the skirt measurements provided by the brand.
We refuse to be painfully generic when it comes to women’s clothes. Instead, Size Sense uses product-specific size charts and aligns them with customers by additionally considering garment design and fabric elasticity.
Forget about general size charts and enter a new era of custom-tailored matches for a truly accurate fit. Try Size Sense on the Shopify App store and see how it transforms shopping for women’s clothing online.
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