In our guides, we’ve already covered jackets and coats.
This time, it’s all about a more stylish piece of clothing:
The blazer.
Chic as they are, blazers come with a significant risk. Even the smallest deviation from the right size makes the wearer look sloppy.
Follow our guide on measuring a blazer to avoid frustrations and achieve the coveted true fit.
Measuring a blazer:
4 steps to perfection
Before you start taking the blazer’s dimensions, make sure it’s laid flat on a horizontal, stable surface. Floors or tables are your best option here. Make sure there are no wrinkles and fasten all the buttons.
Next, grab a soft measuring tape – preferably one made of cloth.
With these taken care of, you’ve done all the required preparations.
How to take the chest measurement of a blazer
Much like other outer layers, blazers should be measured from one armpit to the other, running the tape across the chest area. Doubling this measurement will yield the total chest size.
Leaving some ease is crucial. We recommend you add some 1.5-3 inches (4-8 cm) to your chest circumference for a comfortable fit.
There’s a simple logic behind this modest ease: blazers are frequently worn over other layers. A few inches will help accommodate the extra layers without the chest area getting too crammed.
How to take the waist measurement of a blazer
Measure across the narrowest section of the blazer. The easiest way to pinpoint the exact location is to run the tape approximately 15.7 inches (40 cm) below the so-called highest shoulder point.
Multiply the resulting dimensions by two and you’ll get the total waist circumference.
Similar to the chest area, we recommend leaving some ease at the waist. For optimal comfort, the ease should be 1-2 inches (2-4 cm) larger than a person’s waist measurement.
How to measure the sleeves of a blazer
A must-do is to have the sleeves properly extended, with the blazer lying as flat as possible.
Once you’ve done this, measure from the top of the shoulder seam to the end of the cuff.
The best practice is to have the sleeve reach the base of the thumb. It should cover the wrist properly, ending at the palm. This length will allow a small portion of the cuff to show when the wearer’s arms are at rest.
How to measure the shoulder width of a blazer
Shoulder dimensions are especially important with this type of garment. Be extra careful with measuring them accurately.
The process is straightforward:
- Spot the shoulder seams: This is the point where the sleeves meet the blazer’s body.
- Measure between them: Remember to keep the tape horizontal and straight when calculating the distance from one shoulder seam to the other.
- Jot down the results: Doing so in both inches and centimeters is recommended.
How to measure the hip width of a blazer
You should measure around the broadest part of the blazer where it sits around the hips. In many cases, this means running the tape from one of the bottom corners of the blazer across to the other.
The tape should stay parallel to the floor and straight.
Double the result to obtain the total blazer waist circumference.
Buying a well-fitted blazer:
Comparing your body measurements to blazer size
Sometimes you have to resort to shopping for a blazer online. Whether it’s out of convenience or due to a lack of local retail options, it doesn’t matter.
What matters is that we have a quick checklist to help you find the right fit.
Use a soft measuring tape and simply do the following…
Measuring your chest
Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your chest. A guideline is to measure under the armpits and across the shoulder blades – usually, this is where your chest is the widest.
Top tip: The measuring tape should stay parallel to the floor. It should feel snug but never tight, otherwise you’ll end up with a blazer that suffocates you.
As we said before, a second tip is to leave 1.5-3 inches (4-8 cm) on top of your chest measurement. This extra space is called ease. The additional inches/cm will help with comfort when you wear clothes underneath your blazer.
Measuring your waist
With the chest it was the widest area, with the waist it’s the opposite. Identify the narrowest part of your waist and measure around it. In general, this section should be located just above your belly button and slightly below the bottom of your ribcage.
Top tip: Breathe as you normally would. Don’t inhale or exhale too deeply as it’ll skew the measurement. Just relax, keep the measuring tape snug, and take your dimensions!
Again, remember to add 1-2 inches (2-4 cm) to your waist measurement if you want your blazer to fit comfortably.
Measuring your shoulders
Here, you need to measure from the tip of your shoulder all across to your other shoulder. This is where the blazer’s shoulder seams would lie.
Top tip: Stand straight. Don’t slouch but also don’t force yourself to stand unnaturally straight. Just assume a relaxed posture.
Unfortunately, measuring your shoulders by yourself can be infuriating. We strongly recommend getting some help from friends or family – this will help get more accurate results, too.
Measuring your arms
Last but not least, it’s time to compare your arms to the blazer’s sleeves.
Put the measuring tape at the outer edge of your shoulder where it meets your arm. Extend the tape down to your elbow. From there on, continue below to the wrist and end where your palm begins.
Top tip: Not really a tip, more of a rule. You should always bend your arm slightly to achieve a more natural fit. Otherwise, you’ll botch the sleeve length – few things are as annoying as shorter sleeves.
Measuring your hips
Locate the widest part of your hips. Measure across, keeping the tape parallel to the floor. You should feel at ease.
Top tip: Stand up straight, with a relaxed posture, keeping your feet together. Never lean on one side as this will jeopardize fit accuracy.
Remember to also add 1-2 inches (2-4 cm) to your hip measurement so your blazer fits comfortably.
But wait…
What if finding the right size blazer became less complicated?
Due to their design, blazers are more demanding than other outer layers. The margin of error here is almost non-existent. You’re off by a tiny amount and the outfit’s ruined!
Things get even worse if we throw in the bumpy process of shopping for a blazer online.
Add to this the fact blazers are made of different materials and the situation becomes truly dire. A loose-fit, Large-size blazer made from stretchy fabrics is one size; an elegant blazer made of less-elastic materials is another.
We created SizeSense to simplify the search for properly-fitted clothing. Our size recommendation tool not only considers individual body measurements and preferences. It also takes into account the specific measurements, design, and fabric elasticity of garments.
Size Sense ditches generic size charts. Instead, we help out both fashion brands and customers by using product-specific size charts, achieving a true 1-to-1 fit between customer and garment.
What you get is an algorithm with an unrivaled 94% success rate in predicting an accurate fit.
Your brand and your customers deserve better. Try SizeSense on the Shopify app store and make it better.
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