Knowing your measurements is the quickest way to buy clothes that fit. At Fit Yangu, everything we sell starts from your numbers: you share them once, and every garment in the shop shows the size that fits you. This guide shows you how to take those measurements at home with a tape, and how Fit Yangu can take them for you in minutes if you would rather not.
It covers the four measurements we use to find your size, plus the extra measurements a tailor takes for a suit.
Three ways to get your measurements with Fit Yangu
Before you reach for a tape, you can choose how you want to be measured:
- With two photos. Our size finder reads a front photo and a side photo taken on your phone and works out your measurements. The photos are read in your browser and are never uploaded or stored.
- In our Nairobi store. Our team measures you by hand, or you can choose a clothed body scan. You leave with your measurements on your phone through a QR code.
- With a tape at home. Follow the steps below and enter your numbers in the size finder.
Whichever you choose, you can download your measurements as a Fit Yangu PDF and upload it next time, so you only measure once.
What you need
- A soft tape measure, the kind used for sewing. A metal builder's tape will not wrap around the body accurately.
- A mirror, so you can check the tape stays level at the back.
- Light, close-fitting clothing, or measure over a thin shirt. Thick jumpers and jeans add centimetres.
- A friend, if one is around. Measuring your own back and shoulders is easier with help.
Write each number down in centimetres as you go.
The four core measurements
These four numbers are what Fit Yangu uses to match you to a size in every garment.
1. Height
Stand straight against a wall, without shoes, heels together. Rest a flat object such as a book on top of your head so it touches the wall, mark the spot, then measure from the floor to the mark.
Height helps us suggest lengths: where a dress hem falls, how long a blazer sleeve should be, and whether a trouser inseam suits you. It is also how our photo tool turns your photos into centimetres.
2. Chest or bust
Stand relaxed with your arms down. Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your chest, passing under your arms and across your shoulder blades. Check in the mirror that the tape is level all the way round.
Keep the tape snug against the body without pressing in. Breathe normally. If you are measuring your bust, wear the bra you would usually wear with the garment.
3. Waist
Find your natural waist: the narrowest part of your torso, usually a little above the belly button. Bending to one side shows where your body creases, which is a good guide.
Measure around this line with the tape level and relaxed. Avoid pulling your stomach in. A true measurement gives you a waistband that stays comfortable after lunch.
4. Hips
Stand with your feet together. Measure around the fullest part of your hips and seat, keeping the tape level. Look in the mirror from the side to find the widest point.
Hips matter for trousers, skirts and fitted dresses. They decide whether a garment sits smoothly or pulls across the seat.
Inseam, for trousers
The inseam is the length of the inside leg, from the crotch to the ankle bone. The simplest way to find it is to take a pair of trousers that fit you well, lay them flat, and measure along the inside seam from the crotch point to the hem.
Every pair of trousers at Fit Yangu lists its inseam, so you can compare before you order. Our store team can also adjust length for you.
Measuring for a suit
A ready-to-wear suit needs the four core measurements. A bespoke or made-to-measure suit needs more, because the tailor builds the jacket around your shape. Your tailor will usually take:
- Shoulder width: across the back, from the edge of one shoulder to the other.
- Sleeve length: from the shoulder edge, over a slightly bent elbow, to the wrist bone.
- Jacket length: from the base of the collar at the back down to where you want the jacket to end, usually covering the seat.
- Neck: around the base of the neck, for the shirt collar.
- Seat and thigh: for trousers that move well when you sit and walk.
- Posture notes: whether one shoulder sits lower, or you stand forward or upright. Small adjustments here make a suit hang cleanly.
These are easier and more accurate when someone else takes them. The Fit Yangu size finder has a full set of tailoring measurements for shirts, blouses, trousers, skirts, dresses, blazers and suits, so you can record them in one place. For a bespoke suit, our tailors take every measurement themselves and fit the garment on you along the way.
Tips for accurate results
- Measure twice. If the two readings differ by more than a centimetre, measure a third time and use the middle number.
- Keep the tape level. A tape that dips at the back adds length.
- Stay relaxed. Stand as you normally stand. Holding your breath or tensing gives numbers that will not match your daily shape.
- Measure at the same time of day. Bodies change slightly through the day. Pick a consistent time if you remeasure.
- Update your numbers every few months, or after a change in weight or training. With Fit Yangu, a new set of photos or a quick visit to the store refreshes them.
How Fit Yangu uses your measurements
Clothing sizes are set by each brand, so the same body can be a different size from one label to the next. The international sizing standard ISO 8559 bases sizing on body measurements for exactly this reason, and so does Fit Yangu.
When you enter your measurements in our size finder, we compare them with the measurements of every garment in the shop. Each garment needs a little extra room, called ease, so you can move comfortably. We check the chest, waist and hips of every size against that comfortable range, then show you Your size, with a note on whether each area will feel snug, just right or relaxed.
You can save your measurements on your device so every Fit Yangu product page shows your size automatically. You can delete them at any time.
Next steps
Have your numbers? Enter them in the Fit Yangu size finder and see your size across the whole collection. No tape at home? Take two photos instead, or book a measurement at our Nairobi store and our team will take care of it.