How to Measure Clothes for Online Listings

Sizes vary between brands and decades. A vintage medium can fit like a modern small, and two pairs of jeans tagged 32 can measure quite differently. Measurements let buyers check fit before they buy, which means fewer questions and fewer returns.

You need a soft tape measure and a flat surface.

The basics

• Lay it flat on a table or bed, buttoned and zipped, and smooth it out without stretching.
• Measure straight across and in straight lines, not following curves.
• Write it down as you go, in the same order every time.
• Take a photo with the tape across the chest or waist. It answers questions before they’re asked and shows you’ve measured honestly.

Tops, shirts and sweaters

Measurement	How to take it
Pit to pit (chest)	Straight across, from one underarm seam to the other
Length	From the highest point of the shoulder, next to the collar, down to the hem
Shoulders	Across the back, from one shoulder seam to the other
Sleeve	From the shoulder seam to the end of the cuff

Jackets and coats

Measure the same as tops, plus:

• Back length: from the base of the collar down the center of the back to the hem.
• Sleeve from center back if the shoulders are dropped or raglan and there’s no clear shoulder seam: measure from the center of the back of the collar, over the shoulder, to the cuff.

Jeans and trousers

Measurement	How to take it
Waist	Straight across the top of the waistband, laid flat. Say whether you’re giving the flat or the doubled figure.
Rise	From the crotch seam up to the top of the waistband, front
Inseam	From the crotch seam down the inside leg to the hem
Leg opening	Straight across the hem, laid flat
Hips (optional)	Straight across at the widest point, just below the zip

Tag sizes on older jeans can differ a lot from how they measure, which is exactly why buyers look for these numbers.

Skirts and dresses

• Waist and hips, laid flat, as for trousers.
• Length: from the top of the waistband (skirts) or the highest point of the shoulder (dresses) to the hem.
• Pit to pit for dresses with a fitted top.

Shoes

The size on the label is a start, but shoe sizing varies by brand and age. Add:

• Insole length: remove the insole if it comes out and measure heel to toe, or measure inside along the footbed.
• Width across the widest part of the sole, if the shoes run noticeably narrow or wide.

Writing measurements into the listing

Keep them easy to scan:

Pit to pit 21 in · Length 26 in · Sleeve 24 in · Shoulders 18 in

A few habits help:

• Same order every time, so returning buyers know where to look.
• Note stretch: “measured unstretched; fabric has some stretch.”
• Don’t guess. If you haven’t measured yet, leave a clear placeholder like [measurements] in your draft and fill it in before publishing.

Then add size to the title the way buyers filter for it. See how to write an eBay title, and check yours with the free eBay title checker.