01288 488756

Measuring

The Measuring Page:

O.k, we know that sometimes taking your measurements can be a scary thing – especially when the outcome of your dress is relying on it. But please don’t panic, this  is exactly why we have made this page.
Beneath are videos that talk you through taking each measurement, we have our Measuring Tips, Measuring Photos with written descriptions (or atleast these will be coming Soon…). And finally, we also have a Skype option. This is for if you are really feeling stuck and would like us to, in person, talk you through it. We want you to have the best fit for your garment and this is an essential step to get right.

We also have on this page, the Measuring Forms. Once you have your measurements you can either fill these in and they get sent straight to us, or we can post or email you a form – which ever works best for you.

Measuring: How to Videos

Beneath are two instructional videos on how to take your measurements. One is for when you are taking your measurements for a Pair of Stays, and the other is to help you take your measurements when ordering a Historical Dress.

Can we just say here that for some reason the two images below are mixed up! The Corset/Stay video pictured below links to the Dress Measurement Video whilst the Dress Video Image links to the Corset/Stay video – sorry about this. We are trying to sort this out!

Corset/Stays Measuring Video:

Corset/Stays Measuring Video

Dress Measuring Video:

Dress Measuring Video

Measuring Tips:

  • Don’t rely on older measurements but take your measurements fresh each time.
  • Don’t measure over layers of garments – anything from bare skin to a single layer is appropriate.
  • When measuring for most garments, always place a finger inside the tape measure as you pull it round – this is a standard practise for all garments EXCEPT the corsets.
  • When measuring for stays/corsets do NOT put your finger inside the tape as you measure. We need nice neat but not tight measurement, so don’t pull the tape so tight that it impresses into your skin either.
  • Please be reminded that any Dress ordered will need the correct undergarments to make the dress hang and sit correctly. Stays are essential for the eighteenth century look and we know it sounds obvious but therefore your measurements for any Dress being ordered must be taken while you are wearing your stays and any other under garment you plan to wear. We will remind you of this in our emails after your purchase of the Dress.
  • In our Measuring kit we supply a simple piece of elastic which if you tie this round your waist, will give you a faithful line to keep referring back to. This is especially useful with measurements like ‘Nape to Waist’ or ‘Point to Waist’. You don’t need to order our measuring kit – any piece of elastic will do.
  • For certain garments, measurements like ‘Side seams’ or ‘arm hole depths’ are needed and wearing a well fitting t-shirt can help with this. For example the ‘Cross Back Measurement’ (Have this as a link to the page where the photo’s are of measurements and in particular to the cross back measurement) the shoulder seam of the t-shirt is a ready available line for you to measure this too. It has to be a good fitting t-shirt though, again, to sound like Goldilocks, not too tight and not too loose.
  • Send us a photo with your measurement form – it is amazingly helpful to see how you stand and the shape of your body.
  • If you are planning on losing weight or experience regular weight change then please let us know. It sounds boring but it may well be worth waiting until you have lost the weight and have kept it off steadily before you come to ordering a garment. It’s very frustrating for you to not have your brand-new exciting garment fit when you very first get it. And if it’s a lot of weight then the amount needing taking in may alter the fit, hang and design of the garment.
  • On a similar note, if you’ve had the happy news that you are pregnant it may be worth waiting until you have finished breast feeding before you order a ‘Made to Measure’ garment. If your body hasn’t begun changing that much yet, then, by all means, take your measurements quickly and we can work to that, but the options for a fitting might be limited as your body may well have changed by the time the fitting comes round.

Measurement Forms:

Here is a link for you to be able to download the measuring forms – make sure you download the one you need!

Corset/Stay Measurement Form 
Dress Measurement Form 
– Hoops Measurement Form – coming soon!
– Shifts/Smocks/ Chemise Measurement Form – coming soon!