Every block, silhouette and Indian draft in this module uses the same three people, so you can follow one set of numbers from the tape to the finished pattern. They are realistic Indian measurements, not a standard body. Your own will differ.

The cm figures are conversions, rounded to the nearest 0.5 cm. If you draft in cm, apply the same formulas to your own cm measurements rather than converting the inch answers.

• Two waists. Many men wear trousers below the natural waist, especially over a fuller stomach. Draft to the trouser waist, and note the natural waist too. The rise and crotch length must be measured from the same waist you draft to.
• Seat, not hip. Men’s hips are usually narrower than the seat, so measure the fullest point at the back, seen from the side.
• Front room. Men need a little more room at the front crotch. The men’s block adds it (see The men’s block), so measure crotch length front and back separately.
• Dress side. Some men have a preference for which leg the trouser front sits to. A tailor of formal trousers may ask; you can note it on the card without comment, and some bespoke tailors add a little room on that side.
• Belt and wallet. Ask whether a heavy belt, phone or wallet is carried. It changes waist ease and pocket placement.

• Tape tension: the tape lies flat and touches all round, without pressing in. You should be able to slide one finger under it, no more.
• Level: circumference tapes are parallel to the floor. Check in the mirror, front and back.
• Posture: standing tall but relaxed, weight on both feet, looking ahead. Ask the person not to hold their breath or pull in the tummy.
• Twice: take every measurement twice. If the two differ by more than 1/4 in (6 mm), take a third and use the middle one.
• One unit: record in inches or cm, not a mix. Indian tailors traditionally work in inches; both work if you stay in one.
• Order: circumferences top to bottom, then lengths, then seated rise last. The person sits only once.

• Full tummy: measure the waist, the high hip and the hip, and also the front waist to the fullest point of the tummy. The draft uses it for the tummy adjustment (see Fit changes on paper).
• Pregnancy: measure under the bump, over the bump and at the fullest point, and date the card. Re-measure every few weeks.
• Wheelchair users: measure seated for every length; the back rise needs more length and the front less. See Module 3, Older bodies, seated and adaptive wear.
• Asymmetry: if one hip is higher or one leg longer, measure both sides (see Troubleshooting a first draft: toiles, stretch and asymmetry).
• Measuring yourself: use a mirror, tie the waist elastic, and get help for crotch length and the back. Self-measured hips are usually too small.

1. Leave the waist elastic on for the whole session. Every length starts from it, so they all agree.
2. Mark the hip line too: a second elastic at the fullest hip lets you measure hip depth down the side exactly.
3. Measure a favourite trouser as well. Waist, hip, rise, thigh, knee and hem of a pair the person likes tell you how much ease they enjoy.
4. Write the ease preference on the card (“likes it loose at the thigh”, “hates a low back”).
5. Use a mirror for the level. The tape always drops at the back if you cannot see it.
6. Photograph the side view (with permission) beside the card. Posture shows things a tape does not, such as a swayback.
7. Professionals measure the person, then the shoes. Heel height changes the finished length by 1/2–2 in (1.5–5 cm).
8. Check the card adds up: outside leg minus inside leg should come close to the seated rise (often within 1/2 in, or 1.5 cm). If not, one of them is wrong.
9. Use a ruler on the chair for seated rise: lay it flat across the seat beside the hip and read the tape where it meets the ruler.
10. Re-measure after any change of more than about 2 kg, after pregnancy, or every six months for teens.
11. Keep the cards. A repeat customer’s card, with dates, shows how their shape has changed and saves time.

The hip measurement keeps changing

Cause: the tape is not level, or it is taken at different heights.

1. Tie a second elastic at the hip line and measure on it.
2. Check level in the mirror, especially at the back.
3. Prevention: always find the fullest point from the side before measuring.

The finished trouser waist sits in the wrong place

Cause: measured at the natural waist but the person wears trousers lower (common for men), or the reverse.

1. Ask where they like the waistband, and point to it.
2. Re-measure rise and crotch length from that height.
3. Prevention: note “natural waist” or “trouser waist” on every card.

Measurements come out too small

Cause: tape pulled tight; tummy held in; measured over very tight shapewear.

1. Re-measure with one finger under the tape.
2. Ask the person to breathe out and relax.
3. Prevention: measure over light everyday clothes, the ones worn under the trouser.

Outside leg and inside leg do not agree with the rise

Cause: one length measured from a different waist, or the inside leg taken too low.

1. Re-take both lengths from the same waist elastic.
2. For the inside leg, place a ruler gently under the crotch and measure from its top edge to the floor.
3. Prevention: the quick check in tip 8 at every session.

The person is uncomfortable being measured

Cause: touching, numbers spoken aloud, or a stranger’s presence.

1. Explain each step, ask first, and let them hold the tape end at the crotch.
2. Write numbers down without reading them out; offer a same-gender measurer where the studio can.
3. Prevention: a private, calm space and a standard order, so nothing is a surprise.

Knee and calf look too big for a slim leg

Cause: measured with the leg bent, or over thick fabric.

1. Re-measure standing straight.
2. Measure over leggings or bare skin.
3. Prevention: write “standing” or “bent” beside the knee figure.

Two people get different numbers on the same body

Cause: different landmarks and tape tension.

1. Agree the landmarks using the drawing in this lesson.
2. Measure together once and compare.
3. Prevention: one studio method, written down, taught to everyone.

• Measuring over jeans. Adds 1–2 in (2.5–5 cm) to the hip and changes the rise.
• Guessing the hip depth as “8 in for everyone”. It ranges from about 6 to 10 in on adults; measure it.
• Myth: “Waist size is enough for trousers.” Two people with a 30 in waist can have hips 6 in apart and rises 2 in apart.
• Myth: “The tailor’s eye is better than the tape.” Experience reads posture well, but the draft still needs numbers.
• Rounding everything to whole inches. Round to the nearest 1/4 in (or 0.5 cm), never more.

1. Easy: measure yourself twice, a day apart, and compare. Note which figures moved.
2. Easy: measure three family members (a woman, a man and, if you can, a child) and fill three cards.
3. Medium: measure a favourite trouser flat and compare it with the body: write the ease at waist, hip, thigh, knee and hem.
4. Medium: with a partner, both measure the same person without comparing; then compare and find the cause of any difference over 1/4 in.
5. Hard: measure five people in 60 minutes with the quick check passing every time.

As a hobby: one careful set of your own measurements, kept and updated, is the start of every trouser you will make.

For earning: accurate, respectful measuring is what customers remember. A neat card and a calm, private routine build trust before a stitch is sewn.

For teaching: teach landmarks first, on a dress form, before learners measure each other. Pair learners of similar comfort levels, and always allow a learner to measure a form instead of a person.

• Date every card and note the clothes and shoes worn.
• Keep cards in a file or a box by customer name; never leave them on the cutting table.
• Body measurements are personal information. Share them with no one outside the work, and store digital copies safely.
• Replace a stretched tape: check it yearly against a metal ruler.

• Landmark definitions here follow common tailoring practice and the body-measurement standards described in Module 1, Size systems and the India size survey; schools differ in small details (for example, where exactly the high hip is taken).
• The worked-example figures are realistic but invented; they are not survey averages.
• The “quick check” (outside leg minus inside leg close to seated rise) is a rule of thumb, not a law.

1. Can you find the natural waist using elastic?
2. Do you know the six measurements a draft cannot do without?
3. Can you explain why men often have two waist measurements?
4. Would you measure the hip at the fullest point seen from the side?
5. Do you take every measurement twice?

• Natural waist: the narrowest part of the torso, where a tied elastic settles.
• Trouser waist: where a person actually wears the waistband.
• Hip depth: the distance down the side from the waist to the fullest hip or seat.
• Seat: the fullest part of the buttocks; the usual term for men.
• Heel-to-instep: the loop round heel and instep; the narrowest hem a foot can pass.
• Inch tape: the everyday Indian name for a tape measure.