Wondering how to measure your child for clothing that fits comfortably? Whether you're ordering Mumma & Cubs' handmade children's clothes, school uniform or everyday outfits, accurate measurements are the best way to choose the right size. Children's heights, chest measurements and waist measurements can vary significantly even between children of the same age. This simple guide explains exactly how to measure a child's height, chest, waist and hips at home so you can compare them with a size chart and order with confidence.

Measuring accurately really can make the difference between clothes that fit comfortably and those that don't! 

To get started:

Quick Answer: What are the Key Measurements to take when Measuring for Children's Clothes?

There are four Key Measurements:

• Height
• Waist
• Chest
• Hips

Here is my quick guide to those most important children's measurements to take when buying handmade clothing. You will find a step-by-step for Height, Waist, Chest and Hip measurements below, but as well as these specific tips you should always make sure that:

1. You have an accurate soft measuring tape
2. You do not pull the tape too tight
3. Keep the tape level
4. Make sure you can get a fingers width between the body and the tape.
5. Have a pen and paper handy!

For more general top tips when measuring children you can find them here. 

How to measure Children for Clothes:

Height

1. Remove any shoes
2. Stand on a flat, level surface with back against the wall
3. Look straight ahead keeping the head level
4. Place a book on the head ensuring it stays level
5. Double check for no sneaky tippy toes!
6. Make a small mark on the wall
7. Measure from the floor to the mark on the wall. Repeating the measurement helps accuracy. 

Waist

1. Remove loose / bulky clothing
2. Find the natural waist by bending to the side or measure around the narrowest part / belly button.
3. Stand up straight and relaxed (no sucking in!)
4. Wrap the tape around this mid point ensuring it stays level all the way round.

Chest

1. Remove loose/ bulky clothing
2. Measure around the widest part of the chest comfortably under the armpits and across the shoulder blades at the back.
3. Keep arms relaxed down by the side
4. Wrap the tape around this point ensuring it stays level. It is very common for the tape to be lower at the back so double check this. 

Hips

1. Remove loose / bulky clothing
2. Measure around the widest part of the hips and bottom.

 

Measuring Babies' Height

Measuring babies can be a little bit more of a challenge. Their Waist, Chest and Hips you would measure in the same way as a child - just with them laying down. They will just be a little bit more wriggly!

To measure a baby's height:

1. Lay them on a flat, safe surface with their heads gently placed against a wall
   
2. You can use a ruler as a place marker on the floor by placing alongside where their heel touches the floor (with straight legs)
3. Measure from the ruler place marker to the wall with a soft measuring tape

 

Top Tip:

When measuring children and babies a soft tape measure can feel cold against the skin and cause lots of wriggling and giggling. Although cute, it doesn't help accuracy! So you can warm the tape slightly in your hands before measuring against their skin.

 

FAQ

How often should I re-measure my child?

Children grow fastest during their first months and years. Up to the age of 1 this is when they are growing their quickest. By age 2 they are growing at a pretty steady rate of approx 4-6cms per year. However this can come in spurts; so if your measurements are more than a few months old I would re-measure. If your little one is under 1 I would re-measure if a few weeks have gone by and you are wanting to order new clothes. You may be aware if your child has had a growth spurt, so if you are buying after this - definitely remeasure. Do keep in mind turn around times too - these can be up to 10 weeks so if you are borderline on a measurement it is something to consider!

Should I size up on handmade clothing?

This is personal preference and it depends slightly on the items being ordered. If you are borderline between two measurements I would go for the larger option. When you take into account the turn around time and you'll want their clothing to last. Items such as leggings I would be careful with sizing up too much as you don't want them to be falling down. Do always check their measurements with the size guide and if you have any questions you can always use the contact form to ask me before ordering. 

Why doesn't my child's size match their age?

Children grow at different rates and age-sized clothing is general done as an average. There can be a vast range of measurements when taking a large sample of children in one age group. This is completely normal and is why its always best to use their actual body measurements and refer to the size guides. 

What if my child is between two sizes?

If your child's measurements fall between two sizes, you may want to consider the style of garment and how much growing room you would like. For example if you are looking at buying a T-shirt and the height and chest fall within one size, but the hips are as a smaller size I would go with the size the Height and Chest sit in. This is because these measurements are more relevant for the actual item being ordered. For most handmade children's clothing, choosing the larger size provides longer wear while still allowing a comfortable fit.