How to Measure Your Chest

You will need to measure your chest accurately in order to purchase proper fitting dress shirts, suit jackets, formal dresses, coats, lingerie, or bras. You really should get an accurate measurement each time you decide to make a purchase because your chest size can change. Your activities such as sports, exercise, weight lifting, weight loss, weight gain, and aging can affect your chest measurement. Some employment activities may also affect your chest size such as operating a jackhammer. How do you measure your chest?

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tape Measure - cloth type
• Another person (optional)
• Mirror

1. 
   Remove as much upper clothing as possible

   Remove outer clothing and wear only the undergarments that you intend to wear under the new garment. If measuring for a bra or lingerie you should remove all upper clothing for an accurate measurement. However, if you happen to be an older female with sagging breast, you may need to wear a thin bra so that your measurement will accurately reflect your shape for your new bra.

2. Stand in front of a large mirror. This is to make sure you have your tape measurer in the correct locations on your back and sides.

3. Wrap the tape measure around your chest holding the ends in front of your chest. At this point if you have a friend to help adjust the tape location, it will be easier.

4. Look into the mirror to see where the tape measure is located on your chest. It should be across the fullest part of your chest. For some this might be the tips of your nipples.

5. Turn around in front of the mirror to see where the tape measure is located on your back. It should lie across the points of your shoulder blades. The measuring tape should lie just under your arms, across your shoulder blades, and across the fullest part of your chest. Use this number for your chest measurement.

6. To calculate bra size measure again only move the measuring tape above your breast. If it is an even number use it, if it is an odd number add one. This is your band size for purchasing a bra. You can subtract the chest measurement from this number to find your cup size. Each one inch is equal to one cup size. Therefore, if the difference is less than one inch you wear an AA, if it is one inch you wear an A, two inches you wear a B, and so on.

Tips & Warnings

• Another person available to reposition the measuring tape can be helpful.

Resources

• Bra fitting guide
• Body part measurement guidelines