How to Measure for Made-to-Order Linen Clothing

You open the body size chart, then the garment chart, and suddenly there are more numbers than when you began. Your body suggests one size, your favourite blouse measures like another, and you start wondering which table you are meant to trust.

The answer is both, but for different reasons.

Your body measurements help you find a starting size. The finished garment measurements show how the piece is designed to fit, including the room already added for movement and shape.

This matters especially with made-to-order clothing, because the fabric has not yet been cut. A few careful minutes with a measuring tape can answer many questions before the garment reaches our sewing table.

Which Body Measurements Should You Take?

For most garments, begin with your bust, waist, and hips.

Measure your bust around the fullest part of your chest, keeping the tape parallel to the floor.

Your natural waist is usually the narrowest part of your torso, above the belly button and below the ribcage. If you are unsure where it is, bend gently to one side. The place where your body naturally folds is a good guide.

Measure your hips around the widest part of your lower body, including the fullest part of the seat.

Stand naturally. Do not hold your breath or pull the tape too tightly. We are trying to understand your body as it is when you move through an ordinary day.

Some designs may require additional measurements, such as shoulder width, upper-arm circumference, sleeve length, rise, or inseam. Our illustration shows exactly where each measurement should begin and end.

What Is the Difference Between Body and Garment Measurements?

Body measurements are taken around your body. Garment measurements describe the finished piece, often while it lies flat.

If a blouse lists a pit-to-pit measurement, for example, it shows the width across one side of the garment rather than its full circumference.

The garment will also be larger than your body in certain places. It needs room for sitting, walking, reaching, and simply living. Sometimes the pattern includes even more room because that is what creates the shape.

This additional room is called ease. Some of it allows movement, while some of it belongs to the design. A loose blouse is meant to fall away from the body. Wide trousers need room to move. A fitted dress asks for something different.

This is why a garment can look generous on the table and still fit exactly as intended.

Measurements tell us how much space a garment contains, but the pattern determines where that space goes. We explain this more fully in Why a Good Pattern Can Make or Break a Linen Garment.

Can You Measure a Garment You Already Own?

A familiar garment can be a useful second reference, but only when the comparison is reasonably close.

Choose a woven, non-stretch garment with a shape similar to the linen piece you are considering. A loose woven blouse can help when choosing another loose blouse. A fitted jersey top, stretch-cotton shirt, or garment containing elastane cannot be compared reliably with woven linen because it expands when worn.

Linen softens and relaxes with wear, but it does not stretch and recover in the same way as knit fabric or fabric containing elastane.

Lay the garment on a flat surface, close any buttons or zippers, and smooth the fabric without pulling it. Follow our illustrations and compare only measurements taken from the same starting points.

This reference is especially useful for understanding your preferred length, sleeve length, rise, or amount of room. It should not replace your body measurements. If you do not own a suitably similar garment, simply leave this step out.

What If You Are Between Sizes?

Being between sizes is normal. Very few bodies belong neatly to one column from top to bottom.

Begin with the measurements that matter most for the garment. For a blouse, these may be the bust, shoulders, or upper arm. For trousers, consider the hips, rise, and waistband. For a fitted dress, look at the bust, waist, and hips together.

Then think about how you want the garment to feel.

Would you like to preserve the loose shape shown in the photographs? Will you wear something underneath? Is additional room through the hips, bust, or sleeves particularly important to you?

Choosing the larger size is not always the answer. Neither is sizing down because a garment looks generous on paper. The right choice depends on your measurements and the part of the design you most want to preserve.

A Small Note About Linen

Our finished garment measurements are approximate and may vary by ± 1-2cm. Linen is, by its nature, a fabric that lives.

Its weight, weave, finish, and even a new batch of the same colour can slightly change how a garment measures and falls. Our pieces are also made by people, so small differences in stitching and finishing are natural within handmade work.

We measure carefully because the details matter. We simply prefer to be honest that a handmade linen garment is not a factory-moulded object.

The fibre and fabric quality also affect how linen moves, softens, and holds its shape. You can read more in What Makes Linen High Quality.

What Should You Send Us When Asking for Sizing Help?

If you are uncertain about your size, please send us:

• Your bust, waist, and hip measurements
• The size you are considering
• Where you prefer more or less room
• Whether you plan to wear another layer underneath
• If available, the measurements of a similar woven, non-stretch garment you enjoy wearing

Height is not necessary for every order. However, if you are particularly tall or petite, or if waistlines, bodices, sleeves, or garment lengths often sit differently on you, please include it.

You may also send the exact finished measurements you prefer based on a garment you already own.

Please give us your actual body measurements rather than adding extra room yourself. The pattern already includes ease, and adding it twice may change the intended fit.

You can leave this information while ordering by opening "Need customization?" on the product page. Available adjustments differ between designs because they depend on the construction and details of each garment.

Our team will consider your body measurements, the finished garment measurements, and the pattern together. From there, we can decide whether something should be adjusted or whether the standard proportions are likely to work well.

Before the Fabric Is Cut

A size label can only describe part of the picture.

Your body measurements give us a place to begin. The finished garment measurements show the shape and ease already built into the pattern. When available, a familiar piece from your wardrobe can help translate those numbers into something you know.

Together, they allow us to understand the garment before it exists.

That is one of the quieter advantages of making clothing to order. We can pause before cutting, look more carefully, and make decisions with a real person in mind.

This way of working is also closely connected to our Lithuanian linen heritage and the way we make: keeping the work close, respecting the knowledge of our artisans, and giving each garment the time and attention it asks for.

It takes a little more time. But then, so does everything we hope to make well.