Measuring Guide
Measurements, sizing for Babies
How to measure:
When measuring, it is best to use a soft tape measure. If you only have a retractable measure, use a bit of string and measure this against the straight rule.
Baby clothes are generally standard across all designers but there might be a slight variation due to fabrics and country of origin, and guide designers who have specific sizes will be displayed on the “Size Guide” individually on each individual items page. We would therefore never recommend making a best guess and to check the sizing chart before ordering.
Generally baby clothes are designed to be fairlyloose fitting, measurements should be taken close to the skin, but not so tight that they cannot breathe! The child needs to be comfortable on their special day, so taking measurements that are too tight will probably result in the size being too small. Also please note below our advice on buying in advance.
The images below show some guidance but also please refer to the information after for more information and guidelines on getting the best fit.
1.Length:
Measure your baby from heel to crown, without his/her shoes on and legs straight so if they stretch their legs in rompers with attached feet they are not constricting.
2.Chest size:
Measure the widest part of your baby's chest.
3.Waist size:
Measure the narrowest part of your baby's waist.
4.Hip size:
Measure the widest part of your baby’s hips.
5.Inseam length:
Measure from Baby’s crotch straight to the end of the foot.
6.Head:
Measure round the forehead at its widest point
7.Feet:
Measure from the longest toe to the end of the heel.
Please note:
If your baby is wearing underclothes this will affect the measurements so this needs to be taken into account when ordering.
Buying in Advance:
Babies grow at an incredible rate during their first 2 years, over 6 months they will generally gain about 21-28oz each month – roughly double their birth weight, grow about 12cm in length and increase head circumference by about 8-9cm.
By the time baby is 1 year old they will be generally triple their birth weight, be about 1.1/2 times their length at birth and have increased their head circumference by 1 1/3.
And when your baby reaches 2 years old, they generally will be approximately half their adult height, so you can see buying in advance can be tricky for babies.
Most designers clothes are made to allow room for this growth, but do check the international size guidelines on our sizing charts.
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Measurements, sizing for Children 2 and above
How to measure your Child
When measuring, it is best to use a soft tape measure. If you only have a retractable measure, use a bit of string and measure this against the straight rule.
Measurements are fairly standard across all designers except for Communion Dresses and Suits – see below.
We do still recommend you check the sizing charts before ordering.
Measurements should be taken close to the skin, but not so tight that they cannot breathe! The child needs to be comfortable on their special day, so taking measurements that are too tight will probably result in the size being too small. Also please note below our advice on buying in advance see below.
The images below show where measurements should be taken please also read the guidelines below the image for more information and guidelines on getting the best fit.
1.Length:
To determine the correct length of your child, from the top of the head to the floor, for dresses take the nape of the neck to where the hem line finishes
2.Chest:
Measure just under the arms, all the way round, around the fullest part. As our designer’s sizing charts are actual garment measurements, for your daughter to be comfortable, you should allow 2-4cm extra for room.
3.Waist:
Measure all the way around the waist. As our designer’s sizing charts are actual garment measurements, for your child to be comfortable, you should allow 2-4cm extra for room. Most designs tend to be fitted and have a smaller waist measurement than chest.
4.Inseam length:
Measure from the top of the inside of your child’s leg straight to the floor.
5.Outseam length:
Measure from the waist straight to the floor.
Please note:
If you are intending to use underskirts, this can effect the length depending on the fullness of the skirt, and if underclothes are to be worn this will increase the width of the body measurements, so take this into account when ordering.
Buying in Advance:
As a general rule most children grow between 5-10cm in height per year and between 1 and 3cm around the chest and waist per year, so for example if you are buying six months in advance of the occasion date, you should allow for half of these measurements when ordering. Of course, it is tricky to know exactly how much a child will grow but these should give some general guidelines of the averages! If in doubt, it is always better to size up rather than down on measurements, particularly if the item can be altered before the special day.
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Measurements & Sizing for Communion and Flower Girl Dresses.
How to measure your Child
When measuring, it is best to use a soft tape measure. If you only have a retractable measure, use a bit of string and measure this against the straight rule.
Communion dress measurements are not standard across all designers and each has their own measurements that their dresses are designed to. We would therefore never recommend to make a best guess and to check the sizing chart before ordering.
Generally speaking, First Communion dresses are designed to be fairly tight fitting. Measurements should be taken close to the skin, but not so tight that they cannot breathe! The child needs to be comfortable on their special day, so taking measurements that are too tight will probably result in the size being too small. Also please note below our advice on buying in advance.
The images below show where measurements should be taken but please also refer to the information after the images as guidelines on getting the best fit.
1.Length:
To determine the correct size dress, you should first measure the length of your child, from the nape of the neck to where the hem will finish. To do this, measure the little one from the back, from the nape (bottom) of the neck all the way down.
First Communion dresses are typically available in two lengths, either full or tea (also termed ‘ballerina’). Full length should come to just above the ground and tea/ballerina length should come to around mid calf to ankle, depending on the style.
Full Length: Measure from nape of neck to just above the ground.
Tea Length: Measure from nape of neck to ankle. Depending on the dress style, some designs may finish higher up the leg.
Once you have determined the correct dress length from the designer’s sizing chart, you should then move on to the chest and waist measurements.
2.Chest:
Measure just under the arms, all the way round, around the fullest part. As our designer’s sizing charts are actual garment measurements, for your daughter to be comfortable, you should allow 2-4cm extra for room.
3.Waist:
Measure all the way around the waist. As our designer’s sizing charts are actual garment measurements, for your daughter to be comfortable, you should allow 2-4cm extra for room. Most designs tend to be fitted and have a smaller waist measurement than chest.
Points to Note
Seam Allowances: For chest and waist measurements, please bear in mind that some of our designers have a seem allowance for final fitting, so the dress can be taken in or out by a tailor. Please refer to the specific designer’s sizing chart on our Sizing Guide to check whether or not a seam allowance is included in your chosen design as this could mean that a standard size dress that would otherwise be too big or small may still be suitable for the child, with final fitting adjustments.
Underskirts: If you are intending on having an underskirt beneath the dress, depending on the fullness of the underskirt, it can raise the dress length substantially and should be considered when selecting the best size according to length measurement.
Buying in Advance:
As a general rule most children grow between 5-10cm in height per year and between 1 and 3cm around the chest and waist per year, so for example if you are buying six months in advance of the Communion date, you should allow for half of these measurements when ordering. Of course, it is tricky to know exactly how much a child will grow but these should give some general guidelines of the averages! If in doubt, it is always better to size up rather than down on measurements, particularly if the dress can be altered to a perfect fit just before the Communion date.
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Measurements & Sizing for Suits.
How to measure your Child
When measuring, it is best to use a soft tape measure. If you only have a retractable measure, use a bit of string and measure this against the straight rule.
We do still recommend you check the sizing charts before ordering.
Measurements should be taken close to the skin, but not so tight that they cannot breathe! The child needs to be comfortable on their special day, so taking measurements that are too tight will probably result in the size being too small. Also please note below our advice on buying in advance see below.
1. Sleeve Length:
Take the measurement tape and start at the shoulder blade where you should feel the bone stick out. Measure all the way down to the wrist and stop a few inches past the wrist. If you are using a piece of shirt it should stop at the cuff.
2. Waistline:
This should be pretty simple if your know your son's waistline. Most of our suits come with a rubber elastic waistband in the back of the trouser. It has some room to expand to a bigger size if needed. To measure this on a boy all you need to do is take the measuring tape and measure around his waistline.
3. Chest:
Take the measuring tape and wrap it around his chest underneath his arms pits.
4. Trousers/Pants Length:
Use the measuring tape and start at the waistline not the hip bone then measure down to the ankle.
5. Shoulder Seam to Shoulder Seam:
Start at the top sleeve and measure straight across. Remember in step 1 I mentioned the shoulder blade where the bone sticks out? That would be the same position you start at to measure shoulder to shoulder.
Buying in Advance:
As a general rule most children grow between 5-10cm in height per year and between 1 and 3cm around the chest and waist per year, so for example if you are buying six months in advance of the occasion date, you should allow for half of these measurements when ordering. Of course, it is tricky to know exactly how much a child will grow but these should give some general guidelines of the averages! If in doubt, it is always better to size up rather than down on measurements, particularly if the item can be altered before the special day.
