How to Measure a Tuxedo

These days, most guys pick a groomsman or two that has moved out of the area. If this is the case, your out of town friend(s) will have to call in their tuxedo measurements. In some instances, the out-of-towner may not even get his tux until the morning of the wedding. In these situations it becomes even more critical to insure that your measurements are correct. Here are some helpful guidelines for measuring yourself for a tux.

TIP: This works best if you have a helper.

HEIGHT & WEIGHT: This should be a no-brainer, but just in case... For your height, stand straight up, back against a wall, and measure from the top of your head to the floor without shoes. Determine your weight using an accurate scale (and don't lie).

WAIST: Tuxedo pants have a longer rise than most Dockers or jeans do. They are intended to be worn higher on the waist. To find the proper fit, measure just above the hipbone across the navel. Insert a finger or two between the measuring tape and your body to allow room for that big wedding day dinner.

HIP: After you have measured your waist you need to make sure that your hips will be able to fit into the tuxedo pants without pulling. This is usually not an issue, but you should take the measurement to be on the safe side. Place the tape directly around your pants and around the largest part of the seat.

OUT SEAM: With shoes on (similar to the shoes you will be wearing at the wedding), stand straight up and face forward. Have your helper measure from the outside arch of your shoe, up your leg, past your hip bone, to the height of your navel. This measurement helps determine the length of the pants and also serves as a guide for coat length.

CHEST: Stand straight up and relax (don't flex your pecs). With a shirt on (nothing to bulky) place the tape up under your arms, put your arms at your side, and run the tape over the shoulder blades, and around the chest. Insert a finger or two between the tape and the body to insure proper ease.

OVER-ARM: The over-arm is measured with the coat off, around the body in the same manner and position where the chest was measured, but this time including both arms. The normal difference between these measurements and the chest is 8" unless you are muscular.

NECK: Place the tape low on the neck where the shirt collar normally falls. Run the tape completely around the neck. If your helper is doing this, make sure he or she isn't angry at you for any reason. Allow a finger space between the neck and the tape.

SLEEVE: This measurement is for the shirt sleeve length which can also help to determine the coat length. With your arm straight down at your side, place the tape at the base of the neck in back. Run the tape across the top of the shoulder, and down the arm to a point about one inch below the wrist bone.

COAT IN-SLEEVE: Normally, the coat in-sleeve is predetermined by the coat size itself. So, this measurement doesn't need to be taken unless you think your coat will need to be altered (for example, if you have very long arms and have had problems with this measurement when buying a suit in the past). It is the distance between the cuff of the coat sleeve to the underarm following the inside seam of the sleeve. If you think you will need the sleeves altered from the standard lengths, make sure you mention it to the tuxedo shop.