How We Measure
With Cathcart's Made to Measure service, it is helpful to know your measurements so that you get the perfect suit. This guide will take you through the most important measurements you can take based from your best fitting clothes.
In order to take measurements accurately, button the garment and place it on a flat surface. The area to be measured needs to be entirely flattened, with the fabric fully extended but not overstretched.
Jacket, chest: Measure from armpit to armpit. Make sure to also fully extend the fabric that tends to bunch up under the armpit when one places the jacket on a flat surface.
Sleeve length: Measure from the shoulder seam down to the edge of your jacket cuff (wrist bone) as seen below.
Jacket, waist: Take your tape and measure the width of the jacket 14 cm under the armhole. Measure flat across like all above measurements.
Jacket, shoulder: Measure the shoulder width at the widest point between the shoulder seams. Again make sure to fully extend the fabric.
Trousers, waist: Measure with the waist buttoned and fully extended. On vintage garments, the standard sizing requires that the actual garment measurement of the waist exceeds the tagged size by one inch. Example: tagged size 30, actual garment 31" (= 15.5" for the half measurement). The trousers will then hang properly with braces; if worn with a belt they're cinched by that one inch. Most men wearing vintage style trousers prefer the sizing this way, but some prefer a snug fit thus requiring them to size down where possible. So know your own waist size as well as your preferences of fit.
Trousers, length: Measure from the crotch seam (cross fork) down to the edge of the hem, i.e. the point where your trouser reaches your ankle bone.
Trousers, hem: Measure across the hem. If you have a preset preference for a specific hem width (and overall leg width), keep in mind that different vintage periods go with different widths. Have an open mind about this and try it, you might enjoy the variety!
When comparing our measurements tables to the measurements of similar garments that you own, note that some measurements may differ and yet the fit of your usual size may still be the correct one. If you're unsure of what size to buy, feel free to contact us at help@cathcartheritage.com