Fit, measuring and alterations · 30 September 2026 · 4 min read
Measuring yourself without help: a practical method
No one to hold the tape? A practical way to measure yourself alone for a kameez, with a mirror, a ribbon and a doorframe, and which numbers to take from a garment.
InspirationWhat you need
Measuring alone is perfectly possible for most of the numbers a kameez needs. It just takes a little more setting up. Gather a soft tape measure, a full-length mirror, a length of ribbon or elastic, a couple of clothes pegs, a strip of masking tape, a hardback book, and your phone or a notepad. Wear a thin, close-fitting top and the bra you will wear under the outfit.
Our measuring guide explains where each measurement is taken. This post is about how to take them when there is no one to hold the other end of the tape.
Bust, waist and hips
- Stand side-on to the mirror so you can see the back of the tape. The back is what drops when you measure alone, and a dip of a couple of centimetres is easy to miss.
- Bust: wrap the tape round, hold the zero end flat on your chest with one hand, and bring the other end across it. Lower your arms before you read the number; raised arms lift the bust and change it.
- Waist: tie the ribbon round your middle and bend to one side. It settles at your natural waist, usually just above the belly button. Measure over the ribbon.
- Hips: stand with your feet together and slide the tape up and down in the mirror until you find the widest point, usually across the seat.
- Read it twice: let go, reset and measure again. If the two numbers differ, take a third.
Lengths, using pegs and a doorframe
Lengths are harder alone, because you need to look straight ahead while you measure. Pegs and a fixed surface solve most of that.
- Kameez length: peg the zero end of the tape to your top at the highest point of your shoulder, right beside your neck, and let it hang straight down the front. Stand straight and read it in the mirror where you want the hem.
- Trouser length: keep the ribbon at the height where you wear your waistband, peg the tape to it at the side and let it fall down the outside of your leg. Wear your usual shoes and read where you want the hem.
- Height: stand against a doorframe without shoes, rest the hardback book flat on your head against the frame, and mark the underside with masking tape. Step away and measure from the floor to the mark.
- Sleeve length: far easier from a kameez whose sleeves you like. Measure from the shoulder seam to the end of the sleeve.
The measurements that need a helper, or a garment
Two numbers are hard to take accurately on your own: the shoulder, which runs across your back from one shoulder bone to the other, and the armhole. For these, a kameez that fits you well is the better source. Lay it flat, measure across the back from one shoulder seam to the other, and give us that number, marked as taken from a garment. Our guide to using a kameez that fits as a template shows how to measure every point on it.
A video call is another option. A friend or relative can read the tape on screen while you hold it, which works surprisingly well for the back. Or choose “Help me measure” on the stitching quote form and we guide you through it on WhatsApp.
Check, then send
Before you submit, sense-check a few numbers against each other. Your bust should be a little less than the chest of a kameez that fits you well, measured flat and doubled. Your trouser length should be close to the side seam of a favourite pair, from waistband to hem. If anything looks off, measure again; our list of common measuring mistakes covers the usual slips.
Write every measurement in the same unit, note which ones came from a garment, and add your height. Then enter them using the size guide or directly on the quote form. If you would rather not measure at all, you can choose a standard UK size and we confirm the key measurements with you before cutting. The custom stitching page explains the rest.
Common questions
Can I measure my own shoulder width?
Not accurately, because the measurement runs across your back where you cannot see or reach the tape. Measure across the back of a kameez that fits you well, from shoulder seam to shoulder seam, and tell us it came from a garment.
How do I find my natural waist on my own?
Tie a ribbon or a piece of elastic round your middle and bend to one side; it settles at your natural waist, usually just above the belly button. Measure over the ribbon.
Is it better to measure myself or send a kameez that fits?
Both work, and many people combine them: body measurements for the bust, waist and hips, and a kameez that fits for the shoulder, armhole and lengths. Just tell us which number came from where.
