How to Take Your Shoulder Measurements (With or Without Help)

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Get precise shoulder measurements so you can order clothes that fit perfectly

Co-authored by David Reeves and Aimee Payne, MFA

Last Updated: July 10, 2024 Fact Checked

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Measuring by Yourself

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Measuring with an Assistant

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Measuring with a Shirt

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Expert Interview

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Expert Q&A

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If you're getting a shirt tailored to your measurements (or you want to make sure that the piece you're buying online will fit perfectly), you'll need to know your shoulder width. Luckily, finding your measurement is easy enough when you know how. We talked to Bespoke Tailor David Reeves to help us walk you through the process. Read on to learn more!

How to Take Your Own Shoulder Measurements: Quick Steps

If you don't have someone to help you, stand up straight against a wall and use a pencil to mark on the wall where each arm meets each shoulder. This is usually the boniest part of your shoulder. The distance between the two marks is your shoulder width.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Measuring Shoulder Width by Yourself

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1
Stand against a wall with your head up and shoulders back. Stand with good posture and your feet flat on the ground about shoulder-width apart. Keep your chin level, and your shoulders relaxed.
- Pull your stomach in and put your weight on the balls of your feet to stay balanced.
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Make a mark on the wall where your arm meets your shoulder. This is usually the boniest part of your shoulder close to the seam at the top of your shirtsleeve. Use a pencil to make a light mark that is easily erased when you’re done. Reach across the body with your right hand to mark where your left shoulder joint is, and use your left hand to mark your right shoulder joint.^{[1]
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- Keep your shoulder line as straight as possible for the most accurate measurement.
- Tape sheets of paper to the wall in a row wider than your shoulders if you don't want to make pencil marks on it.
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Measure the distance between the two marks on the wall. Once you’ve marked the placement of both shoulder joints on the wall, use a measuring tape or yardstick to measure the distance between them. This is your shoulder measurement.
- This method will be less accurate than having a friend help you take your shoulder measurement, but it’s close enough to help you find a ready-made shirt size.
- If you’re having a tailor make or alter your shirt, they may ask you to come in for more accurate measurements.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Measuring Shoulder Width with an Assistant

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Since standard shoulder width measurements are taken along the upper portion of your back, having another person take this measurement for you is preferable.
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Wear a shirt that fits well. While not strictly necessary, a tailored dress shirt is ideal because the seams of the shirt help guide the tape measure, but any well-fitting shirt will work to provide helpful guide points.^{[2]
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- If you are wearing a dress shirt that fits your upper body correctly, you can use it as a guide. The shoulder seams on the back of your shirt usually match up with your actual shoulder points, so when in doubt, measure from there, Reeves suggests.
These two points should also be the points at which the shoulder meets the arm or the points at which the shoulder begins curving down into the arm. They’re actually marked by your acromion bones, which can be found at the upper tips of your shoulders.^{[3]
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Measure the space between your shoulder points. Have your helper position the end of the tape measure flat against your back at the first shoulder point, suggests Reeves. Your helper should measure up and over the curve of your shoulders, across your back, and then back down to the outside edge of the other shoulder point. “Typically, you would measure what we call a point-to-point or PTP, which would be across the shoulder blades from one end to the other,” Reeves adds.
- Remember to measure across the broadest part of your shoulders. This usually lands roughly 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) below the neckline.^{[4]
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EXPERT TIP

David Reeves
Bespoke Tailor
David Reeves is a Bespoke Tailor and the Founder of Reeves: Modern English Tailoring, based in New York City. David has been in the bespoke tailoring business for over 25 years and specializes in designing and creating custom, high-end suits. David has worked with influential names in the United Kingdom and the United States such as Richard James of Savile Row, Prada, Commes Des Garcons, and Timothy Everest.

David Reeves
Bespoke Tailor

Accurately measuring shoulder width is vital for proper tailoring. Precisely measuring shoulder width is important in tailoring — it's about understanding the individual's unique body, not just numbers. Specific measurements like point-to-point cater to body type for impeccable fit. This accounts for important variations like shoulder blades.
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Use your shoulder measurement to determine your shirt size. Read your measurement in inches or centimeters and save it for your records for tailoring and comparing with sizing charts. When selecting a shirt size, if your measurements fall between sizes, it’s usually best to go with the larger size and have it altered to fit so you can dress to impress with perfectly tailored clothing.
- Standard shoulder width is often used for men's tailor-fit dress shirts and blazers.
- You also need this measurement when determining the best possible sleeve length for a shirt or blazer.
- Average shoulder width measurements for men range from 15.8 inches (40 cm) to 20.9 inches (53 cm). Women’s shoulder widths range from 13.4 inches (34 cm) to 18.9 inches (48 cm).^{[5]
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- You may need to take additional measurements of your neck, sleeves, chest, and waist for the best fit.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Measuring Shoulder Width with a Shirt

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1
Find a shirt that fits well. A tailored dress shirt is your best option, but any shirt that fits your shoulders correctly will work as long as that shirt has sleeves. If you want a looser fit than the shirt you’re measuring, add 1 inch (2.5 cm) to the measurement after taking it.
- This measurement can be substituted for your back or standard shoulder width measurement, but it’s not quite as accurate as one measured across your actual shoulders.
Place the shirt on a table or other flat working surface. Smooth it out so that the material lies as flat as possible. Locate the shoulder seams or the points where the sleeves meet the top seam of the shirt.^{[6]
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Measure the shirt from the left shoulder seam to the right shoulder seam. Place the end of the tape measure at the top of the left shoulder seam. Bring the tape measure straight across the top of the shirt until it meets the top of the right shoulder seam.^{[7]
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- The tape measure should lie flat and horizontal and aligned with the bottom of the shirt.
- Write down your results. This measurement is your shoulder width. Consider marking it down and saving it in your records.

Expert Q&A

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Are there any other tips on properly measuring a shoulder blade?

David Reeves
Bespoke Tailor
David Reeves is a Bespoke Tailor and the Founder of Reeves: Modern English Tailoring, based in New York City. David has been in the bespoke tailoring business for over 25 years and specializes in designing and creating custom, high-end suits. David has worked with influential names in the United Kingdom and the United States such as Richard James of Savile Row, Prada, Commes Des Garcons, and Timothy Everest.

David Reeves

Bespoke Tailor

Expert Answer

You can also do a halfback measurement because somebody might have particularly sticky-out shoulder blades. For example, a tennis player might actually even have one prominent blade on the right if they are right-handed, and you've got to watch for things like that. So the point-to-point measures the actual shoulder width, and then the halfback measures things like the actual back and the shoulders.

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What is the measurement for an off shoulder dress?

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Your best bet would to be to have someone measure the width of your upper arms across your body.

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Can a female's shoulders be 22 inches?

Eria .S

Community Answer

Yes! My own shoulders measure about 21 inches, and my mother's are wider. It's perfectly normal, if wider than general averages.

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