How to Measure for Vestments

Every garment is sized from body measurements, which means the measurements matter. This guide explains what to take and how to take it. None of it needs a tailor — a soft tape, a mirror and, ideally, a second person is enough.

Before you start

• Use a soft cloth tape, not a steel rule.
• Wear what you would normally wear underneath the garment. Measuring for a cassock over a bare chest and then wearing it over a jacket is the single most common cause of a poor fit.
• Stand straight, feet together, shoulders relaxed. Do not hold your breath or pull the tape tight.
• Take each measurement twice. If the two disagree, take it a third time.
• Send us the raw body measurements, not what you think the finished garment should be. We add the ease.

Chasubles

A chasuble hangs from the shoulders and is not fitted, so it needs only two figures.

• Length — from the base of the neck at the centre back, straight down to where you want the hem to fall. Most wearers choose a point between the top of the calf and the ankle.
• Width — from wrist to wrist with the arms held out to the sides, or, if you prefer, tell us your height and build and we will suggest a width.

Gothic and conical cuts hang fuller and wider than Roman cuts; if you are replacing an existing chasuble, measuring the old one flat is often the fastest route.

Stoles

A priest’s stole is worn around the neck with both ends hanging in front; a deacon’s is worn over the left shoulder and fastened at the right hip. For either, we need the finished length you want from the back of the neck to the end of the stole, and whether you want the ends squared, pointed or shaped.

Cassocks

A cassock is a fitted garment and needs the most measurements of anything in our range.

• Height — without shoes.
• Chest — around the fullest part, tape level all the way round, arms down.
• Waist — at your natural waist, which is usually the narrowest point, not where a belt sits.
• Hip — around the fullest part of the seat.
• Back length — from the bone at the base of the neck straight down to the finished hem, usually the top of the shoe.
• Sleeve length — from the shoulder point, over a slightly bent elbow, to the wrist bone.
• Neck — around the base of the neck, with one finger’s ease.
• Shoulder — across the back from one shoulder point to the other.

Tell us also whether it is a Roman single-breasted cassock, an Anglican double-breasted one, or a choir cassock, and whether you want pockets, a cape, or a cincture band.

Albs and cassock-albs

Albs are coming soon to the shop; the measurements below are what we will ask for. An alb is loose but not shapeless. We need height, chest, back length from the nape to the finished hem, and sleeve length. A cassock-alb is closer fitting, so add waist and shoulder as for a cassock. Note whether the alb will be worn over a cassock — if so, measure over one.

Surplices and cottas

Surplices and cottas are also coming soon. A surplice is worn over a cassock, so measure over the cassock. We need chest, and length from the shoulder to where you want the hem — traditionally somewhere between the knee and mid-calf for a surplice, and around the hip for a cotta.

Copes and dalmatics

A cope, which is coming soon to the shop, needs the height of the wearer and the length from the base of the neck to the hem at the back, plus your preference on whether the front edges meet at the floor. A dalmatic needs the same length and width as a chasuble, plus sleeve length.

Clergy shirts

Clergy shirts are coming soon. A clergy shirt is measured like any dress shirt: neck, chest, waist, sleeve length and back length. Say whether you want a tab collar or a full neckband, and whether you prefer a tailored or a classic cut.

Ordering for someone else

For ordination and anniversary gifts, height and chest alone are enough for us to make a chasuble or a stole that will fit. For a cassock or a shirt, we would rather wait for the full set of measurements than guess — ask us and we will send a measurement form you can pass on discreetly.

If it does not fit

Send it back and we will alter it, or replace it. That applies to made-to-measure pieces as well as standard sizes. Getting a garment right is part of what you paid for, not an extra.

Further reading in the Journal

For the longer, fully sourced versions of what is summarised here, see these guides. The Clergy Couture Journal is our reference site, written by the workroom and kept separate from the shop.

• How to Measure for Vestments: The Complete Guide
• How to Measure for a Chasuble
• How Long Should a Clergy Stole Be? A Height-Based Chart
• What Women Clergy Wear: Vesture, Fit and Practical Choices