Every garment we make is cut to measurements rather than pulled from a size run, 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 we make.
- 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
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
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 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
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 remake it. That applies to made-to-measure pieces as well as stock sizes. Getting a garment right is part of what you paid for, not an extra.