There is no actual universally accepted standard measurement set for men. Every manufacturer and text book lists a different set. These are the ones I use for dance/athletic figures unless otherwise instructed by whichever company I’m working for.
It is important to note contrary to popular belief, men are much more variable in proportion than women. For example, the ratio of waist measurement to that of hip is between 0.7 to 0.85 for 75% women, but for the 75% of men this would be between 0.8 and 1.7 … meaning the moral of the story is to know your male demographic really well as it’s a much more difficult to get a suitable sizing range (ie; the average male figure skater has a completely different proportion to the average male rugby player). More evidence that there is no golden rule!
Something that is almost always measured incorrectly for a male is waist to hip. This is because most men measure their waist at the waist band (belt) position and not the true waist which is generally several centimeters higher. Make sure you get this right or it will completely mess up your blocks and patterns. For those that can’t see or find their natural waist, you may be able to estimate it’s approximate position by averaging where you sit on the table below and using the measurement suggested.
| Australian Sizes | 88 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 104 | 108 | 112 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chest | 88 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 104 | 108 | 112 |
| Waist | 78 | 82 | 86 | 90 | 94 | 98 | 102 |
| Hips | 92 | 96 | 100 | 104 | 108 | 112 | 116 |
| Back | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 |
| Neck (actual) | 35.6 | 37 | 38.4 | 39.8 | 41.2 | 42.6 | 44 |
| Waist to Hip | 25.5 | 26.1 | 26.6 | 27.1 | 27.6 | 28.2 | 28.8 |
| Nape to Waist | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| Shoulder | 12.6 | 13 | 13.4 | 13.8 | 14.2 | 14.6 | 15 |
| Arm Length | 63.6 | 64 | 64.4 | 64.8 | 65.2 | 65.6 | 66 |
| Upper Arm | 34 | 35.25 | 36.5 | 37.75 | 39 | 40.25 | 41.5 |
| Wrist | 16 | 16.5 | 17 | 17.5 | 18 | 18.5 | 19 |
| Inside Leg | 75.6 | 77 | 78.4 | 79.8 | 81.2 | 82.6 | 84 |
| Thigh | 49 | 51 | 53 | 55 | 57 | 59 | 61 |
| Calf | |||||||
| Ankle |
Hi Stuart, I think I maybe measuring the waist to hip measurement wrong as my men’s swim briefs end up very saggy on the bum and through the legs? I’ve been measuring the waist around the belly button and then down from there to just under the bum cheeks for the waist to hip. Am I doing this right? Thank you in advance for your expert help