How to Measure Yourself for a Wedding Gown

We understand that finding the perfect wedding gown is an essential part of preparing for your big day. Whether you're purchasing a gown online or working with a designer, accurate measurements are crucial for ensuring a flawless fit. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of measuring your body at home for not only our minimal wedding gowns but all bridal gowns that you may purchase to try online.

We know there's always so much uncertainty when purchasing wedding gowns online so we hope the below will help you become more confident in finding the right size. Nonetheless, you can always reach out to us via Instagram DM or email to get our opinion and to understand which size would be the perfect fit for you. 

Get the Perfect Fit: Bridal Measurement Guide

Accurate measurements are the foundation of finding your perfect wedding gown. Follow this step-by-step guide to measure yourself at home, or watch our video tutorial below for visual guidance.

📹 Video Tutorial: Measuring for Your Bridal Gown

💡 Pro Tips for Accurate Measurements:

• Don't measure over bulky clothing - Wear fitted garments or undergarments similar to what you'll wear under your gown
• Stand naturally - Don't suck in or stand unnaturally straight
• Measure twice - Take each measurement 2-3 times to ensure accuracy
• Get help - Having someone else take your measurements is more accurate than doing it yourself
• Record everything - Write down all measurements immediately, including the date
• Consider your wedding timeline - If your wedding is more than 6 months away, you may want to re-measure closer to your order date

What you'll need:

1. A Measuring Tape: Before you begin measuring, make sure you have a flexible measuring tape that has centimeters (cm). Usually measuring tapes have centimeters and inches on either sides, please make sure you're measuring with the centimeter side. 
   
   
   
2. Your big-day undergarments: If the gown you're eyeing has a padded chest, you will not need to wear a bra for the bust measurement. However, if the gown is not padded, please wear the bra that you are intending to wear on the day of, for a more accurate measurement! For the most accurate measurements, don't measure over clothing and only wear undergarments for the entirety of the session.
   
   
   
3. Your wedding shoes: It's good to have an idea of how tall you will be when you put on your wedding heels, and where you'd like the gown to fall. Some brides prefer to have the toes of the shoes showing a bit so it's easier to walk, while others prefer the gown to cover it all.
   
   
   
4. A professional seamstress (optional) or a friend: While our concept is to make the whole bridal journey more convenient for you at home, we do recommend getting a professional to measure your body if one is available. If not, feel free to measure yourself and reach out to us via Instagram DM or email for a size recommendation with your measurements! 
   
   
   

Let's get measuring:

1. Measuring the Bust: 

• Stand straight with your arms relaxed at your sides.
• Wrap the measuring tape around the fullest part of your bust (tip of your nipple), ensuring the back of the tape remains parallel to the ground.
• Keep the measuring tape snug but not too tight. 
• Breathe as per normal and do not hold your breath in.
• Take note of the measurement in centimeters.
  

2. Measuring the Waist: 

• Locate your natural waistline, which is typically the narrowest part of your torso. Pro tip: A fun way of finding your waist is to bend at one side (like a teapot) and the apex of your bend is where your natural waistline is.
• Once you've found your waist, wrap the measuring tape around your waistline, making sure the front and back of the tape is levelled and parallel to the ground.
• Breath as per normal and do not suck your belly in.
• Record the measurement in centimeters.
  

3. Measuring the Hips:

• Stand with your feet together
• Place the measuring tape around the fullest part of your hips and buttocks.
• Ensure the tape is parallel to the ground and not too loose or tight. You can add more space by having 2 fingers between the tape and your body in case the hips are too tight for movement.
• Take note of the measurement in centimeters.
  

Recording and Sharing the Measurements:

Once you have obtained the measurements for your bust, waist, and hips, write them down and keep them easily accessible. When purchasing wedding gowns online, in general, make sure to check the size chart provided and select the size that corresponds to your largest measurement. If you're working with a designer, provide them with the recorded measurements to ensure a customized fit.

Understanding Bridal Sizing

Important: Bridal sizing runs differently than street clothing. A bride who typically wears a size 8 in ready-to-wear may need a size 10 or 12 in bridal. This is completely normal! Bridal gowns are designed to be tailored to your exact measurements.

When in doubt, size up. It's easier to take a gown in than to let it out. Our gowns have built-in tailoring allowances.

Once you have your bust, waist, and hip measurements, please compare with our Sizing Guide. As mentioned above, select the largest size that corresponds to your measurements. For example, if your measurements are:

• Your bust fits a size M
• Your waist fits a size S
• Your hips fits a size L
• We would recommend you to purchase a size L and get the dress altered at the bust and waist. (We wouldn't want you to have a hard time fitting into the gown) Wedding dresses are sized differently than regular dresses, so it's pretty common to go up one or more sizes than your normal dress size. If you, we recommend ordering the larger size. We've helped plenty of brides find their perfect size with our gowns, just reach out to us via Instagram DM or email to get started!

 

Our Sizes vs. Standard Sizes

Below we'll do an estimated comparison between our sizes and standard US/ UK/ AU sizes. Currently, our sizes run slightly smaller so if you're outside of our standard size chart, we would recommend making your gown in custom sizing!

B&G Sizes	US	UK	AU
XS	0	2	4
S	2	4	6
M	4	6	A larger 8
L	6	8	10
XL	8	10	12
XXL	10	12	14
3XL	12	14	16
4XL	14	16	18

Note: The table above is an estimation only and may differ based on how the standard sizes were measured.

You can see our complete Bone and Grey sizing guide here. Some gowns may be outside of the sizing guide but the exact details will be mentioned on the product page.

🔥 Our Hot Tips:

1. Make sure to measure everything 2-3 times and record all of it down in cm. Sometimes the measurements could differ based on bodily changes throughout the month, the back of your tape may not be parallel to the front, etc.
2. For all of the measurements, it's better to round up to the nearest whole decimal in case for body changes, and to anticipate some room in the gown for alterations (if required).
3. If the gown is trumpet or column (more fitted), make sure to take into account all of the 3 measurements. If the gown is A-line or ball-gown, the most important measurements are your bust and waist.

🤔 Still Unsure About Your Measurements?

We understand that measuring yourself can feel overwhelming. That's why we offer:

• Virtual Consultations - Book a 45-minute session with our bridal stylist who will guide you through the measurement process in real-time
• Fit Quiz - Take our quick fit assessment to get personalized sizing recommendations 
• Reach out via Instagram or Email - Our team is here to help! Contact us at hello@boneandgrey.com with any measurement questions or concerns.

If you enjoyed this blog post or have questions, feel free to also comment below and follow us on Instagram here.