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Blouse measurement chart: the measurements every tailor should take

Published 25 October 2026

A saree blouse is the garment customers judge a tailor by. It sits close to the body, it shows every mistake at the shoulder and armhole, and the customer usually wears it to a wedding or a festival where people will look. Most fitting complaints come from one of two places: a measurement that was never taken, or a measurement that was taken and then lost.

This guide covers both. It lists the measurements to take for a saree blouse, how to take each one, and how to keep them so the next order starts from the right numbers.

The blouse measurement chart

Take these with the customer standing straight, arms relaxed, wearing the kind of innerwear she will wear under the finished blouse. Measure in inches unless your shop works in centimetres, and write down which one you used.

Some shops also take cross front (across the chest between the armholes) and cross back (across the back between the armholes). They help when a customer has a narrow back or broad chest and the standard pattern keeps pulling.

Notes to write next to the numbers

Numbers alone do not make a blouse. Write these down at the same time, while the customer is in front of you:

• Opening: front hooks, back hooks, side zip or back zip.
• Lining and padding: with or without lining, cups or no cups.
• Neck design: round, U, V, boat or a sketch or photo from the customer.
• Sleeve style: sleeveless, short, elbow, three-quarter or full.
• Fit: how close she likes it. Some customers want a snug fit, some want room to move. Most tailors add an inch or two of ease at the chest, but the customer's preference decides.
• Reference blouse: if she brought a blouse that fits well, measure it too and note what she wants changed.

Common mistakes

• Tape held too tight. Hold the tape snug, not pulling. A tight tape at the chest or armhole gives a blouse that pinches.
• Measuring over thick clothing. Measure over thin innerwear or a fitted blouse, never over a kurta or sweater.
• No neck depth on the card. Front and back neck depth are the two numbers most often missed and most often argued about at the trial.
• Not writing the unit. A card that says "14" with no unit is a guess for whoever cuts next.
• Measurements on loose slips. The slip goes into a drawer, the customer comes back in six months, and you start again.

Keep every customer's measurements, not just this order's

Most repeat customers come back for the same garment. If last year's numbers are on a slip that went to the cutter and never came back, the second order takes as long as the first.

Keep a measurement record per customer and per garment, with the date. When she comes back, compare the new numbers with the old ones before cutting. A change of an inch at the chest or waist is worth asking about before the fabric is cut, not after.

In Tailoring App you set up a Blouse piece once with the fields from this chart, in inches or centimetres. Each new measurement is saved against the customer with the date, up to three photos of the neck design or reference blouse, and both the body measurement and the finished size you cut to. The next time she orders, the previous numbers are there to compare, and the karigar sees the measurements for the job without seeing her name or phone number.

A blank card you can copy

Copy this table into your measurement book or print it for the counter.