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Body vs. Product Measurements: Choosing the Right Size Chart Type

Before you fill in a single number, decide what your numbers describe. This is the most common reason size charts confuse shoppers and it takes one decision to get right.

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Written by Jasmine Jurgens

The two chart types

Body measurement charts describe the shopper. They say: "if your body measures this, buy this size." A shopper with an 88 cm bust reads off size M. This is the most helpful format for fitted garments, because it answers the question shoppers are actually asking: which size fits me?

Product measurement charts describe the garment, measured flat.
They say: "this is how big the item itself is" - chest width seam to seam, length from collar to hem. This works well for relaxed and oversized fits, and for shoppers who compare against a favourite garment they already own.
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Which should you pick?

  • Fitted garments (dresses, fitted tops, jeans, swimwear, underwear) → body measurements

  • Relaxed or oversized garments (hoodies, boxy tees, outerwear) → product measurements

  • Not sure? → body measurements — they need no interpretation from the shopper

This is why AIFrame offers separate templates for Tops (body), Tops (product), Bottoms (body), and Bottoms (product): they're different charts, not variations of the same one.

Whichever you choose, tell shoppers which it is. Add one line in the Notes field of your chart, e.g. "All measurements are body measurements. Size up if between sizes."

Taking accurate measurements

For body measurement charts, these four cover most garments:

  1. Bust: around the fullest part of the chest, tape level

  2. Waist: around the narrowest part of the natural waist

  3. Hip: around the fullest part of the seat

  4. Shoulder: seam to seam, straight across the back

For bottoms, add inseam (crotch to ankle).
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For product measurement charts, lay the garment flat:

  1. Chest width: armpit to armpit, straight across

  2. Length: highest shoulder point to bottom hem

  3. Sleeve length: shoulder seam to cuff

  4. Waist width (bottoms): across the waistband, unstretched

Three rules for numbers shoppers can trust

  • Measure production units, not samples. Samples often differ from bulk production by 1–2 cm.

  • Measure at least three units per size and use the average.

  • Check that every column increases consistently from size to size. A waist that jumps 4 cm, then 2 cm, then 6 cm usually signals a typo.

You enter everything in centimetres - if you enable the unit toggle, shoppers can switch to inches on your storefront themselves. See How to Switch Between cm and Inches in Your Size Chart.

Don't skip the measurement guide

Numbers without instructions are half a size chart. In the Measurement guide section of your chart, keep the short how-to-measure steps (they're pre-filled in every template) and pick the matching diagram. Shoppers who measure correctly return less.

Next steps

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