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

Choose body or garment measurements for a Size Chart, set fit intent and fabric stretch, and see how recommendations convert the numbers.

Written by Ben Nyberg

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?

Garment (product) measurement charts describe the garment itself. They say: "this is how big the item is" — chest width seam to seam, length from collar to hem. In the editor this is labelled Garment measurements. This works well for relaxed and oversized fits, and for shoppers who compare against a favourite garment they already own.

Which should you pick?

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

  • Relaxed or oversized garments (hoodies, boxy tees, outerwear) — garment measurements

  • Not sure? — body measurements. They need no interpretation from the shopper.

This is why AI Frame offers separate templates for Tops (body), Tops (product), Bottoms (body), and Bottoms (product): they're different charts, not variations of the same one. There is also a Swimwear template.

In the editor, What do these measurements describe? is required. If you pick garment measurements, also choose Measured flat (half circumference) or Measured around (full circumference) — that tells Size Recommender whether to double a flat half-measure.

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."

Fit intent and stretch (garment charts)

Same body + same table numbers can still need a different size, depending on how the piece is designed and how stretchy the fabric is. On garment charts you'll see two fields for the whole chart (not five knobs per measurement):

  • How is this garment meant to fit? Tight / Regular / Relaxed / Oversized

  • How stretchy is the fabric? 0–20% (0% none · 10% slight · 20% very)

Size Recommender uses those when it converts garment numbers into a body-equivalent, together with the shopper's Fitted / Regular / Relaxed preference from Estimate my size.

Size recommendations

Shoppers do not need a tape measure: Estimate my size asks for height, weight and gender (age optional) and estimates chest, waist and hip. Those inputs are shopper-declared — we never infer body measurements from the try-on photo. Saving a Fit Profile is optional: they can leave Save my size estimate unticked and still see a size for this visit.

Recommendations work on:

  • Body-measurement charts — shopper numbers are compared to the table as-is.

  • Garment-measurement charts with bust, waist or hip columns — AI Frame converts each cell (double if measured flat, widen by stretch %, then subtract ease from fit intent + the shopper's preferred fit) and then matches.

  • A Height Range column — when the chart has one and we know the shopper's height, that column decides the row on its own (no ease, no stretch). Useful on hoodie-style charts that list height next to garment numbers.

Size recommendations only appear on products with a size chart assigned.

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).

For garment 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 one unit — next to the size table, choose cm or inches. Switching the control converts the numbers. 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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