How to Measure for Sleeve Length Quickly

There are a lot of reasons why some clothes fit and feel better than others. When it comes to shirts, the most common complaint or reason for liking them is the sleeves. Whether the sleeves are too loose, too tight, too short, or too long can all make up a good or bad shirt. The following article is going to cover sleeve length and more importantly, how to measure for sleeve length so you can always find the perfect shirt for you.

This article covers a few different topics. To skip to any section below, click any of the links below to be taken directly to that section.

How to Measure for Sleeve Length

We won’t waste time telling you about why sleeve length is important or why you’re here. Let’s just jump into how to measure sleeve length correctly.

The quickest way to measure for sleeve length is to take a flexible tape measure and measure from the neck to your shoulder seam. Then measure from the seam right at the top of your shoulder down to the bottom of your sleeve. Add those two numbers together and you’ll have your sleeve length in inches. Make sure to measure in a straight line down the outside of your arm.

And that’s it. A quick and easy way to measure the length of your sleeves on any shirt, as long as it’s not a sleeveless shirt.

In the following section, we’re going to talk about some do’s and don’ts about measuring sleeve length so you can get the most accurate measurement.

Do’s and Don’ts for Measuring Shirt Sleeves

There are a lot of different ways to get a wrong measurement when measuring your sleeves. In this section, we’re going to cover some of the most common mistakes so you can avoid them from the start. And then we’ll provide what you should be doing instead.

Don’ts for Taking a Measurement

Don’t measure down the front of your arm or body.
Don’t hold your arm out when taking the measurement.
Don’t use a hard ruler.
Don’t measure when the shirt is wrinkled or wet.

Do’s for Taking a Measurement

Measure down the side or outside of your body. The measurement will be a little longer, but this is the correct way to measure.
Put your arm down by your waist as you would when you’re relaxing. This is the standard arm position and is how most shirts and manufactured when accounting for sleeve length.
Use a flexible tape measure to ensure the ruler is accounting for the bend in your arm, which can increase the length.
Measure from the seams. The seam is the small stitching where it looks like one part of the shirt has been connected to the other.
Make sure to only measure the sleeve length when the shirt is wrinkle free and dry. Those wrinkles can actually decrease the length of the sleeves, giving you an inaccurate measurement.

Those are some of the most common issues when trying to measure sleeve length, so be sure to avoid the Don’ts and follow the Do’s. That will give you the most accurate measurement and best fit when shopping for clothes in the future.

Why Knowing Sleeve Length is Important

Knowing your sleeve length is just as important as your waist size or pants inseam. It’s a measurement meant to make sure your clothes fit as best as possible, but it’s one of the least common measurements known. Earlier in the article we showed you how to measure sleeve length and there are two important reasons to have this information.

Purchasing Clothes That Fit. This is the obvious answer, but the most important. You only want to purchase clothes that fit. You wouldn’t buy jeans where the waist is 2 sizes too large, right? The same should go for shirts. If you have sleeves that are too long or too short, it will be obvious and affect your style and how people look at your clothing. Well fitting sleeves are important for finishing out your look in a stylish way.
Help Your Tailor with Your Measurements. If you have a tailor, you can tell him your sleeve length that you have on most of your shirts. There’s a 99% chance that they will take their own measurements too, but it can be helpful to know if the measurement you have is different than the tailor. There’s a good chance the tailor has the experience and expertise to know exactly what your sleeve length should be. And if their measurement is different than what you have, then you might have to take more of your shirts to get tailored for the best fit.

If you’re here looking for how to measure a sleeve length, you may be interested in other clothing related articles. You can either take a look at our Clothing category or any of the related pieces of content, such as how to measure a pants inseam which contains a lot of great information about measuring your pants so they fit correctly. Or maybe something more fun if you’re wondering how much does a hoodie weigh or how much do shirts weigh.

Conclusion

And there you have it! There are a lot of reasons to know how to measure for sleeve length, but the obvious and most important is so that you have the best fitting clothes. It’s actually very easy to measure and best of all is that you’ll have these measurements that you can use to purchase future clothing. And if you ever go to a tailor, you can compare the measurement that you have with their expert measurement and see if you were far off or relatively close.

Just remember to take the measurements from the correct locations, use a flexible or cloth tape measure, and measure a clean and unwrinkled shirt and you should be good.