Children do not stand still and do not stay the same size. Here is what to measure for a frock, a kurta and a shirt, and how to allow for growth.
Why Child Work Comes Back
A child garment is returned for two reasons and almost never for a third. Either it was cut to a chart instead of to the child, or it fitted perfectly and was outgrown in four months.
Both are avoidable, and neither is about skill. The first is about taking the tape to the child even when the mother says "he is size 26". The second is about asking one question before cutting: is this for a function next week, or for the year.
Age tells you which size to start from. It never tells you what to cut.
What to Measure
Fewer measurements than an adult, taken faster, because the child will not stand for long. Take these in this order and you will rarely need to ask twice.
| Measurement | Where the tape goes | What goes wrong |
|---|
Height | Standing straight against a wall, heels down | The best single guide for a child. Often skipped |
Chest | Round the fullest part, tape level, arms down | Taken over a thick sweater in winter |
Waist | Round the natural waist, one finger loose | Pulled tight. A child waist must have room |
Hip | Round the fullest part, needed for a frock or skirt | Skipped on a frock, so the skirt will not fall |
Shoulder | Across the back, shoulder point to shoulder point | Measured too wide, so the sleeve drops |
Sleeve length | Shoulder point to where the sleeve should end | Not agreed. Ask the mother to show with her hand |
Full length | Shoulder to hem, for a frock, kurta or shirt | Measured while the child is slouching |
Neck | Round the base of the neck, two fingers loose | Tight. A child collar must be comfortable |
Armhole | Round the arm at the top, loose | Cut to the measurement with no ease, so it binds |
Frock, Kurta and Shirt
Frock
Chest, waist, hip, shoulder, sleeve and full length. The waist line matters more than on an adult garment because a child frock usually gathers there, and a waist taken half an inch tight will not close after a meal.
Agree the length by pointing at the knee, not by saying inches. Mothers and tailors mean different things by "knee length" for a growing child.
Kurta
Chest, shoulder, sleeve, full length and neck. Boys kurta length is the argument, and it is best settled by holding the tape against the child and asking the mother to say when to stop.
Shirt
Chest, shoulder, sleeve, length and neck, same as an adult with more ease everywhere. A child shirt cut to the exact chest measurement will not go over the head comfortably at the collar.
A Starting Size Table, Not a Cutting Guide
Use this when the child is not in front of you - a phone order, or a set being cut for a family. Start from the age, then correct with the height, then measure properly before the second piece is cut. Children of the same age differ by four inches in chest, and a chart that looks confident is the most dangerous thing in a child order.
| Age | Height, in | Chest, in | Waist, in | Full length, in |
|---|
2 - 3 | 34 - 38 | 20 - 21 | 19 - 20 | 16 - 18 |
4 - 5 | 39 - 43 | 22 - 23 | 20 - 21 | 19 - 21 |
6 - 7 | 44 - 48 | 24 - 25 | 21 - 22 | 22 - 24 |
8 - 9 | 49 - 52 | 26 - 27 | 22 - 23 | 25 - 27 |
10 - 11 | 53 - 56 | 28 - 29 | 24 - 25 | 28 - 30 |
12 - 13 | 57 - 60 | 30 - 32 | 26 - 27 | 31 - 33 |
Allowing for Growth Without Ruining the Fit
The mother wants it to last a year. The child wants it to look right today. A garment cut two sizes big satisfies neither, and it is the commonest complaint in child work.
- Ask first: is this for a function, or for everyday wear through the year
- For a function, cut to fit. Nothing else photographs well
- For everyday, add length rather than width. Children grow up faster than out
- Keep a deep hem and a generous seam allowance so it can be let down and let out
- Tell the mother what you have allowed and where, so she knows it can be altered
A deep hem on a frock is worth more to a customer than an extra inch across the chest, and it does not spoil how the garment looks now.
Write the Date Beside the Measurement
An adult measurement is good for years. A child measurement is good for months. A record with no date on it will be trusted the next time the same family comes in, and it will be wrong.
The date is the whole point of keeping child measurements at all: it tells you whether to reuse them or take them again.
Keeping dated measurements per customer is what measurement management is for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I stitch for a child using age alone?
No. Use age only to pick the size to start from when the child is not there. Children of the same age differ by several inches, and a garment cut from an age chart alone is the most common child return.
How much ease should a child garment have?
More than an adult garment everywhere, and most of all at the neck and armhole. A child pulls a shirt over the head without unbuttoning it, and a collar cut to the exact neck measurement will be refused.
How do I measure a child who will not stand still?
Measure the child once for height, chest and length while the mother holds them, and take the rest from a garment that already fits. A well-fitting shirt laid flat gives shoulder, sleeve and length accurately.
Should I keep child measurements at all?
Yes, with the date. They are useless six months later as a cutting size, but very useful as a growth record when the same family comes back for the next function.
Is a school uniform measured the same way?
The measurements are the same, the job is not. Uniform is a bulk order cut to a size set from a sample of children, not to each child.
For bulk uniform work, see school uniform manufacturers software.
For adult charts, see the blouse measurement chart.
On the phone at the counter, see the Juvee tailor app.
Plans and what each includes are on the pricing page.
Try It on One Real Family
The next time a mother brings two children, measure both properly and write both down with the date. When she returns before the next festival you will know exactly how much each one has grown, and you will quote faster than any shop that starts again.
You can start free on the Basic plan - ten customers, twenty orders a month, no card.
Note: the size table above is a starting point for cutting when the child is not present. It is not a substitute for measuring. Always take the tape to the child before cutting the main piece.