A great agbada or senator outfit lives or dies on the numbers behind it. You can pick the richest fabric and the sharpest embroidery, but if the measurements are off, none of that matters once it’s on your body. The good part is that getting your own measurements right doesn’t require a tailor standing over you — just a soft tape measure, a few minutes, and a bit of patience.
What You’ll Need
A flexible cloth or vinyl tape measure is the only real requirement here. A metal one from a toolbox won’t curve around your body the way you need it to. Beyond that, a mirror helps, and having someone else around to help with the measurements across your back makes the whole process more accurate — some spots are just hard to reach and read at the same time.
Wear something thin and close-fitting while you measure, or skip the shirt altogether if you’re comfortable doing so. Bulky clothing adds inches that won’t exist when you’re actually wearing the finished piece.
A Couple of Things to Get Right Before You Start
Stand naturally. Don’t puff your chest out or suck your stomach in — the moment you do, the number stops representing your actual body. Keep the tape snug against your skin, but not pulled tight enough to dent it. You’re looking for a measurement that matches how the fabric will actually sit, not the smallest number you can get the tape to show.
It’s also worth measuring everything twice. Numbers can drift slightly between attempts, and the second pass usually confirms whether the first one was accurate.
Chest
Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your chest, keeping it level all the way around — not higher in the back than the front, which is an easy mistake when you can’t see what’s happening behind you. Breathe normally while you do this rather than taking a deep breath right before the tape closes.
Shoulders
Run the tape from the edge of one shoulder, straight across your back, to the edge of the other. This one is almost impossible to get right by yourself, since you can’t see your own shoulder blades while reaching around — this is where having someone else hold the tape really pays off.
Sleeve Length
Start at the tip of your shoulder and run the tape down along the outside of your arm to your wrist bone. Keep your arm slightly bent rather than locked straight, since that’s closer to how your arm naturally sits in a sleeve once you’re wearing the finished garment.
Neck
Wrap the tape around the base of your neck, where a collar would naturally sit, and add about half an inch on top of that number. That little bit of extra room is what keeps a collar comfortable instead of tight the moment you button it up.
Waist
Find your natural waistline — generally about an inch above your navel, not wherever your trousers happen to sit — and wrap the tape around without pulling it in. This is one of the easiest spots to measure too small without realizing it, so let the tape rest naturally rather than cinching it.
Hips
Stand with your feet together and measure around the widest part of your hips. This is usually a bit lower than people expect, closer to where the curve is fullest rather than right at the waistline.
Inseam
Measure from the crotch seam down to your ankle bone, along the inside of your leg. Standing with your legs straight and the tape running close to your body gives the most reliable number here.
Small Details That Make a Big Difference
Write every number down as you go rather than trying to remember them — it’s easy to mix up a chest and a shoulder measurement an hour later. If a number feels off or unusually different from what you expected, measure it again before moving on. And if you genuinely can’t get an accurate read on a particular spot, especially across the shoulders or back, it’s worth asking a friend or family member to help rather than guessing.
The Bottom Line
Self-measuring isn’t complicated, but it does reward a bit of care. Take your time, keep the tape snug without pulling it tight, and double-check anything that feels uncertain. Once you’ve got your numbers, you’re ready to order with confidence — and if you’d rather skip the DIY route entirely, SNOD’s measurement booking makes it easy to have it done properly, in person, whenever you’re ready.