How to Measure Hips?

Stand with your feet together and wrap a soft tape measure around the fullest part of your hips and rear, keeping the tape level and parallel to the floor all the way around. That's usually 7–9 inches below your natural waist, roughly across the widest point of your buttocks.

Where to measure — the part people get wrong. Your "hip measurement" is not taken at your hip bones. It's taken at the widest point of your lower body, which for most people includes the fullest part of the buttocks. Measuring at the hip bones gives a smaller number and the wrong clothing size.

Step-by-step:

1. Wear thin clothing or underwear. Bulky fabric adds inches.
2. Stand straight in front of a mirror, feet together. Feet apart widens the measurement.
3. Find the fullest part — look sideways in the mirror to spot where your hips and rear are widest.
4. Wrap the tape around that point, bringing it all the way round.
5. Check it's level in the mirror, front and back. A tape that dips at the back is the most common error.
6. Keep it snug but not tight — it should sit flat against you without compressing.
7. Breathe normally and relax — don't suck in or tense.
8. Read the number where the tape meets, and take it twice to confirm.

How to measure your waist (usually needed alongside):

Your natural waist is the narrowest part of your torso, generally about an inch above your belly button. Bend to one side — the crease that forms marks it. Wrap the tape there, keep it level, breathe out normally, and read the number. Don't measure at your trouser waistband, which usually sits lower.

For a full set of measurements, add the bust: around the fullest part of the chest, with the tape level and running under the armpits.

Men vs. women: the method is identical — the fullest point around the hips and seat. The difference is only anatomical: on many women the widest point is lower and rounder, while on many men it's closer to the seat and the difference between waist and hip is smaller. Men buying trousers usually need waist and inseam rather than a hip measurement.

Measuring for pants or jeans: use the hip measurement plus your waist and inseam (inside leg, from crotch to ankle). Check the specific brand's size chart rather than assuming, since sizing varies a lot between labels.

No tape measure? Use a piece of string or a phone charging cable, wrap it around, mark where it meets with your finger or a pen, then lay it flat against a ruler or yardstick.

Tips for accuracy:

• Have someone help if you can — measuring your own back keeps the tape crooked.
• Use a soft fabric or vinyl tape, not a metal builder's tape.
• Measure at the same time of day if you're tracking changes over time, since measurements fluctuate slightly.
• Take each measurement two or three times and use the consistent number.

Common mistakes: measuring over jeans, standing with feet apart, pulling the tape tight, letting it slip down at the back, holding your breath, or measuring at the hip bones instead of the fullest part.