Finding your prom dress size for the perfect fit is straightforward. With advice on taking your bust, waist, and hip measurements, putting your measurements into prom dress size charts, and considering the cut and fabric of your formal dress, choosing your best prom dress fit is simplified.

• Measuring Tape: For the most accurate estimate, Starlish recommends using a flexible measuring tape. A possible workaround if you do not have access to this sewing tool is to use string to measure yourself, then determine the length of the string using a ruler or self-retracting metal measuring tape.
• What to Wear: Have someone else take your bust, waist, and hip measurements when you are wearing a form-fitting layer over the undergarments you think you will wear with your prom dress.
• Bust: This is NOT your bra size number! The bust measurement is taken at the fullest part of your chest, while the bra-size number comes from the measurement just below the bustline. For dress sizing, be sure to measure across the fullest part of your bust instead of relying on your bra size.
• Waist: This is considered the smallest part of your body between bust and hips, and it typically falls about 1 inch above your belly button.
• Hips: This measurement is taken at the fullest part of your body below the waist, and it typically falls about 7 inches below the natural waistline.
• Decoding Size Charts: Since every designer uses a different set of measurements for the same size, make sure you compare your measurements to the chart for the specific prom dress you are considering. Measurements all over the chart? No worries, as it’s unusual to fall perfectly in line with a designer’s measurements for a particular dress size. Generally, it is better to size up if your measurements fall across different sizes, as it is easier for a tailor to take in a dress than to let it out.
• Cut & Fabric: The cut and fabric of the prom dress might provide more wiggle room for your measurement. For example, if a dress is stretchy, the closer it matches your measurements, the snugger the fit. If a dress is A-line shaped, the flowing skirt provides more room in the hip area with a tighter fit in the waist and bust.