How to measure your hips

Hip measurement is taken at the fullest point below the waist, not right at the waistline

Wrap the tape around the widest point of your hips and seat, which for most bodies sits several inches below the natural waist, checking front and back that it stays parallel to the floor rather than dipping toward one side — measuring too high, closer to the waist, gives a smaller number than the garment chart actually needs.

Feet together, weight even, for a representative reading

Stand with your feet together and weight distributed evenly on both legs rather than shifted onto one hip, since standing lopsided can shift where the fullest point sits and slightly distort the reading — a natural, relaxed standing position gives the most representative number.

Tape tension for hips follows the same snug-not-tight rule as other circumference measurements

Hip tissue is generally softer and more yielding than the ribcage under the chest, so judge tension by whether the tape holds its own shape once you let go rather than by feel alone — a tape that visibly slides down the curve within a few seconds is too loose, and one that leaves a temporary crease in the skin afterward was pulled too tight.

Clothing and stance while measuring your hips

A close-fitting layer — leggings, briefs, a fitted swimsuit — gives the truest reading; a skirt or loose trousers add bulk that inflates the number without you noticing. Keep your weight even on both feet and resist the urge to clench your seat or pull in your stomach, either of which nudges the reading away from your natural, relaxed shape.

Hip measurement is the primary input for dresses, skirts, and swimwear bottoms

Dresses, skirts, and swimwear bottoms all treat hip circumference as their main structural constraint — the widest point the garment has to clear comfortably — so this single figure does more work across more charts on this site than almost any other body measurement.

Comparing hip to waist reveals your overall body shape

The relationship between your hip and waist measurements — a large difference between the two versus a smaller one — determines whether a garment cut for a more curved silhouette or a straighter one will suit your proportions better, which is why several garment charts on this site reference both figures rather than hip alone.

Common measuring mistakes that throw the hip number off

• Measuring too high, closer to the waist rather than the true fullest point
• Standing with weight shifted onto one leg
• Cinching the tape hard enough to leave a temporary crease in the skin
• Measuring over a skirt or loose trousers instead of close-fitting underwear
• Letting the tape dip toward the floor at one side instead of staying level

Re-measure your hips alongside your waist whenever either one changes

Because hip and waist measurements are frequently used together on the same garment chart, updating only one after a body change and not the other can produce a mismatched, inconsistent size conversion — re-measuring both together keeps the pair accurate relative to each other.

A second reading a few inches lower catches anyone whose fullest point sits unusually low

For some body types, the true widest point of the hips and seat sits a bit lower than the typical guidance suggests, so taking a second reading an inch or two below your first attempt and using whichever is larger ensures you've genuinely found the fullest point rather than settling for the first plausible-looking number.

Standing versus sitting changes the reading, similar to foot measurement

Hip circumference can read slightly differently seated versus standing, since sitting can compress or spread the seat area depending on the surface — measuring standing, the position most clothing is actually worn and judged in, gives the more broadly useful reference figure for garment sizing.

A fabric tape remains more accurate here than a rigid ruler-based method

As with chest and waist, a flexible fabric or vinyl tape conforms to the body's curve at the hip more accurately than attempting to bridge a rigid tape or ruler across the same curve, which tends to understate true circumference by cutting across rather than following the body's actual shape.

Re-checking after significant weight change matters here as much as at the waist

Hip measurement moves for the same reasons waist does — weight change, pregnancy, simply time passing — so a number recorded years ago carries real risk of being stale by now; check it again before a significant new purchase rather than assuming it's still current.

Recording hip measurement alongside waist, not as an isolated figure

Because hip circumference is most useful in relation to waist for determining overall body shape, keeping the two figures noted together — rather than hip alone in one place and waist alone somewhere else — makes it faster to check both against a dress or skirt chart that references the relationship between them.

A helper reduces the chance of an inconsistent reading more here than for most measurements

Because the hip area is harder to see directly while measuring your own body compared with, say, your chest, having someone else hold the tape level and confirm the reading is particularly valuable for hip measurement specifically, more so than for measurements you can watch directly in a mirror.

Pregnancy and postpartum hip measurement follows current, not pre-pregnancy, figures

Hip circumference can change through pregnancy and in the months afterward, following the same current-measurement principle covered on the maternity chart elsewhere on this site, so re-measuring rather than relying on a pre-pregnancy hip figure matters for anyone shopping maternity or postpartum-specific garments.

A loose skirt or dress tolerates a slightly imprecise hip reading better than a fitted one

As covered on the skirts and dresses charts, a flowing A-line or full silhouette forgives a small hip-measurement error far more than a close-fitting pencil or sheath style does, so double-checking your reading matters proportionally more before a fitted-style purchase than before a loose, flowing one.

A relaxed exhale, not a held breath, gives the truest hip reading

Just as with chest and waist, take the hip measurement while breathing normally rather than holding your breath or tensing your midsection, since either can subtly shift how your torso and seat sit relative to the tape at the moment of reading.

Seated hip measurement matters for anyone who spends most of their day in a wheelchair or seated posture

For anyone who primarily sits rather than stands throughout the day, a hip measurement taken in that seated posture — rather than the standing method described above — better reflects how a garment will actually sit and move in practice, since seated hip circumference can differ meaningfully from a standing reading depending on individual body composition and seat surface; several adaptive-clothing specialists publish seated-measurement guidance specifically for this reason, and it's worth following theirs over the standing-only method on this general guide if that applies to you.

A recent surgery or injury affecting the hip or seat area can temporarily distort this measurement

Swelling or bruising from a recent injury, or post-surgical recovery in the hip or lower-back area, can shift a hip reading temporarily away from your genuine baseline, similar to how neck measurement can be thrown off by medical swelling elsewhere on this site — waiting until you've returned to your normal recovered state before committing to a size based on this measurement avoids buying against a temporary figure.