Completing Your Costume Measurements

Posted by Ella Kipling - 07 Oct 2020
Updating your measurements for film and TV extras work. Costume measurements are often required for big budget film and TV productions.

Measurements are one of the make or break aspects of the casting process. Bad costume measurements usually mean no work! To avoid missing out, make sure all of your measurements are up to date by following our handy how to tips below.

Always Check Your Costume Measurements

When you get cast for a job we always supply your costume measurements to the production company. Once those measurements are with production the ball is rolling to prepare costumes and determine roles so if you measurements are slightly off or way off issue are inevitable and can lead to you being sent away from jobs without payment.  It is therefore essential that you measurements are always correct and up to date, you should never guess your measurements or agree to them being 100% correct when you have not checked for quite some time (we all change measurements over long periods of time, even if the change is small its important!).

You have access to your measurements 24 hours a day on your profile via the Profile Edit. Measurements can be inputted in both centimetres and inches. Always make sure you are measuring correctly using an accurate measuring tape. If our Casting Team ask you to take an emergency measurement but you do not have a measuring tape, please use a piece of string to take the measurement and a ruler to measure it. If it is not an emergency, please wait until you have a measuring tape.

Female Body Measurements

Height: take your shoes off and stand against a flat surface. Your measured height is taken from the top of your head to your feet when standing normally. Ask someone to help you make the measurement using a measuring tape.

Dress Size: please list the dress size that you most commonly wear.

Chest: wrap a measuring tape around your chest, holding the tape in front of you. The measurement should be taken around the fullest part of your chest with the tape under your armpits and across your shoulder blades.

Bra Size: please list the bra strap size that you most commonly wear. Please note that your bra strap size should never be larger than your chest measurement – it will normally be equal or smaller, depending on your cup size.

Bra Cup Size: please list the bra cup size that you most commonly wear.

Underbust: the underbust is measured around your chest, but under the breast. Hold the measuring tape around your chest just underneath the swell of the breast with the ends of the tape in front of you. The measuring tape should be snug but not constricting.

Hips: wrap a measuring tape around the widest part of your hips, which will normally be approximately 20cm below your natural waistline.

Natural Waist: locate your natural waistline, which is the smallest part of your waist and will be between your belly button and the bottom of your ribs. Wrap a measuring tape around your natural waistline with the tape ends in front of you to take the measurement.

Shoe Size: the UK shoe size that you most commonly wear.

Hat Size: wrap the measuring tape around your forehead at the widest part to take this measurement.

Glove Size: measured around the hand from just below the knuckles and fingers. Wrap a measuring tape around the base of your four fingers (but not the thumb) before making a loose fist and taking the measurement.

If you are having trouble visualising the above descriptions, the below video may be a useful resource. It shows how to properly take your hat size, chest, underbust, natural waist and hips measurements. Please ignore the measurements in the video after the hips, as they are not required for our casting purposes.

Male Body Measurements

Height: take your shoes off and stand against a flat surface. Your measured height is taken from the top of your head to your feet when standing normally. Ask someone to help you make the measurement using a measuring tape.

Collar: place a soft measuring tape around your neck. Set the tape low at the back of the neck and bring it around the front to where the collar button will be closed. At the front, allow two fingers to slip easily between your throat and the tape.

Chest: wrap a measuring tape around your chest, holding the tape in front of you. The measurement should be taken around the fullest part of your chest with the tape under your armpits and across your shoulder blades.

Natural Waist: locate your natural waistline, which is the smallest part of your waist and will be between your belly button and the bottom of your ribs. Wrap a measuring tape around your natural waistline with the tape ends in front of you to take the measurement.

Trouser Waist: the trouser waist size that you most commonly wear.

Inside Leg: measured using a measuring tape from the crotch to where the trouser hem will sit on your shoe.

Shoe Size: the UK shoe size that you most commonly wear.

Hat Size: wrap the measuring tape around your forehead at the widest part to take this measurement.

Glove Size: measured around the hand from just below the knuckles and fingers. Wrap a measuring tape around the base of your four fingers (but not the thumb) before making a loose fist and taking the measurement.

If you are having trouble visualising the above descriptions, the below video may be a useful resource. It clearly shows how to properly take your hat size, collar, chest, natural waist and inside leg measurements. Please ignore the measurements in the video after the natural waist and before the inside leg, as they are not required for our casting purposes.