Garment measurements fit check
Pit to pit is half the chest of a garment: 22 in flat is 44 in around. Sewing patterns call 3 to 4 in more than your chest a fitted top.
Enter at least one size from the seller's chart and your chest to see the ease of each size.
How to use the fit check
- Choose the unit of the seller’s chart and say whether its chest and waist are flat widths (pit to pit, armpit to armpit) or measured all the way around. A chest of 50 to 65 cm or 20 to 26 in on an adult top is almost always a flat width.
- Copy one size per row: the size name, the chest and, if the chart has them, the waist and the length. Add rows for more sizes.
- Measure your own chest all the way around, under the arms, over light clothing. Enter your waist if the garment is fitted there, and the length of a top you own and like, measured the way the seller measures, usually from the highest point of the shoulder to the hem.
- Choose how you want the top to fit and check. Each size shows how much larger or smaller it is than you; the size with the ease you asked for is marked as the best fit.
Nothing you enter leaves your device. Without JavaScript the fit check is unavailable; the tables below still work.
Where the ease ranges come from
Ease is how much larger a garment is than the body. The fit check subtracts your chest from the chest of each size. A flat width is doubled first, because it covers only the front of the garment.
There is no standard for how much ease ready-to-wear clothes should have. The ranges below come from the ease chart that the Vogue, Butterick and McCall’s sewing patterns print for women’s dresses, blouses, shirts and tops. They are a pattern maker’s convention for how a garment is meant to fit, and a useful yardstick for any top. The same chart allows more ease for jackets and coats, which are worn over other clothes.
| Fit | Ease at the chest, inches | Ease at the chest, cm |
|---|---|---|
| Close fitting | 0 to 2 7/8 | 0 to 7.3 |
| Fitted | 3 to 4 | 7.6 to 10.2 |
| Semi-fitted | 4 1/8 to 5 | 10.5 to 12.7 |
| Loose fitting | 5 1/8 to 8 | 13.0 to 20.3 |
| Very loose fitting | over 8 | over 20.3 |
The published ranges leave 1/8 in between them, for example between 2 7/8 and 3 in. The fit check counts a value in such a gap with the tighter fit. When no size has the ease you asked for, it names the size closest to your range that is not smaller than you.
Pit to pit and chest all the way around
Sellers of second-hand, vintage and imported clothes often give measurements of the garment laid flat. Pit to pit is the width across the front from one armpit seam to the other. Twice that is the chest of the garment.
| Pit to pit (in) | Pit to pit (cm) | Chest around (in) | Chest around (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 40.6 | 32 | 81.3 |
| 17 | 43.2 | 34 | 86.4 |
| 18 | 45.7 | 36 | 91.4 |
| 19 | 48.3 | 38 | 96.5 |
| 20 | 50.8 | 40 | 101.6 |
| 21 | 53.3 | 42 | 106.7 |
| 22 | 55.9 | 44 | 111.8 |
| 23 | 58.4 | 46 | 116.8 |
| 24 | 61.0 | 48 | 121.9 |
| 25 | 63.5 | 50 | 127.0 |
| 26 | 66.0 | 52 | 132.1 |
| 27 | 68.6 | 54 | 137.2 |
| 28 | 71.1 | 56 | 142.2 |
| 29 | 73.7 | 58 | 147.3 |
| 30 | 76.2 | 60 | 152.4 |
Worked example: a flat chart in inches
A seller lists pit to pit M 21, L 22 and XL 23 1/2 in, and length M 28, L 29 and XL 30 in. Your chest is 40 in, a top of yours that fits is 29 in long, and you want a fitted top.
- M: 21 × 2 = 42 in around, 2 in more than your chest. That is close fitting.
- L: 22 × 2 = 44 in around, 4 in more than your chest. That is fitted, and the length is the same as your top.
- XL: 23 1/2 × 2 = 47 in around, 7 in more than your chest. That is loose fitting.
L is the best fit. If you like a slim fit and the fabric has some stretch, M is also wearable; XL would look roomy.
Common mistakes
- Comparing a flat width with your chest. A 54 cm pit to pit is a 108 cm garment, not a 54 cm one.
- Reading a body-measurement chart as garment measurements. If the chart says “body”, “to fit” or “chest size”, the ease is already built in: pick the size whose chest range contains yours.
- Choosing a garment the same size as your body. With no ease a woven shirt cannot be buttoned comfortably or moved in.
- Measuring your chest over a thick jumper, or with the tape sliding down at the back.
- Ignoring where the seller measures. Some sellers measure at the armpit seam, others a little below it; ask when a centimetre or two matters.
Sources and checks
The values in the chart are the sizes published by the organisations listed below. Last checked against the sources on September 29, 2026.
The ease ranges are those of a sewing pattern company for women's (misses') patterns, copied by two fabric retailers whose pages agree. They describe how a garment is meant to fit; they are a convention, not a standard for ready-to-wear clothes.
The published ranges leave 1/8 in between them. The fit check counts a value in such a gap with the tighter fit. Centimetres are conversions at 2.54 cm per inch, rounded to one decimal.
The pit-to-pit table is arithmetic: the chest all the way around is twice the flat width. Centimetres are conversions at 2.54 cm per inch.
Used for: Ease allowance chart of the Vogue, Butterick and McCall's patterns: close fitting 0 to 2 7/8 in, fitted 3 to 4 in, semi-fitted 4 1/8 to 5 in, loose fitting 5 1/8 to 8 in and very loose over 8 in at the bust; the hip ease of skirts and pants.
Used for: Second copy of the same ease chart with identical bust and hip values, and how to measure bust, waist and hip.
Used for: Pit to pit is measured across the chest from armpit seam to armpit seam with the garment laid flat, and twice the pit to pit is the chest of the garment.
Used for: Definition of wearing ease and design ease as the difference between garment and body measurements, and negative ease in stretch fabrics.
Frequently asked questions
- What size is 22 inches pit to pit?
- A 22 in pit to pit is a 44 in chest all the way around. With the fitted ease of 3 to 4 in it suits a chest of 40 to 41 in; on a 41 1/8 to 44 in chest it is close fitting, and on 36 to 38 7/8 in it is loose.
- Is pit to pit the same as chest size?
- No. Pit to pit is half of the garment’s chest, measured flat. Double it for the garment’s chest, then compare it with your body: the garment should be larger by the ease you like.
- How much bigger than my chest should a shirt be?
- Sewing patterns call 3 to 4 in (7.6 to 10.2 cm) more than the chest fitted, 4 1/8 to 5 in semi-fitted and 5 1/8 to 8 in loose. Measure a shirt you like and compare it with your chest to find your own preference.
- What does chest 54 mean on a size chart in cm?
- On an adult top a chest of 54 cm is almost always a flat width, pit to pit. The garment is 108 cm around. On a 100 cm chest that leaves 8 cm, about 3.1 in, which is a fitted top.
- Does this work for stretch fabrics?
- Partly. Knits such as T-shirts and sportswear stretch, so a close fit or even a garment slightly smaller than you can still be comfortable. Treat the categories as a guide for woven fabrics and compare with a knit top you own.
Last updated: September 29, 2026