Converting Nepal measurements for an international team

An international buyer sending measurements to a Nepali manufacturer usually worries about the conversion. Centimetres to inches is arithmetic. The harder part is agreeing on what is being measured.

Four ambiguities cause almost every sizing error in an overseas order.

The first is chest. Some measurement sheets mean the body circumference at the fullest point, taken snugly. Others mean the garment circumference, taken flat and doubled. A difference of ten centimetres sits between those two definitions, which is two sizes.

The second is shoulder. Some sheets measure from seam to seam across the back of a finished garment. Others measure across the body from shoulder point to shoulder point. On a raglan sleeve, the second measurement does not exist at all.

The third is inseam. Measured from the crotch seam to the hem on a finished trouser, or from the crotch to the ankle bone on a body. Again, different numbers.

The fourth is height versus length. A tall wearer does not simply need a longer trouser. The torso length changes too, and a top that is correct at the chest can still be short in the body.

The way we resolve this is to ask for body measurements, taken with a tape on a person, and to state the definition next to each number. We then translate to garment measurements ourselves and send back the finished garment spec for approval before cutting.

If your team already has a measurement sheet from another supplier, send it as it is. We will tell you which columns are ambiguous rather than guess.

One page of definitions saves a container of returns.