How to Measure Men's Chest Size

Wear loose fitting clothing when doing your measurements. A loose shirt or T-shirt will work well during this process. Check to make sure the clothes are not too tight or too loose, as both could affect the accuracy of your measurements.

Stand up straight and tall with your head held high, relax your stomach and try to breathe normally during the measurement.

Raise your arms slightly. Have a friend place the tape measure high under your arms around the widest part of your chest. Bring the other end of the tape to zero and hold in place. Once in place, you can put your arms back down. Hold in a relaxed fashion.

Ensure that the tape measure is crossed completely over the shoulder blades in the back.

Pull the tape measure snug. As you breathe normally, have your friend place one finger between your chest and the tape. This will keep the tape from being too taut and ensure the measurement is not too small.

Level the tape measure and keep it parallel to the floor before recording the measurement. If it falls between two numbers, round up to the nearest 1/2 inch.

To measure without a helper or Taylor's Tape:

Lay your favorite well fitting shirt on a table measure with aTaylor's Tape or standard Carpenter's Tape under the armpits from end to end.

Example: measurement is 24" your well fitting shirt is a 48" chest size