Where to measure waist?

TitaniaEcks
TitaniaEcks Posts: 351 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've heard various different recommendations given - some say to measure at the navel, some say an inch or two above the navel, some say at the narrowest part of the waist. All three methods might yield the same number for someone who has a rectangular, straight-up-and-down midsection, but I am hourglass-shaped with a sharply defined narrowest point, which is 3 inches above my navel. The narrowest part is four entire inches smaller than my belly-button level measurement. I've always measured at the nipped-in part because it yields the lowest number, but am I not supposed to do that?

Replies

  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    For men, it's at the naval. For women, it's at the narrowest part, which is above the naval, so you're correct in where you're measuring.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Your waist is just below the lowest point of your ribs midway between the top of your pelvis and ribs normally a couple of inches above your belly button ( though belly button position can differ depending on fat etc)
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    I measure my "official" waist measurement at the narrowest point like you do.

    When I am measuring for jeans, I tend to measure lower than that, usually around the navel or slightly below that, because I tend to wear low rise jeans. If I bought jeans according to my "official" waist measurment, they wouldn't fit properly.
  • TitaniaEcks
    TitaniaEcks Posts: 351 Member
    When I am measuring for jeans, I tend to measure lower than that, usually around the navel or slightly below that, because I tend to wear low rise jeans. If I bought jeans according to my "official" waist measurment, they wouldn't fit properly.
    For me it's the opposite, even when I buy low-rise jeans they seem to fit when I buy them by the official narrow measurement, even though the waistband is not that circumference. Like let's say my waist is 27 inches at a given point, I buy size 27 low-rise jeans, even though when you measure the waistband it's actually closer to 32 inches because it's not meant to sit on the waist. My hips are the standard 10 inches wider than my waist. I'm thinking jeans manufacturers take that into account when determining sizing so their pants are standardized and people won't have to buy different-sized jeans depending on how they're cut.

    Maybe that's different in different countries and with different labels. I know I once tried on a pair of Brazilian jeans (from actual Brazil) back when those were popular and was shocked to find that a size 27 wouldn't pull up past my mid-thigh, lol.

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