Is there anything cuter than seeing your little man all suited and booted? There are countless situations in life which will allow you to dress your child in a dashing boys tuxedo, from birthdays to weddings, to Quinceaneras.

Although fun, getting the right measurements for boys suits can sometimes seem a daunting task, and it’s something you’ll want to get right the first time. After all, what’s worse than going through all the effort of finding a perfect suit, only for the thing to not fit?

Luckily we’ve got you covered. Here’s your guide on how to properly measure boys and toddler suits.

Step One: Know Your Sizes

Before you can measure your boy for his suit, you need to know your sizes. A good place to start is considering what category your son falls into. Is he a baby, a toddler, a boy, or a young man? These age groups will have wildly different measurements.

A baby’s waist length will rarely measure more than 12 inches, while a young man’s (typically aged 14 or above) will often be hovering around 28 to 30 inches. Don’t worry if your boy is above or below what is considered average, as a tailor will be able to adjust any kids suits to fit their needs.

Step Two: Measuring Boys Suits

The first step is to grab that tape measure! Don’t worry too much if you don’t have one, as measuring for toddler suits without a tape measure isn’t particularly difficult. Remember that you’ll need a total of 5 measurements before you can think about getting him into an adorable black pinstripe suit. These are: sleeve length, shoulder seam to shoulder seam, chest, waistline and pants length.

For those of you who do have a tape measure, here’s what to do:

Start by measuring the sleeve length. Do this by holding the end of your tape measure to your boy’s shoulder blade at the very top of his arm. Extend it down to the wrist, and take the final measurement a couple of inches past the wrist.

Next up, the shoulder seam. Take this measurement by starting the same way you did with the sleeve length. Hold the end of the tape measure to his shoulder blade, then run it across the width of the body to the other shoulder. Make sure the measurement begins at one shoulder blade and ends at the other.

For the chest measurement, simply take the tape measure and wrap it around his chest. If you’ve already measured the shoulder and sleeve length, then do this by wrapping the tape underneath his arms, not over them.

For the waistline, simply checking the pants that he’s currently wearing might give you the answer, as the measurement is often displayed on a label. If not, simply wrap the tape measure around the waist.

Finally, measure the pants length by measuring between the waistline and the ankle, running the tape down his leg.

Step Three: Getting the Right Style

And voila! You’re all set. Once you have these measurements, you’ll be able to get your boy into a beautifully-fitting ring bearer tuxedo, or a dapper suit. To find the rights boys suits for your child, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us with any questions you might have.