HOW TO BUY CLOTHES ONLINE? So you have decided to take the plunge and buy your clothing online. Great! How! Read the whole thing to see why I have included the instructions for measuring a garment. When I sell clothing I take measurements of all the clothing I am selling especially if the item is used. If is brand new with tags. I usually direct buyer to mfg website to check on their sizing info. But a lot of people don’t like doing that, so I just measure anyway. Here’s how I measure On a flat surface, lay garment flat, and measure, try not to stretch fabric. Tops - I measure straight across the chest from armpit to armpit. This then gets double to give you a chest size. Tops - I also measure from the shoulder at the neck down to the hem. Tops - I will measure sleeve opening. Bottoms - measure across the waist and double, this is your waist Bottoms - from the center of crotch down the leg to the hem is the inseam. Bottoms - from center of crotch to top of waistband (follow zipper