Posts Tagged ‘measurements’

Over the next few weeks, we will be writing about some of the cool features and tools you can find on the SizeTracker website in a series of posts called SizeTracker 101. This is the sixth in the series.

One of the things you’ll notice if you start using the SizeTracker size chart calculator to find sizes in different brands is that the body measurements we request differ from brand to brand.

We don’t do this to drive you crazy. Instead, we do it to help find the best size possible for your child. We ask for the body measurements that the brand uses to determine the best fit. Not just height and weight, but whatever is recommended.

As adults, we almost never see weight as a measurement on size charts – brands design their clothing to fit other body dimensions since we each gain weight differently and it affects our proportions in vastly different ways. For children, though, weight does play a role in clothing size charts – particularly during the early years.

Shape GB National Childrenswear Survey is a major research project to measure children in England that began in March 2009. The project is the first large-scale project to measure children across the country using 3D body scanners, and aims to measure 6,000 boys and girls aged 4 to 17.

The inspiration for this topic came from a wood-working article by a similar title. But, the focus of the measurement is very different. In this case, I am referring to measuring a child’s height, weight, and other body measurements at home so that you can a) track your child’s growth and/or b) better navigate clothing brand size charts. This post talks about the tools to help you do this.

Every visit to your child’s doctor involves taking height and weight measurements. These measurements are used to plot a child’s growth over time and see where they fall relative to other children of their same age and gender and to make sure that they are growing as expected. The easiest way to track your child’s growth is simply to record the date that your doctor takes your child’s measurements and what those measurements are. This article offers tools and tips for tracking this information yourself.