The Full Hip measurement is, as advertized, the measurement of the fullest part of the hips. For some of us, this sits down on the thigh, and causes us to flee in horror from any pair of jeans that boasts of being “cut slim through the thigh”. Beyond being crucial to making sure that a pant or a fitted skirt fit well, the Full hip measurement is important in extreme long line corsets of the Edwardian period.
To take this measurement, you’ll need to locate the fullest part of your hips. I suspect most women are acutely conscious of where this is already, but in case you’re looking at yourself or a client and scratching your head right now…. The Full Hip is measured at the widest (side t side) area of the hip seen in the front. If the hip seems straight from the front, check from the back. If the back also seems straight, check from the side and measure the widest part of the butt. If this is also straight, then a) you’re built precisely like a standard issue 1970’s fashion stand used for pattern draping (no joke!), and b) you’re one of the lucky few who doesn’t really need to take two hip measurements. The Full Hip should be measured below the High Hip. If your hip/butt curves stop at the high hip, you can skip this one.
For the rest of us, though…. When measuring the Full Hip, make sure the tape remains level around the body. The tape will probably want to slip off in back, as there’s generally a rather abrupt cut in below the rump. Stand in a normal posture, with your weight evenly distributed on both feet.
It’s often useful to divide the Full Hip measurement into the front of the body and the back of the body. To take the Front and Back Full Hip measurements, start with the tape at the sideline of the body (directly in line with the center of the armpit). Wrap the tape around the back, past the other sideline, and around until the tape laps. The measure on the tape at the second sideline of the body is the Back Full Hip measurement. The full measurement on the tape, minus the Back Full Hip measurement, is the Front Full Hip measurement.
[…] a trick we’re going to use while drafting patterns. We’re going to assume that the Full Hip line is level with the ground – most of the figure’s curves have happened above this point, […]