Winter is Coming! Help With Body Measurements

Body measurements are one of the most common things that people get wrong when registering with us for film & TV extras work – and it gets worse in winter! As we all start preparing to hibernate, we thought we’d offer some helpful tips and advice to ensure that you get your measurements right, first time, whatever the season.

There are a variety of reasons why you must never guess your body measurements – Winter, Spring, Summer or Autumn!  The main reason being that whenever we put you forward for work, we always provide the production with your measurements, so they can get the costume department ready for your arrival if you’re put forward successfully for work. If you arrive on set or at a costume fitting and your actual measurements are different to those listed on your profile, you risk being turned away without pay and could even be removed from our books. Your body measurements must always be correct and up-to-date on your profile – with the UVE Artistes App it is super easy to this every few months.

Measurements can be edited via the Uni-versal Extras Profile Edit page or via the UVE Artistes Mobile App at any time, 24 hours a day. Every measurement on your profile is listed in both centimetres and inches. To measure yourself properly, you will need to use an accurate measuring tape. If our Casting Team ask you to take an emergency measurement but you do not have a measuring tape, please use a piece of string to take the measurement and a ruler to measure it. If it is not an emergency, please wait until you have a measuring tape.

Below are some useful tips and tricks to ensure you can add accurate measurements to your Supporting Artistes profile.  Remember, we don’t care what your measurements are – we just want them to be accurate to be able to put you forward accurately to our clients for work.  You can edit your profile at any time – and we hope you do!

Body Measurements for Females

Height: take your shoes off and stand against a flat surface. Your measured height is taken from the top of your head to your feet when standing normally. Ask someone to help you make the measurement using a measuring tape. 

Dress Size: please list the dress size that you most commonly wear.

Chest: wrap a measuring tape around your chest, holding the tape in front of you. The measurement should be taken around the fullest part of your chest with the tape under your armpits and across your shoulder blades.

Bra Size: please list the bra strap size that you most commonly wear. Please note that your bra strap size should never be larger than your chest measurement – it will normally be equal or smaller, depending on your cup size.

Bra Cup Size: please list the bra cup size that you most commonly wear.

Underbust: the underbust is measured around your chest, but under the breast. Hold the measuring tape around your chest just underneath the swell of the breast with the ends of the tape in front of you. The measuring tape should be snug but not constricting.

Hips: wrap a measuring tape around the widest part of your hips, which will normally be approximately 20cm below your natural waistline. 

Natural Waist: locate your natural waistline, which is the smallest part of your waist and will be between your belly button and the bottom of your ribs. Wrap a measuring tape around your natural waistline with the tape ends in front of you to take the measurement.

Shoe Size: the UK shoe size that you most commonly wear.

Hat Size: wrap the measuring tape around your forehead at the widest part to take this measurement.

Glove Size: measured around the hand from just below the knuckles and fingers. Wrap a measuring tape around the base of your four fingers (but not the thumb) before making a loose fist and taking the measurement.

If you are having trouble visualising the above descriptions, the below video may be a useful resource. It shows how to properly take your hat size, chest, underbust, natural waist and hips measurements. Please ignore the measurements in the video after the hips, as they are not required for our casting purposes.

Body Measurements for Males

Height: take your shoes off and stand against a flat surface. Your measured height is taken from the top of your head to your feet when standing normally. Ask someone to help you make the measurement using a measuring tape. 

Collar: place a soft measuring tape around your neck. Set the tape low at the back of the neck and bring it around the front to where the collar button will be closed. At the front, allow two fingers to slip easily between your throat and the tape.

Chest: wrap a measuring tape around your chest, holding the tape in front of you. The measurement should be taken around the fullest part of your chest with the tape under your armpits and across your shoulder blades.

Natural Waist: locate your natural waistline, which is the smallest part of your waist and will be between your belly button and the bottom of your ribs. Wrap a measuring tape around your natural waistline with the tape ends in front of you to take the measurement.

Trouser Waist: the trouser waist size that you most commonly wear.

Inside Leg: measured using a measuring tape from the crotch to where the trouser hem will sit on your shoe.

Shoe Size: the UK shoe size that you most commonly wear.

Hat Size: wrap the measuring tape around your forehead at the widest part to take this measurement.

Glove Size: measured around the hand from just below the knuckles and fingers. Wrap a measuring tape around the base of your four fingers (but not the thumb) before making a loose fist and taking the measurement.

If you are having trouble visualising the above descriptions, the below video may be a useful resource. It clearly shows how to properly take your hat size, collar, chest, natural waist and inside leg measurements. Please ignore the measurements in the video after the natural waist and before the inside leg, as they are not required for our casting purposes.

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Measurements can be edited via the Uni-versal Extras Profile Edit page or via the UVE Artistes Mobile App at any time, 24 hours a day.