Pilot Shirt Measurement Guide: How to Measure for the Right Size

The most reliable way to choose a pilot shirt size is to measure your body instead of relying on your usual shirt size, because sizing differs from brand to brand. BomCrewMall's sizing uses four measurements: chest, stomach, hips, and neck. If you do not know your size, select I DON'T KNOW, then provide your measurements or book a short video consultation.

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The Four Measurements

Measurement	Where to measure	What it sets	Avoid
Chest	Around the fullest part of the chest, tape level across the shoulder blades	Upper-body room	Pulling the tape tight or expanding your chest
Stomach	Around your natural midsection	Midsection fit	Holding your stomach in
Hips	Around the fullest part of the hips	Lower shirt body	Shifting your posture
Neck	Around the base of the neck, where the collar sits	Collar fit	Making the tape too tight

Height and weight are useful, but they do not show how your proportions are distributed. Two pilots with the same height and weight carry very different chest, stomach, hip, and neck measurements, which is why BomCrewMall's sizing uses all four.

Chest

Stand naturally with your arms relaxed. Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your chest and keep it level all the way around. Breathe normally and do not expand your chest.

Stomach

Stand naturally and wrap the tape around your midsection with the tape level. Let your stomach relax and do not hold it in. The stomach measurement matters most when your chest and midsection differ. A broader chest with a narrower midsection needs different proportions from another pilot with the same chest number.

Hips

Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your hips, level and resting against your body. Your hip number keeps the size from being chosen from the upper body alone.

Neck

Wrap the tape around the base of your neck where the collar sits. It rests against your skin without pressure, because a collar worn through a long duty day needs room.

No tape nearby? Check the collar label of a shirt that fits you well. If there is no readable label, lay the shirt flat and measure from the center of the collar button to the far end of the buttonhole.

What If You Fall Between Sizes?

Your chest can match one size while your stomach or hips match another. Match the situation to the next step:

Your situation	Where to start
All four measurements match one standard size	Standard Fit
Measurements fall between sizes	Add a note describing it, then compare Standard Fit with Tailored
Chest fits but stomach does not	Tailored
Sleeves run short or long	Change your sleeve length selection first
You are unsure of your measurements	Select I DON'T KNOW or book a video consultation

Do not change your whole size to fix one problem area. A sleeve or length issue has its own selection.

Common Measuring Mistakes

BomCrewMall sells two pilot shirt lines.

	Standard Fit	Tailored
Fit options	Slim or Regular	Trim, Classic, or Comfort
Fabric choice	Lockheed or Super Bamboo	Pegasus, Super Bamboo, Miami, or Lockheed
Ordering	Fewer decisions, faster	More steps, more control
Best when	Standard sizing fits correctly	Standard sizing forces a compromise

For most pilots, Tailored is the better choice. A Standard Fit shirt is built around one collar size, so the body is a best guess. Tailored is cut to your chest, stomach, hips, and neck together, so it sits cleaner and looks sharper in uniform. Many pilots have only ever worn stock sizes and do not know a shirt cut to them is available. If a Standard Fit shirt already fits you well everywhere, it is still a good choice.

For a broader comparison of fit, fabric, and uniform considerations, explore our Best Women's Pilot Shirts guide.

No More Tailor Visits

Most pilots who buy a stock tailored pilot shirt end up at a tailor to take in the waist or fix the sleeves. That costs money each time, and it costs days at home that you do not get back. A custom pilot shirt from BomCrewMall's Tailor Your Way process is cut to you from the start, so it arrives ready to wear. No tailor visit, no alteration bill, no waiting.

Common Measuring Mistakes

Mistake	Better approach
Pulling the tape tight for a smaller number	Let the tape rest against your body without compressing it
Holding your stomach in	Stand relaxed and measure naturally
Expanding your chest	Breathe normally
Measuring over bulky clothing	Measure over thin clothing
Changing posture between measurements	Stand the same way for all four
Letting the tape slip while measuring alone	Ask someone to keep it level

FAQ

Find answers to common questions about our products and services

How do I measure for a pilot shirt?

Measure your chest, stomach, hips, and neck while standing naturally. Keep the tape level and resting against your body without pulling it tight.

Should I measure myself or use my usual shirt size?

Measure yourself. Sizing differs between manufacturers and proportions differ between pilots, so measurements are the more reliable basis.

What if I do not know my size?

Select I DON'T KNOW and provide your chest, stomach, hips, and neck measurements, or book a short video consultation.

What if my measurements fall between two sizes?

Describe it in your fit notes and compare Standard Fit with Tailored. If one area fits and another does not, Tailored gives you more control.

Is Tailored better than Standard Fit?

For most pilots, yes. A Standard Fit shirt is built around one collar size, so the body is a best guess. Tailored is cut to your chest, stomach, hips, and neck together, so it sits cleaner and looks sharper in uniform. If a Standard Fit shirt already fits you well everywhere, it is still a good choice.

How tight should I hold the tape?

The tape rests against your body without compressing it. A tight tape gives a number smaller than your real measurement.

Can someone else measure me?

Yes. A second person keeps the tape level and the numbers consistent.

Do I need to take my pilot shirt to a tailor after I buy it?

No. A Tailored shirt arrives already cut to you, so there are no tailor visits and no alteration costs after you buy. You save the alteration bill and the time it takes to drop off, wait and collect. For a pilot with only a few days at home, that time matters most.

Can I reorder the same shirt later?

Yes. BomCrewMall saves your measurements and preferences, so repeat orders are faster and more consistent.