SIZING & MEASUREMENTS
if you're unsure what measurements are, please take the time to read the information below and find out.

• MEASEUREMENTS. our items are given an "approximate" letter size, such as XS, S, M, L, XL. this letter size is a reference to what the garment "fits like", but should not determine whether the garment will fit you. here at bleubird, we measure all of our garments laying flat. we will note the shoulder measurements, the sleeve length, the bust, the waist, hips, inseam and length of the garment when applicable. the bust, waist and hips measurements need to be doubled. for example if the bust measurment is marked 15" then the bust's true measurement would be 30".
  *please note that the measurements given are NOT body measurements. they are garment measurements and should be slightly larger than your body measurements. the extra space or "ease" is important to allow you to move around normally and wear a garment comfortably.

• KNOW YOUR MEASUREMENTS. it is very important that you know your measurements before buying one our our items so you can determine the correct fit.if you know your body measurements then your off to a great start. you want the garment measurement to be at least 2" larger than your body measurements to ensure that it is the correct size. if you do not know your body measurements then the easiest way to do determine the garment will fit is to find a similar item in your closet that fits well. lay it flat, then measure and compare it's measurements to ours. if they are similar then our garment will fit you properly.

• HOW TO MEASURE A GARMENT.
  SHOULDERS: the shoulders are measured straight across the garment, laying flat, from one shoulder seam to the other. if there are no shoulder seams then the shoulders will be measured straight across and given as an approximte.
  
  BUST: the bust is measured from one under arm to the other laying flat and then doubled.
  
  SLEEVE LENGTH: the sleeves are measured from one shoulder seam straight down the arms length to the cuff. if there is no shoulder seam then the measurement will be taken from under the arm down to the cuff.
  
  WAIST: the waist is measured straight across from one waist seam to the other and then doubled. garments with elastic waistlines will have 2 measurements listed. one with the elastic unstretched and one with elastic stretched to it maximum.
  
  HIPS: the hips are measured approximately 7" below the waistline and then doubled. for garments that have full hip measurements suck as skirted dresses, we will note that by writing OPEN in the hip measurements place.
  
  INSEAM: the inseam is measured (for pants and shorts) from the top of the crotch down to the hem.
  
  LENGTH: the length is measured (for dresses, coats and blouses) from the very top seam by the shoulders down to the hem, not including collars if there is one. pants, skirts and shorts are measured from the top down to the bottom hem.

• SHOE & BOOT MEASUREMENTS. vintage shoes vary in size even when marked. they usually run about a size or two smaller then todays standard shoe sizes. we provide several accurate measurements to determine the size of our footwear.
  
  INSIDE LENGTH: the inside length is measured from the toe to heel on the inside sole of the shoe. (the shoes shape can make measuring the inside length vary), for example a pointy toed shoe will result in a longer inside length where as a rounded toe shoe will be shorter. be sure to compare measurements with a similar toe shoe in your closet that fits well to determine the correct size.
  
  INSTEP WIDTH: the instep width is measured straight across the widest part of the bottom of the shoe. if the sole of the shoe is wider than the actual instep width, which is the case with some boots, then we will measure the width from where the actual instep width starts.
  
  HEEL HEIGHT: the heel height is measured from the top of the heel to the end of the heel.
  
  BOOT HEIGHT: the boot height is usually noted for boots only and is measured from the very top of the boot down to the bottom of the heel.
  
  BOOT CIRCUMFRENCE: the circumfrence is measured only on boots and is measured straight across the top or opening of the boot and is then doubled.
  
  if you still have questions reguarding sizing and measurements, please contact us.