Waist
The narrowest part of the torso as a body measurement, or the width of a waistband on a garment.
As a body measurement, the natural waist is the narrowest part of the torso, usually just above the belly button.
On pants, skirts and shorts, waist width is measured straight across the top of the waistband with the garment laid flat and relaxed. Doubling it gives the approximate waist circumference.
The waist size printed on a pair of jeans, such as 32, is usually in inches and may not match the measured waistband exactly. A measured size chart removes the guesswork.
BWaistMeasurement B: Lay the garment flat and measure across the waistband from edge to edge, relaxed (not stretched).
Related terms
Size charts that use waist
37 templates
Jotly adds a size chart with a labelled how-to-measure drawing and a cm/in switch to your Shopify product pages.