How to Find Your Size for Belly Dance Wear on MissBellyDance

Updated

MissBellyDance provides its own size charts for costumes, tops, and pants, plus an international shoe size chart, and the site states plainly that "sizes mean nothing" because one manufacturer's size 8 is another's size 12. The reliable method is to ignore the number on the tag and measure your body instead. You'll need a cloth tape measure and a full-length mirror, and the site recommends measuring undressed or in lightweight clothes, keeping the tape snug but not tight, standing tall without slouching, and having a friend take the measurements for the best results.

What You Need Before You Start

  • A cloth tape measure (not a stiff metal one)
  • A full-length mirror
  • Lightweight clothing or no clothing
  • Ideally, a second person to hold the tape and read the numbers

The site's sizing guidance is built around body measurements rather than standard dress sizes, so write your numbers down before you open any product page.

The Measurements MissBellyDance Asks For

The site lists these specific measurement points:

Measurement Where to Measure
Around rib cage / under bust Around the rib cage, directly under the bust
Upper hip / top of belt At the upper hip, where the top of a belt would sit
Lower hip 4" below the top of the belt line
Skirt / pants length From the upper hip down to the bottom of the skirt or pants

Keep your arms at your sides while measuring, and pull the tape snug against the body without compressing it. For the lower hip, the 4" offset below the belt line is the detail most people skip — it's what keeps a hip scarf or skirt from sitting too high or too low.

Step-by-Step: Measuring Yourself

  1. Stand in front of the full-length mirror in lightweight clothing or undressed.
  2. Stand up straight — the site specifically warns against slouching, since it changes your torso and hip measurements.
  3. Wrap the tape around your rib cage, just under the bust. Keep it level all the way around.
  4. Measure your upper hip at the point where a belt top would rest.
  5. Measure your lower hip 4" below that belt line.
  6. For skirts and pants, run the tape from the upper hip down to where you want the hem to fall.
  7. Have a friend read the numbers if possible, so the tape stays level and you stay relaxed.
  8. Write everything down and compare against the relevant chart on the site: Size Chart for Costumes, Size Chart for Tops, or Size Chart for Pants.

Using the Charts Correctly

MissBellyDance separates its charts by garment type — costumes, tops, and pants each have their own — so match your measurements to the chart for the specific item you're buying, not a single universal chart. There is also an International Shoe Size Chart covering US/Canada, Australia, Europe, Mexico, Japan, and UK conversions if you're buying footwear.

A worked example: if your under-bust measures 34" and your upper hip measures 38", you'd look for the costume size whose chart ranges contain both numbers, rather than defaulting to a size 8 or 10. If your numbers fall between two sizes, the product pages themselves are the place to check fit notes — for instance, the Belly Dance 25 yrd Cotton Skirt listing notes a 37" skirt length and an elastic waist that stretches from 26" to 50", which tells you the waist has far more give than the length does.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Trusting the tag size. The site's own guidance says manufacturer sizes are inconsistent, so a number alone tells you little.
  • Measuring over bulky clothing. It adds inches and skews the fit.
  • Pulling the tape too tight. Snug, not tight — a compressed measurement will make the garment arrive too small.
  • Skipping the lower hip. Measuring only at the waist misses where skirts and belts actually sit.
  • Measuring alone and leaning. Without a mirror or a helper, the tape tends to tilt and the numbers drift.

Quick Reference

  • Measure under bust, upper hip, lower hip (4" below belt top), and skirt/pants length.
  • Use the chart that matches the garment type: costumes, tops, or pants.
  • Check individual product listings for fixed dimensions — the cotton skirt above lists both a 37" length and a 26"–50" stretch waist.
  • Note that the site marks some sale items as "ALL SALES FINAL," so getting the measurement right before ordering matters more on those pieces.
  • Delivery on the cotton skirt listing is stated as shipping within 24 business hours, so sizing questions are best resolved before you place the order rather than after.