If you want to make clothes that fit well, knowing where to measure your hips is important. The hips are the widest point of your lower body, and it's important to find this area accurately when measuring your hips. The best method for measuring your hips is to use a flexible tape measure. This helps ensure that the measurement is accurate and does not twist. It also feels more comfortable against your skin than other types of measuring tools, so you'll be more likely to take a full measurement.
Before you start measuring, remove any outer clothing, but leave on thin undergarments. Then stand with your feet together and relaxed. Place the beginning of the measuring tape on your front hip, and wrap it around to the back of your body, securing it with your thumb. Move the tape measure up and down on your hips to locate the widest point of your buttocks. Once you've found this point, write down the measurement at the meeting point of the ends of the tape.
For men, it may be harder to locate the widest portion of their hips, because their hips don't curve out as obviously as those of women. However, they can use the ilia (the point of the hip bones) as a starting point, which is usually about one-and-a-half to two inches above the crotch.
Once you know your hip measurements, you can compare them to a sizing chart to find the right size for you. You'll also be able to avoid common medical dangers like heart disease and diabetes by having an understanding of your waist-to-hip ratio.