At Cuddledown, we understand the frustration we all feel about sizing when shopping for clothing. There is no standard sizing in the industry – it varies from brand to brand. What may be a size 10 in one brand, may fit like a size 6 in another.

At Cuddledown, we offer a variety of brands as well as those we've developed ourselves, and we are continuously working to improve size standards… To help your shopping experience, we thought we'd offer you some tips on measuring to determine the correct size and what to look for in terms of fit. The best way to measure is to ask a friend, or even better, a professional tailor to take your measurements. Using a flexible tape measure, you can measure the following spots on the body, being sure to keep the tape snug, but NOT tight.

For the Bust or chest – place the tape around the body under the arms so it hits the fullest part of the bust or chest (women should wear whatever bra they'll be wearing with that particular item).

For Waist – find your natural waist by bending to one side and finding the crease. Measure by placing the tape around your waist without pulling it tight.

For Hips – measure the fullest part of your hips and rear (usually about 7-10 inches below the waist).

For Hem length (for tops, dresses, nightgowns, etc.) – measure from the highest point of the shoulder to wherever you want the hem to fall (ankle length, knee length, waist length and so on)

Here at Cuddledown, we list the length of a medium size as a guideline. Small sizes tend to run slightly shorter, and Large and Extra Larges, slightly longer.

For Inseam (for pants and pajama bottoms) – measure from the crotch down to whatever length (ankle, calf, knee etc.). We list inseam for the majority of our apparel and sleepwear.

For Sleeve Length – place the end of the tape at the nape (center back) of your neck, and measure to your shoulder, then down the outside of your arm to the wrist (or bicep, elbow or wherever you are measuring). The total amount of inches is your sleeve length.

With your measurements in hand, when you shop from our catalog or website, you can use our size charts as a basic guideline. Size charts are available for our apparel items.

With the variety of brands of sleepwear and clothing we offer, we can't provide just one size chart, so be sure to look for the one specific to the item you're shopping. And if you need more information, feel free to speak to one of our customer service representatives.

In addition to the measurement guidelines, other factors come in to play, such as the way the garment fits. Companies use varying definitions for fit, but in general, you can count on the following within the appropriate sizes.

One thing to keep in mind too, is in photos, women's fashions are often shot on a model who is 5'9" or taller, so hem and sleeve lengths may appear shorter than they would on a person who is average height.

If you have any questions about apparel sizes or how to properly measure, our customer service representatives are available online or by phone at 1-800-323-6793.