The high hip is measured around the top of your hip curve, roughly 2 to 4 inches below your natural waist and above the widest part of your hips. It sits over the upper edge of your pelvic bone (the iliac crest), and it’s a distinct measurement from the full hip that many people are more familiar with. Getting it right matters for fitting skirts, pants, and corsets that sit between the waist and the widest point of the hips.
Where Exactly Is the High Hip?
Your high hip sits at the top of your hip curve, right over the bony ridge you can feel at the top of your pelvis. If you place your hands on your sides and slide them down from your waist, you’ll hit a bony ledge. That’s the iliac crest, and the high hip measurement wraps around your body at that level. A common guideline in fashion design places it about 7 inches below the natural waist, though this varies depending on your torso length.
This is not the same spot as your full hip (sometimes called the low hip). The full hip is the widest circumference of your lower body, typically around the fullest part of your buttocks and the tops of your thighs. The high hip is always above that point. Depending on your body shape, the difference between the two measurements can range from less than an inch to several inches. Both measurements serve different purposes in garment construction, and one cannot substitute for the other.
What You Need
- A flexible cloth or vinyl tape measure. Metal or rigid tape won’t follow your body’s contours accurately.
- A full-length mirror. You need to verify the tape is level all the way around.
- Minimal clothing. Measure over underwear or fitted base layers only. Bulky fabric adds to the circumference and throws off your number.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Stand upright with your feet together. Spreading your feet apart widens your stance and inflates the measurement. Keep your posture natural: don’t suck in your stomach, don’t push your hips forward, and don’t lock your knees. Research on body scanning has confirmed that posture changes hip circumferences meaningfully, so consistency matters here.
Find the top of your hip curve by pressing your fingertips into your sides just below your waist. You’re feeling for the upper swell of the pelvis and, frankly, where your body starts to curve outward over the pelvic bone and the beginning of your backside. Mark that spot mentally or with a small piece of painter’s tape if it helps.
Hold one end of the tape measure against one side of your high hip. Wrap it around your back, across both sides, and bring the other end to meet the starting point at the front. Check in the mirror that the tape is parallel to the floor the entire way around. Even a slight dip or twist will give you a false reading. The tape should be snug against your skin but not compressing it. A good test: you should be able to slide one finger underneath the tape, but not two.
Read the number where the free end of the tape overlaps the starting point. If you’re between markings, round up to the nearest eighth of an inch (or half centimeter). Take the measurement two or three times and use the most consistent result.
High Hip vs. Full Hip: Why Both Matter
The high hip measurement captures the circumference at the top of your hip curve. The full hip captures the widest point below that. Garments that are meant to skim the body between the waist and the widest hip, like pencil skirts, high-waisted trousers, and longer corsets, rely on the high hip measurement to fit smoothly through that transition zone. If a pattern only uses your full hip, the fabric between your waist and widest point may gap, pull, or hang unevenly.
The full hip measurement, on the other hand, is what keeps skirt hems level and ensures fitted dresses don’t ride up over a pronounced stomach or backside. For most sewing patterns, you’ll eventually need both numbers. Some commercial patterns list only the full hip, but independent pattern makers and custom tailoring almost always ask for the high hip as well.
Common Mistakes That Skew the Number
Measuring in the wrong spot is the most frequent error. If you go too low, you’re capturing part of the full hip. If you go too high, you’re measuring the waist. Spend a moment feeling for that bony ridge on your pelvis and position the tape there before wrapping.
Tape tension is the second biggest issue. Pulling too tight compresses soft tissue and gives you a number that’s too small, which means garments will be uncomfortably snug. Letting the tape hang loose gives you a number that’s too large, resulting in excess fabric. The one-finger rule keeps you in the right range consistently.
Posture drift catches people off guard. Shifting your weight to one foot, leaning slightly forward, or tensing your core all change the measurement. Stand evenly on both feet, relax your abdomen, and breathe normally. If you notice yourself holding your breath, exhale and start over.
Clothing bulk is an easy one to overlook. Jeans, leggings with thick waistbands, or even a tucked-in shirt can add a quarter inch or more. Measure over bare skin or thin, close-fitting underwear only.
High Hip in Health Measurements
If you’ve come across the high hip in a health or fitness context, it’s worth knowing that clinical waist-to-hip ratios use slightly different landmarks. The National Cancer Institute recommends measuring waist circumference at the iliac crest (which aligns closely with the high hip) and hip circumference at the trochanters, the bony bumps near the top of your thigh bones. So the “hip” number in a health ratio is the full hip, not the high hip. The high hip zone overlaps more with clinical waist measurements than with clinical hip measurements, which can be confusing if you’re comparing sewing numbers to health screening numbers.
Recording and Using Your Measurement
Write down your high hip alongside your waist, full hip, and the distance between your waist and high hip (measure straight down your side from one to the other). That vertical distance helps pattern makers and tailors position design lines correctly on your body. Remeasure every few months or whenever your weight changes noticeably, since the high hip area can fluctuate with changes in body composition. Store your measurements in the same units (inches or centimeters) you’ll use for your patterns to avoid conversion errors.