Phrases › Asking for Size › Può misurarmi il petto?

Può misurarmi il petto?

Can you measure my chest?

Pronunciation

'Petto' — PET-to. Double 't' — sharp stop.

When to use it

Ask this in shirt shops, tailors, or when buying suits. Chest measurement in centimetres is the basis of Italian shirt sizing. Knowing it eliminates guesswork.

What it means

'Può misurarmi' — 'can you measure me' using the reflexive indirect object 'mi' (to me). 'Il petto' is the chest. Shirt sizing in Italy uses chest circumference in cm divided by 2: a chest of 96cm = collar size 38. 'Petto' can also refer to the chest of a garment.

Variations

Che taglia di camicia porto?

What shirt size do I take?

General shirt size question.

Porto il collo trentotto.

I take a collar size thirty-eight.

Italian shirt sizing by collar.

Qual è la mia taglia in centimetri?

What is my size in centimetres?

Asks for cm measurement.

Mini Dialogue

Cliente: Non conosco la mia taglia di camicia italiana. Può misurarmi il petto? Commesso: Certo — novantasei centimetri. Lei porta un collo trentotto. Cliente: E in taglia generale? Commesso: Sarebbe una M italiana.

Customer: I don't know my Italian shirt size. Can you measure my chest? Assistant: Of course — ninety-six centimetres. You take a collar thirty-eight. Customer: And in general size? Assistant: That would be an Italian M.

Cultural Note

Italian shirt sizing is traditionally collar-based (collo) in centimetres: 37, 38, 39, 41, 43, 45. High-quality Italian shirts (Borriello, Finamore, Barba) are cut for slim Italian proportions and may need to be ordered in a larger size.

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