Most of the returns we receive are not about defects or taste: they are about size. And almost all of them can be avoided with half a minute and a strip of paper. This is the guide we use in the workshop to decide how much elastic to cut, and the same one we recommend you follow before ordering.
What you need
A flexible tape measure, the sewing kind. If you do not have one, a one-centimetre-wide strip of paper and a ruler will do. Do not use a rigid carpenter's tape: it does not follow the bone and reads too large.
How to measure
- Wrap the tape around your wrist just above the bone, where you would normally wear a watch. Not on the hand, not halfway up the forearm.
- Tighten the tape until it touches the skin without squeezing. It should leave no mark and have no slack.
- Note the measurement in centimetres. That is your wrist measurement, not your bracelet size.
- If you are using paper, mark the crossing point with a pen and measure the strip against the ruler.
Measure the wrist you will actually wear the bracelet on: left and right usually differ by half a centimetre. And measure in the afternoon, when the wrist is slightly wider than first thing in the morning.
From wrist measurement to size
You need to add ease to the wrist measurement. How much depends on the bead size, because bigger beads take up more room on the inside:
- 4 mm beads: add 1 cm.
- 6 mm beads: add 1.5 cm.
- 8 mm beads: add 2 cm.
- 10 mm beads: add 2.5 cm.
Example: a 16 cm wrist with 8 mm beads calls for an 18 cm bracelet. With 6 mm, 17.5 cm. If you like loose bracelets that drop onto the hand, add another half centimetre; if you prefer them snug, subtract half.
Our sizes
Elastic bracelets for her (4 and 6 mm): S 16 cm, M 17.5 cm, L 19 cm. M fits most feminine wrists between 15 and 16.5 cm.
Elastic bracelets for him (8 and 10 mm): M 18.5 cm, L 20 cm, XL 21.5 cm. L is the most ordered size and fits wrists from 17.5 to 18.5 cm.
Sets and stacks: S 17 cm, M 18.5 cm, L 20 cm, designed for wearing two or three bracelets together, which need a little more room than a single one.
Adjustable cords: the sliding knot covers 14 to 22 cm, so they fit almost any adult. The Kids version runs from 11 to 16 cm.
Chains: they carry a 3 cm extender and cover 16 to 19 cm. If your wrist measures over 18 cm, write to us: we can lengthen the chain at no cost.
Wraps: sold by total length. Multiply your bracelet size (measurement plus ease) by the number of wraps and subtract 1 cm per wrap, which is what the cord uses up as it turns. A 16 cm wrist in three wraps of 4 mm calls for about 50 cm: size M.
Rings and anklets
For rings we use US sizes. Measure the inside diameter of a ring that fits well on that finger: 16.5 mm is a 6; 17.3 mm a 7; 18.2 mm an 8; 18.9 mm a 9; 19.8 mm a 10. Adjustable open rings cover sizes 5 to 9.
For anklets, measure just above the ankle bone and add 1.5 cm. Our sizes are S 21 cm, M 23 cm and L 25 cm; adjustable cords run from 18 to 26 cm.
If you are between two sizes
Choose the larger in 8 and 10 mm beads, which fit more snugly than they look, and the smaller in 4 mm beads and chains, which tend to spin on the wrist if there is spare length. And if you are gifting without being able to measure, an adjustable cord or an open ring takes the problem off your hands.