There is no hard and fast rule for how long a stole should be.  It is a matter of personal preference. Some people like their stoles to reach just above or below their knees; others like them to be ankle-length. The only thing that seems to be close to universal is that almost all pastors seem to like their stole to be at least a little bit shorter than the length of their robes. The easiest way to measure for a stole is to measure the length of a stole that the wearer has and likes, but below are several ways to measure.

What you’ll need

You’ll need ONE of the following:  

a stole that the intended wearer has and likes the length of

OR

the person this stole is intended for

OR

a person of approximately the same height and build who is willing to be the stunt double

and

a flexible measuring tape (available at fabric stores)

OR

string or yarn and a tape measure

OR

string or yarn and a yardstick

Measuring using an existing stole:

First, fold the stole in half. Place it on a flat surface and measure from the center back to the end of the stole. (Measure the side that comes closer to the neck rather than the outside of the stole.). If you have a tape measure, use that:

Measuring the person:

Measure from the center back of the neck down to where the wearer wishes the stole to end. Ideally, the wearer will be wearing his/her robe, but this will not generally affect the measurement too much.

IMPORTANT: If you are measuring yourself, do not lean over while determining your stole length. Either have someone else check the measurement, OR use your hand to secure the tape measure to your thigh before bending over to see the length.

If measuring is not possible

Sometimes, it is just not possible to take a measurement. Below are some guidelines that you can use:

People 5’5” and shorter – 46”-51”

People between 5’6” and 5’11” – 48-53”

People over 6’ – 50”-55”

Some of my stoles can be made shorter if needed, and I can often re-create a stole in a different length.

If all else fails

Go with 50″. This length will be a little long on someone 5’2″, and a little short on someone 6’2″, but will fall below the knee and above the ankle on both. Feel free to contact me if you require assistance determining stole length.