Sizing & Fit
For any strap product that fits your body, you'll want it to be both comfortable and functional. Proper sizing is essential to enjoyment of your items, so please keep the following in mind:
Measure with a flexible measuring tape (tailor's tape), and do NOT snug the tape so hard it pinches your skin. Measurements should be without gap, but not moving skin or the fat beneath the skin to deformity. Round your measurements up to the nearest half inch for cuffs, and to the nearest inch for all other body parts. Example: your neck is 16.25, round up to 17. Your wrist is 6.25, round up to 6.5.
Once you have accurate measurements of any body part where a strap will span (hip, wrist, ankle, neck, chest, etc), think about how much weight you may gain or lose within the next 2 years. Each 10 pounds/4.5 kilograms represents approximately 1 inch/26mm of hip size, and a quarter inch/7mm on wrists/ankles/neck. Buy your leather items with the future in mind, and the fit range you are likely to require.
If you are buying items to be worn by multiple people, like wrist cuffs, think about the entire size range you'll need.
When you order ANY item in Lagarto's catalog, you will be purchasing the LARGEST FIT SIZE POSSIBLE for your product, and asking for the additional adjustment SMALLER than that fit. For example, if you have a dog that has a 17.5" neck, order the 18" fit with 2 inches of smaller adjustment. This will give you 5 holes, each spaced half an inch apart, starting at 16 and going to 18. Dog necks are only slightly smaller than their heads, so you want a "normal to snug fit", and this can be achieved within this range. Is your dog really REALLY well behaved, and ok with a looser fit? then order 19, with 2 inches of adjustment so it fits 17-19.
Similarly, if you want a set of wrist cuffs that has a "universal fit", get it starting at 8 inches, and ask for 3 inches less also... that will mean it fits from 5-8 inches, and that covers 90% of all humans over the age of 15.
To achieve this fit range, overlap of some kind will occur. On single strap items such as belts and simple collars, the buckle will have either a small amount going past the buckle or a lot. I don't recommend more than 3 inches of adjustment on MOST items, because the strap flopping past the buckle is annoying and distracting, it can also get folded and stick out like Dilbert's tie. On double strap items. like the cuffs or padded collars, the inner pad strap will overlap, while the outer buckle strap will take up the slack. Same issue occurs with double strap items, longer straps will hang out on the smaller fit range. With cuffs in particular, try for a fit that is not more than 2 inches of adjustment, you will be happier, I promise you.
At any time in the life of your product you purchased from Lagarto, if you find it no longer fits, you may trade it in for a rebuild at half price. This trade in policy also covers ANY loss of use: cat dragged it into the litter box (this one is now my personal favorite excuse), it got shredded by an angry lover, it was inadvertently left in a sweaty dirty clothes bag for a month... whatever the case, as long as you have it, it can be traded in and half it's value credited toward your new order.
If you have ANY questions about sizing and fit, please ask before you order, rather than after items arrive. It's easy for me to accommodate any request, and I want you to LOVE the items you buy.
If you want to reduce the size of your cuff or collar pad at home yourself, watch this instructional video I made illustrating the procedure. You'll need: utility knife with a new blade, straight edge, ruler, cutting board, and some experience working with tools.