A long and thin strip of plastic or metal, etched with scales. The plastic tape measure is usually short (around 150 cm, although really long ones can reach hundreds of meters) and used by a tailor to take body measurements for clothes-making. The metal ones are usually longer (up to 5 meters and housed in a small dispenser to avoid cutting the hand of its user) and used by carpenters and builders. The dressmaking-related ones are commonly used in the act of bust measuring.
