patternmaking for fashion designers

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P A T T E R N M A K I N G

F O R F A S H I O N D E S I G N E R S

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L O R I A . K N O W L E S



The Practical Guide to Patternmaking

for Fashion Designers



The Practical Guide to Patternmaking

for Fashion Designers

Junio rs, M isses, and JiI lO m en

Lori A. Knowles

Fairchild Publications, Inc.

New York



Assistant Acquisitions Editor : Jaclyn Bergeron

Development Editor: Jason Moring

Associate Development Ed itor : Suzette Lam

Pr oduction Manager : Ginger Monaco

Associate Pr oduction Ed itor s: Eliza beth Marotta and Beth Cohen

Copy Ed itor: Donna Frassetto

Photography: Matt Knowles , A esthetic Design and Photography

Interior Design: Mar y N eal Meador

All rights r eser ved. No part of this book cove re d by the copyr ight her eon may be reproduced or used in any

f om1 or by any means-gr a phic, electr onic, or mechanical, includ ing photocopying, record ing, taping, or

inf or mation stor age and retrieval systems-without written per mission of the pu blisher.

Li brary of Congr ess Catalog Car d Num ber: 2005920035

ISB N: 1-56367-328-2

GST R 133004424



Ext ended Contents vn

Preface xv

CH APTER 1

CH APTER 2

CH APTER 3

CH APTER 4

CH APTER 5

CH APTER 6

CH APTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CH APTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CH APTER 18

CH APTER 19

CH APTER 20

A pPENDIX A

ApPENDIX B

ApPENDIX C

ApPENDIX D

ApPENDIX E

ApPENDIX F

Introduction to Pattern making 1

Taking Measurements, Body For ms , and Li ve Models 19

Drafting the Sloper Set 43

Dr aping the Sloper Set 81

Dart Manipulatio n f or Bodices, Sleeves, and Skirts 105

Collar and Neckline Theor y and Develo pment 135

Sleeve Theory and Development 16 3

Dar t Equivalents As Stylelines, Gathers, Pleats, and Release Tucks 187

Ad ded Ful lness and Flares, and Added Ease 22 5

The Torso Sloper and Its Uses 257

The Jacket Sloper and Its Uses 289

The Coat Sloper and Its Uses 315

The Dartless Jean Sloper and Its Uses 333

Special Body Forms, Live Models, and Contoured St yles 35 1

Patterns for Fabric Used on the Bias Grainlin e 369

Patterns for Fabrics That Stretch 38 9

Patterns for Fabrics That Shrink 41 5

Linings 42 3

Knockoff Pattern Techniques 43 9

Pro duction Pattern Techniques 447

Quart er-Scale Sloper Set for Misses' Size Twelve 45 5

Metric Conv er sion Chart 46 1

Fractions of Inches to Decimal Point Chart 462

French Cur ve 46 3

Samp le Pattern Chart 46 4

Sample Specification Sheets .465

Glo ssary 46 7

Index 47 7



Preface xv

Acknowledgments xv

CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Patternmaking 1

Intr oduction 1

Patter n making for the Fashion Industry 2

Ob jective 3

Key Terms 3

Fabric Gr ainlines 3

Pattern Gr ainlines 4

Marker 4

Pattern Labeling 5

Seam Allowance 8

Hem Allowance 10

Pattern Marking 12

Grading a Size Range 13

Tools and Equipment Used in Pattern making 14

Notions 16

Summary 16

Questions 17

CH APTER 2 Taking Measurements, Body Forms, and Live Models 19

Introduction 19

Objective 19

Checklist for Taking Measurements 20

Preparing the Body Form 20

Preparing Live Models 21

Upper Torso Measurements 23

Arm Measurements 28

Lower Torso and Leg Measur ements 30

Size Char ts f or Junior's, Misses', and Women's Sizes 32

Summary 32

Questions 33

Learning Activities 33



CHAPTER 3 Drafting the Sloper Set 43Introduction 43

Objective 44

Checklist f or Drafting the Sloper Set 44

Gener al Instructions 44

Draf ting the Bodice for Junior's, Misses', and Women's Sizes 45

Draf ting the Fitted Set-In Sleeve for Junior 's, Misses', and Women's Sizes 52

Drafting the Two-Dar t Skirt for Junior's, Misses', and Women's Sizes 56

Dr afting the One-Dart Skirt f or Junior 's, Misses', and Women's Sizes 6 0

Drafting the Two-Dart Trouser for Junior 's, Misses', and Women's Sizes 62

Dr afting the One-Dart Trouser for Junior 's, Misses', and Women's Sizes 68

Test Fitting the Sloper Set and Cr eating the Two-Dart Front Bodice 70

Summary 75

Questions 75


CHAPTER 4 Draping the Sloper Set 81

Intr oduction 81

Objective 81

Checklist for Dr aping the Sloper Set 81

General Instructions 82

Pr epar ing the Body Form 82

Blocking Muslin 82

Two-Dar t Bodice f or Junior's, Misses', and Women's Sizes 83

Two-Dart Skir t f or Junior's, Misses', and Women's Sizes 94

Checking the Trued Bodice and Skirt Dr apes on the Form 101

Transf er r ing the Trued Drapes onto Paper 102

Final Truing of Bodice and Skirt f or Junior's, Misses', and Women's Sizes 103

Summary 103

Questions 103


CH APTER 5 Dar t Manipulation f or Bodices, Sleeves, and Skirts 105

Introduction 105

Objective 107

Style 0501: Front Bodice with Shoulder Tip Dart and Center Front Waist Dart 107

Style 0502: Front Bodice with Two Waist Darts 110

Style 0503: Back Bodice with Neck and Waist Dar ts 112

Style 0504: Front Bodice with Converging Center Front Darts 114

Style 0505: Sleeve with Two Elbow Dar ts 116

Style 0506: Fr ont Skirt with Inver ted V Darts 119

Style 0507: Front Skirt with Hor izontal Side Seam Darts 120



Style 0508: Cur ved Dart Dress 722

Pattern Chart for Style 0508 737

Specif ication Sheets for Style 0508 732

Summary 734

Questions 734

Pr actice Problems 734

CHAPTER 6 Coll ar and Neckli ne Theory and Development 135

Introduction 735

Objective 737

Recreating the Proportions of a Design Sketch 737

Style 0601: Bateau Neckline, Bodice with Intersecting Cur ved Dar ts 738

Style 0602: Funnel Neckline, Bodice with Neck Dar ts . 740

Style 0603: Tie Collar , Bodice with Center Front Darts and Placket 744

Style 0604: Straight Rolled Collar , Bodice with Zip Fr ont and French Darts 748

Style 0605: One-Shoulder Neckline, Bodice with Contoured Darts 752

Style 0606: Sailor Collar with Asymmetr ical Button-Front Bodice 755

Pattern Chart f or Style 0606 767

Summar y 767

Questions 762

Practice Pr oblems 762

Sleeve Theory and Development

763

763

CHAPTER 7

Introduction

Sleeve Theory

Ob jective 763

Dartless Sleeve Sloper 764

Style 0701: Petal Sleeve 766

Style 0702: Dropped Shoulder Sleeve and Bodice 768

Style 0703: Long Sleeve with Upper Cap Combined with Bodice

Style 0704: Squar e Ar mhole Sleeve and Bodice 774

Style 0705: Modified Kimono Bodice with Gussets 776

Style 0706: Dolman Sleeve, Dartless Wraparound Top 779


Summary 785

Questions 786

Practice Problems

CHAPTER 8 Dart Equivalents As Stylelines, Gathers, Pleats, and Release Tucks ... 187

Introduction 787

Objective 788

Style 0801: Bodice with Square Neckline and Release Tucks 788



Style 0802: Bodice with Armhole Princess Styleline, Sweetheart Neckline,

and Cap Sleeves 192

Style 0803: Bodice with Yoke, Gathers, Shawl Collar, and Short Sleeves 196

Style 0804: Bodice with Stand Collar, Bare Shoulders, and Bust-Level Styleline 200

Style 0805: Bodice with Front Yoke, Back Pleats, Raglan Sleeves, and Convertible Collar 204

Style 0806: Skirt with Gathered Waist, Kick Pleat, Waistband, and Back Zipper 209

Style 0807: Skirt, Princess Line, Overlapped Waistband, Back Zipper , and Slit 211

Style 0808: Trouser with Stitched Pleats, Fly Front, Front Insert Pockets,

Back Double Piping Pockets, and Cuffs 215


Summar y 222

Questions 223Practice Problems 223

CH APTER 9 Added Fullness and Flares, and Added Ease 225

Intr oduction 225

Objective 225

Style 0901: Top with Two Layers, Flared with Uneven Hem 226

Style 0902: Blouse with Gathered Front, Buttoned Placket, and Shor t Puf f ed Sleeves

with Control Lining 229

Style 0903: Blouse with Long Full Gathered Sleeves, Flar ed Cuf f Flounces, Peplum,

and Collar 233

Style 0904: Flared Skirt, Waist Finished with Inside Facing 239

Style 0905: Circle Skirt and Waistband 241

Style 0906: Half-Circle Skirt 244

Style 0907: Pant, Pull-On with Low Crotch and Double Elastic Waistband 246

Style 0908: Jumpsuit, Double-Breasted, Wide Flat Collar , and Inverted Box Pleats 248


Summary 255

Questions 25fj

Practice Problems 256

CHAPTER 10 The Torso Sloper and Its Uses 257

Introduction 257

Objective 257

Tor so Sloper 257

Style 1001: Shirt with Box Pleats and Sleeve Placket 262

Style 1002: Shir t, Oversized, with Hidden Button Placket, Buttoned Tabs, Belt,

and Inseam Pockets 267

Style 1003: Vest, Fitted, with Flat Collar 271

Style 1004: Skir t with High Waist and Inser t Pockets 273

Style 1005: Dress with Short Kimono Sleeves and Empire Waist 277

Style 1006: Dress with Modif ied Cape Collar, Low Waist, and Handkerchief Hem 278

Style 1007: Traditional Kimono 282



Patter n Char t for Style 1007 286

Summary 286

Questions 287

Practice Problems 287

CH APTER 11 The Jacket Sloper and Its Uses 289

Intr oduction 289

Ob jective 289

Jacket Sloper: Front, Back, and Sleeve 290

Jacket Sloper , Separ ate Bodice, and Skirt 293

Style 1101: Bolero with Leg-of -Mutton Sleeves 293

Style 1102: Por trait Lapel Jacket, Panel Stylelines, and Front Ties 297

Style 1103: Bomber Jacket, Hidden Zipper Closur e, Elastic-Cased Waist, Epaulets,

and Pouch Pockets with Flaps 302

Style 1104: Single-Br easted Jacket with Low Notched Lapel, Two-Piece Sleeves,

Welt Pockets, Vents, and Bound Buttonholes 306


Summary 314

Questions 314

CHAPTER 12 The Coat Sloper and Its Uses 315

Introduction 315

Objective 315

Coat Sloper: Front, Back, and Sleeve 315

Style 1201: Long Coat, Patch Pockets, Button Tabs, Back Vent,

and Modified Shawl Collar 318

Style 1202: Pea Coat, Double-Breasted, Modified Design with Flared Back

and Adjustable Back Belt 323

Style 1203: Cape with Over-the-Shoulder Yoke, Knife Pleats, and Loose Hood 326

Summary 330

Questions 331

CH APTER 13 The Dartless Jean Sloper and Its Uses 333

Introduction 333

Objective 333

Dartless Jean Sloper 334

Style 1301: Runner 's Shor ts 338

Style 1302: Capri Pants with Low-Rise Waistline 341

Style 1303: Jeans with Slim Fit, Five Pockets, Taper ed Legs, and Zippered Ankles 343

Style 1304: Sailor Pants 347

Summary 350

Questions 350



CHAPTER 14 Special Body Forms, Live Models, and Contoured Styles 351Introduction 351

Additional Measurements Needed for Contoured Styles

Objective 351

Style 1401: Halter Top with Contour ed Br a Cups 352

Style 1402: Gown, Flattened Bust with Boning in Bodice, and Thr ee Separate Tier s

on Skirt 354

Style 1403: Gown, Off -the-Shoulder, Pleated Collar, Boning and Padding, Skirt

with Godets and Train 360

364

365

Summary

Questions

CHAPTER 15 Patterns for Fabric Used on the Bias Grainline 369

Introduction 369

Objective 370

Flat Patterned Bias Torso Sloper 371

Draped Bias Torso Sloper 373

Style 1501: Bias Camisole with Separate Cowl Front 376

Style 1502: Bias Top with Cowl Collar , Short Cowl Drape Sleeves, and Hip Band 378

Style 1503: Bias Skir t with Trumpet Hem 382

Style 1504: Bias Slip Dress with Low Back and Cr isscross Spaghetti Straps 383Summar y 387

Questions 388

CHAPTER 16 Patter ns f or Fabri cs That Str etch 389

Intr oduction 389

Ob jective 391

Knit Torso Sloper Flat Patterned: Front, Back, and Sleeve, for 50-Percent Stretch Fabric

in Width, Only 391

Knit Torso Sloper Dr ape: Front and Back, For 50-Percent Stretch Fabric

in Width, Only 391

Style 1601: Classic Tee Shir t with C rew Neck in Ribbing 395

Style 1602: Knit Shirt with Raglan Sleeves, Shoulder Pads, V Neck, and Cuffs

in Ribbing 395

Knit Full-Length Bodysuit Sloper Dr aft: Front, Back, and Sleeve

for 1OO-Per cent Str etch Fabric in Width and Length 397

Knit Full-Length Bodysuit Sloper Dr ape: Front and Back f or 100-Percent Stretch Fabr ic

in Width and Length 401

Style 1603: Mid-Thigh-Length Bodysuit with U-Fr ont Neck, Racer Back,

and Empir e Seam 404

Knit Legging Sloper Flat Patter ned: Front and Back f or 100-Per cent Stretch Fabr ic

in Width and Length 405



Style 1104: Single-Br easted Jacket, Including Lining, from Chapter 18 447


Summary 453

ApPENDIX A

A pPENDIX B

ApPE NDIX C

A pPE NDIX D

ApPENDIX E

ApPENDIX F

Quarter-Scale Sloper Set for Misses' Size Twelve 45 5

Metric Conversion Chart 461

Fractions of Inches to Decimal Point Chart 462

French Curve 46 3

Sample Pattern Chart 464

Sample Specification Sheets 46 5

Glossary 467

Index 477



Preface

I have had the good f ortune of f inding a

car eer in the fashion industr y that suited

my a bilities, of f ered challenges and excite-

ment, and intr oduced me to many fine,

hard -wor king people. While a stud ent at

the Fashion Institute of Design and Mer-

chandising in San Fr ancisco, Calif or nia, I

d iscover ed that patternmaking was my

area of ex per tise. After a f ew year s of work -

ing full-time in the fashion industr y as a

patter nmak er , I began teaching patter n-

mak ing cour ses at West Valley College in

Saratoga, California, working concur rent-ly as a prof essional patter nmak er for

Marian Clayd en Ine. My stud ents appre-

ciated the hand outs I cr eated to supple-

ment my classes and suggested that I wr ite

a patternmaking textbook . I discussed the

contents of the proposed book with stu-

d ents, other instructor s at the college, and

professional patternmaker s, and , with

their input and my own knowledge and

ex per ience as a pattern mak er and instruc-

tor, und ertook the project.

This textbook demonstrates how to

draft, drape, and flat pattern an array of

gar ment styles in a variety of textiles for

Misses', Junior 's and Women's sizes.

Fashion styles are ever changing; there-

f ore, whenever possible, classic styles are

shown in this text rather than up-to-the-

minute, trend y styles that will become

dated after one season. The styles shown

represent a range of pattern work , from

beginning to advanced.

The content in this book is organized

differ ently from other pattern book s on

the market. I felt it was important to pro-

vide the theor y of pattern making along

with d etailed d rawings of the patter nmak-

ing process. Going through the ste ps

towar d completing a pattern is eff ective

only i f the student und er stand s the

process, and how all of the pieces work

together in a finished garment. Most of

the styles ar e shown complete, including

facings and closures. This a p proach r ein-

f orces the fact that the patternmak er must

consid er how garment pieces such as

bodice, sleeves, collar , and facings wor k

together as a unit, as well as how the gar-

ment is put on. Fitting tips are given for sever al styles to correct fit pr o blems befor e

the fir st sample garment is cut. Emphasis

is placed on the marking and la beling of

patter n pieces, and the listing of the pieces

and notions on pattern charts. Students

ind icated that this appr oach was the most

eff ective, enabling them to under stand the

pattern making pr ocess and apply what

they learned to patterns of their own

design. To further enhance students' edu-

cation, learning activities, pr actice pr o b-

lems, and a glossary are provided .

Women's bodies come in all different

sha pes and sizes, and an ef fort has been

made to accommodate this variety with

detailed size charts and measur ement

tables so that students are not limited to

d esigning for the "perfect" size-8 figure.

While preparing this book , I conducted

exhaustive research on the body measure-

ments of women of different weights,

heights, ages, and ethnicities. With this

information, I developed size charts that

r eflect the aver age proportions of today's

women. These charts should be helpful

for pattern maker s and manufacturer s tr y-

ing to fit the mod em-day publie. The gar -

ment styles ar e shown on d rawings of a

Misses' size-12 bod y f orm, instead of an

elongated fashion figur e, to give students

a more accurate id ea of the actual pr opor -

tions of the finished garment in an aver-

age sIze.

My goals in wr iting this textbook are

to:

• Ex plain the techniques of patter nmak-

ing and mak e them easy to under stand .

• Includ e tips f or improving fit.

• Includ e consider ations of the manufac-

tur ing pr ocess.

• Include a wide var iety of textile uses,

styles, and sizes.

• Help students attain their goals as pr o-

f essionals in the f ashion industr y.

I hope I've achieved these goals and that

this book serves as a useful guide to those

seeking, or alread y possessing, career s in

the fashion ind ustr y as pattern mak er s.

Happy pattern making!

Ackn ow led gments

I would not have written this book with-

out the encouragement of many stud ents

at West Valley College and my co-work ers

at Mar ian Clayden Ine. Some of the

mor e vocal advocates include Justine Ly,

Trang DeHaesleer , Ginna Macar aeg,

Anu God sey, Laur a Brosius, Tina Bui,

LaRhonda Harris, Debbie Lewis, and

Maria Luisa Castillo De Gulick . I wish to

thank all of my students at West Valley

College, who pep pered me with q uestions



at r eq uired me to come up with answer s;

well as those whose designs challenged

y skills, and those who shared their own

xpertise from career s i n the f ashion

dustr y in other countries.

Sally Aitk en and Kaee Min of the

ashion Design and A ppar el Technology

e partment at West Valley College have

en ver y encouraging dur ing my time as

n instructor , and they helped convince

e to write this book . Thank you f or your

p por t, advice, and f riendship, without

hich I could not have completed this

oject!

Thanks are also due to Marian and

oger Clayden, who employed me f or so

any years and pr ovid ed a family atmos-

here in which their employees could feelomf orta ble and flour ish. I learned so

uch while under their wings, a great d eal

f which went into this book . I can't

ank them both enough.

I wish to t hank my wond erf ul hus-

band, Matt Knowles, whose professional

photogr aphy helped to illustrate this text,

and whose computer knowledge hel ped

me learn the pr ogr ams necessar y to com-

plete this textbook. Thank you, too, for

putting up with me dur ing this ver y long

pr ocess!

I consider Mr . Hector Ed ward Lo pez

to be my patternmaking and teaching

mentor. He was one of my instructors at

the Fashion Institute of Design and

Mer chandising in San Fr ancisco, Calif or-

nia. I have tried to emulate his pattern-

making prowess and his engaging, profes-

sional manner as an instr uctor -but I

d on't think I'll ever be as suave as he is!

Fairchild Book s has given me thehonor of having my wor k published , for

which I cannot thank them enough. Olga

Kontzias, Executive Editor , has been a

supporter since I fir st contacted Fair child

and was instrumental in seeing this proj-

ect to f ruition. Olga also put me in touch

with Beth Cohen, Jose ph Mirand a,

Elizabeth Marotta, and others at Fairchild

who have been there to kee p me going,

hel p me stay or ganized , and pull methrough the most stressful times. Thank

you, all! R eviewer s selected by the pu b-

lisher were also velY helpf ul. They includ e

Missy Bye, University of Minnesota;

Betty Davie, K ent State Univer sity; and

Elaine Zar se, Mount Mary College.

To my family, friend s and mod els,

thank you for your continued interest in

my pr o ject, for par ticipating in size meas-

ur ement research, and for listening to my

book u pd ates with eagerness instead of

bor edom. Fr om now on I'll b e able toconver se on a var iety of topics r ather than

just the contents of this and my menswear

book .



1Introduction to Patternmaking

Patternmak ing = patter n draft-ing, pattern draping, and flat

patternmak ing

Figure 1.1

Pattern drafting is a design process that

involves taking measur ements from a per -

son's bod y or a bod y f orm, ad ding ease to

these measur ements (usually), and then

transf erring these measur ements onto a

paper patter n. This is d one using pencils,

tape measures, rulers, curves, scissor s, and

ta pe. The f inished paper pattern is placed

on to p of f abric as a guide to cutting out

gar ment pieces.

Figure 1.2

Pattern draping is a d esign pr ocess that

involves pinning and marking pieces of

f a bric that have been placed on a body

form, or a human bod y, into the desired

shape. These "dr a ped " pieces of fabric are

then corr ected and transferr ed onto paper

using tracing wheels, pencils, rulers,

curves, scissor s, and ta pe. The finished

paper pattern is placed on top of fabric as

a guid e to cutting out garment pieces.

Figure 1.3

Flat patternmaking is a design process in

which a base block , or sloper, is used tocreate a patter n for a new style. The sloper



f r ont bodice

sloper size 12

centuries, machines have been used to

create patterns. Befor e the advent of com-

puters, patterns were always made by

hand . The introduction of body scanner s

to record minute detail about individual

body shape may revolutionize the way

clothing is pr oduced. In the futur e, an

individual's measurements may be sent

directly to a clothing manufacturer, wher e

they will be used to cr eate a custom pat-

ter n that will guide the cutting of the gar-

ment-ail d one by com puter .

Currently, the major ity of clothing

worn by people in ind ustrialized nations is

mass pr oduced in third wor ld countr ies.Clothing manuf acturer s often produce

gar ments off shore to red uce costs to the

manufactur er, which in turn reduces the

r etail cost to the consumer . The f ashion

industry has had its shar e of bad pr ess

a bout the cond itions und er which its

pr oducts are mad e. Manuf acturer s should

d o their utmost to ensure that their wor k -

er s and contr actors ar e treated fair ly and

with r es pect, as demonstr ated by reason-

a ble compensation and hour s, and decent

working conditions.The patternmaking process starts

with the fashion d esigner 's id ea. A ftrst

pattern is dr afted , draped , flat patterned ,

or cr eated on a computer . Next, a ftrst

is traced , then set asid e. The traced copy is

transfer r ed into a new style using one or

mor e patter n making techniq ues. These

techniques include adding fullness, con-

tour ing, pivoting, and slash and s pread .

Figure 1.4

Patternmak ing has come a long way since

peo ple f ir st star ted cutting sha pes out of

fa bric instead of just wr a p ping lar ge sec-

tions of it around themselves. As people

mad e clothing that conf ormed more close-

ly to the human body, they f ound that fa b-r ics that d o not str etch need to be sha ped

by placing darts, pleats, gather s, or style-

lines at strategic areas, thus enabling the

f a bric to ftt smoothly over the bod y's con-

tour s. This is es pecially true of the adult

female f orm, which has many convex

(outwar d ) and concave (inward ) curves

throughout its three-dimensional sha pe.

Pattern mak ing fo r

the Fashion Industry

Patternmaking techniques have devel-

o ped over the centuries to convert f a brics

and animal skins into clothing to cover the

human body. In the pr evious and current



sample of the new style is cut and sewn.

The f ir st sample is f itted to a bod y f orm or

a live mod el. Changes are almost always

mad e to the fir st pattern, either to per f ect

the fit or to ad just the style of the garment.

A second sam ple is then cut, sewn, and fit-

ted . Further changes may be made, and

mor e sample gar ments may be cut and

sewn, until the designer , patternmaker , or

in-house merchandiser and company

owner ar e satisfied . At this point, more

sam ples ar e mad e f or in-house sales people

and sales r epr esentatives who show the

garments to prospective buyer s f or retail

esta blishments; or , the manufactur er may

sell directly to the public. Once a style is

deemed worthy of going into production,

the pattern is sent to the production pat-ternmaker, who pr e par es the pattern f or

grading into a size range. The produc-

tion pattern must be as perf ect as possible

so that err or s are not transfer red into pr o-

d uction garments, which number into the

hund r ed s or thousand s for lar ge com pa-

nies. This is only one way of pr od ucing

patterns; each company has its own sys-

tem. In smaller companies, f ewer em ploy-

ees may be r es ponsi ble f or mor e than one

par t of the prod uction pr ocess. Some

companies ar e so small that the d esigner

does all of the patter n wor k , and some-times even the cutting and sewing!

Objective

This chapter intr od uces the student of

f ashion d esign and patternmak ing to the

ind ustr y ter ms, tools, and eq ui pment.

Basic inf or mation about the ty pe of paper

used for patter nmaking, f abric grain-

lines, pattern la beling, seam allowance

and hem allowance, pattern mar k ing,

grading a size r ange, and the names of the

bod y f orm parts pr e pare stud ents to pr o-

ceed thr ough the rest of the cha pter s.

Stud ents who have an extensive knowl-

edge of sewing using commercial pat-

terns will f ind that the f ashion ind ustr y

has its own stand ard s f or widths of seam

allowance, pattern mark ing (such as

notches and punch holes), and timesav-

ing construction method s. For example,

the seam allowance depth on the neckline

of a patter n pr oduced by a f ashion manu·

f actur er is nar row, usually 1/4 inch, to elim-

inate the need to "grade" the seam

allowance by cutting the seam allowance

layer s with scissor s. A k nowledge of

sewing techniq ues is ver y valua ble f or a

patternmak er , but the beginning student

can be successfully taught patter nmak ing

and sewing simultaneously ifhe or she has

an a ptitud e for working with the hand s

and is a ble to visualize patter ns and gar -

ments thr ee d imensionally.

You will need to be f amiliar with sever al

ter ms befor e you start the lessons in this

book . Terms includ ed in the glossary

appear in boldf ace ty pe at the fir st text

mention. Additional terms may require a

longer ex planation or a visual example to

be f ully understood . The explanation of

these terms comprises the r est of thischa pter.

Figure 1.5

It is impor tant to und er stand and use fa b-

ric gr ainlines corr ectly, otherwise your gar-

ments will hang im pr o perly and will twist.

Have you ever bought a garment that had

sid eseams that twisted toward the fr ont or

back ? Well, a good guess is that the gar -ment was not "cut on grain." When f a bric

is woven on a loom, the f ir st yar ns placed



pattern grainlines

are always placed

parallel to the straight

grain and selvages

on the loom ar e called the warp yarns or

warp grain. Another name f or these yarns

is the straight grain. These yarns run the

length of the fabric, so if you have 3 yards

of f abric, the warp grain yarns ar e 3 yards

long. The warp gr ain has the most

strength in a woven f a bric and the least

amount of str etch, because there is tension

on the yarns when they are set in the loom.

In garments made of woven fabric, the

warp or str aight grain usually runs up and

down the body. Garments hang well when

cut out of fabr ic this way as long as the pat-

tern pieces have been made correctly.

Cross Grainline

After the loom has been set with warp

yarns, the next step is to add or weave the

weft yarns or weft grain. Another name for

these yarns is the cross grain. These yarns

run across the width of the fabric from side

to side or "selvage to selvage" and are at a

90-degree or right angle to the straight

grain. The selvages are the tightly woven

edges that run along the outer length of a

bolt of fabric and are parallel to the

straight grain.

Occasionally a garment is cut with the

wef t or cross grain running up and down

instead of around the body. This might be

done when a border design on one or both

edges of the fabr ic is featur ed at hems. A

fabric hangs d if f er ently if cut on the cr oss

gr ain, especially if ther e are gathers or

pleats. The gather s or pleats d o not lay

flat; instead they puff out away fr om the

body. This is usually acceptable in skirts but should be kept in mind when design-

ing with bord ers.

Bias Grainline

Another way to cut garments out of fa br ic

is to use the bias grainline. If a per fect

cross grain (torn edge or pulled thr ead) is

laid on a perfect straight grain (torn edge

or pulled thread), you will have a d iago-

nal fold that is a perfect 45-d egree angle

to the straight or cross grain. This 45-

degree angle line is called true bias. Agarment that is cut with the true bias run-

ning up and down on the body stretches

and clings to the bod y. This is one way to

make a garment size fit a wider range

of figure types, as knits do, but it uses

mor e fabr ic per garment and can be diffi-

cult to sew without ripples or str ess lines

on the seams.

Figure 1.6

Grainlines ar e drawn on patter n pieces to

ensur e that they will be placed on a f a bric

in a way that enables the gar ment to be

cut pr operly. The grain line is drawn as a

straight line that runs from edge to edge

of the pattern piece. It includes arrows to

distinguish it from other lines on the pat-

tern. The grainline can be drawn in vari-

ous places on the pattern, depending on

whether the garment is to be cut on the

str aight, cross, or bias grainline. When

placing the pattern on a piece of fabric,

the grain line drawn on the pattern piece isalways laid parallel to the straight grain

and selvages of the fabric.

Figure 1.7

Most fashion manufacturers expect to

make multiple copies of their designs,

and the patternmaker must remember

what goes into the production of such

garments. The fabric probably will be

stacked in several layers or "ply" (one

layer = 1 ply), with a marker on top. A

marker is a piece of paper the same width

as the fabric from edge to edge (selvage



, = ~ . .~' j

to selvage) onto which patter n pieces

have been tr aced . The pattern pieces ar e

placed in such a way as to use the least

amount of f a bric per gar ment. When youd raw grainlines on pattern pieces, be sure

the lines go fr om ed ge to ed ge. Then

when the pattern piece is placed on

mark er paper , the grainline can easily be

lined up with the grid of letter s and num-

ber s on the pa per .

When f a bric is stack ed in sever al lay-

er s with a marker on top and with pattern

pieces close together, cutting can be diff i-

cult. S pecial electric tools or computer-

ized cutter s are used to cut thr ough the

layers. Because of this, you should r efrain

from making patterns with very odd

shapes, extremely sharp points, and

cutouts that would mak e the pr oduction

pr ocess dif f icult if not impossible.

Pattern Labeling

Pattern labeling helps the people who use

your patterns. Each pattern should have a

style number , which usually consists of 4

or 5 digits. These digits gener ally have

some significance; for instance, the first

number may indicate the year or season

for which the pattern is made; the second

num ber , whether the garment is a dress,

-~1

2.004 ! ,0 I

to p, or jacket; and the last two or thr ee

number s, the style itself .

When creating first patterns, it's best

to write the name o f the pattern piece,such as " bodice f r ont" or "collar ," on the

pattern f or easier r ecognition. You should

also indicate the size of the garment, usu-

ally a number such as "12" with a line

under it, which means "cut." Beneath this,

you should note the number of pieces to

be cut, such as "1," followed by the word

for the type of fabric, such as "self ." The

garment industr y uses words such as "self'

or "lining" to d esignate diff er ent fabrics

without having to wr ite the whole name of

the fabric, such as "wooljersey,"on each

pattern piece. Usually manufactur ers

make up stamps with these words on them

f or use in labeling pattern pieces. Each

pattern should be accompanied by a pat-

tern chart, also called a " patter n card " or

"face card ," which acts as a legend or key

ex plaining these words. The pattern chart

also lists the individ ual pattern pieces so

that someone using the pattern knows

what they are and whether any are miss-

ing. Pattern charts usually list the notions

a garment requir es and provid e a sketch of

the garment to identify it. There are many

examples of completed pattern charts

throughout this book . You will also find a



1002scarf

all sizes

2- self

shirt may have a black collar and black

belt. Even if the gr ey and black f a brics

ar e fr om the same mill and have the same

fiber content, they are still d iffer ent col-

or s on diff er ent bolts. The pattern piecesto be cut f rom the grey fabric (self)

would be labeled "self ' and the pattern

pieces to be cut from the black f a bric

(contr ast) would be labeled "contr ast."

The word "contrast" is usually written in

blue ink. If another fabric were used on

the outsid e of the garment, such as a

white necktie, that pattern piece would

be la beled "contrast 2," and patter ns cut

f rom the black fabr ic would now be

labeled "contr ast 1" to indicate the use of

more than one contrasting fabr ic on the

gar ment. The wor d s "contrast 2" can be

written in br own ink.

Lining and Interfacing

Figur e 1.10

Lining is any fa br ic used on the insid e of a

gar ment that hides construction. Alter -

nately, it may be used to reduce bulk in a

garment, such as und er the collar or on

the back in the vest style shown her e.

Lining patter n pieces should be la beled

in red ink with the wor d "lining." You

might use a stiffener f a bric called inter -facing insid e pieces such as the collar or

the front to give them more bod y and

hel p them r etain their shape. Patter n

pieces that ar e to be cut in interfacing fab-

ric should be la beled in green ink with the

a b br eviation "int'f ."

Interlining and Underlining

Figure 1.11

Some gar ments have an inner layer of lin-

ing, called an interlining, that is sand -

wiched between the self f abric layer and

the lining on the inside of the garment. An

inter lining might be used to ad d extr a

weight and stability to the garment and

pr ovid e a layer to which boning is

attached . Or , it might be used as insula-

tion in cold weather wear , such as batting

in a sk i jack et. The wor d "inter lining" is

color coded in or ange ink . An underlin-

ing f a bric layer might also be used in some

garments to add stability to a f limsy self

f a br ic, or to provid e a layer to which inter -

facing is hand sewn in a tailor ed jack et.

The wor d "und erlining" is color cod ed in

yellow ink .

Fashion manufacturer s have d evel-

o ped their own systems f or labeling and

1002

back shirt \

12

1- self on

the f old ~.0

1002

fr ont shir t

122- self

_0>OJ C.:.: .-o Co O JQ.Q.

o

0-0-00

~. ~O J CDco -

.- ~e n ;::+

1002 12

1002 r iqht back belt 2- self

sleeve I- .~ - , I12 1002 12

2-=5elf lef t back belt 2- self

button £1002

' "tab~I~

collar tab

stitchline all sizes

c~ c _ 2- self OI D= -'" g~ 1- int'!

N:JO N:JO

~o..o.EQ

O D.£: !aco. aco.- I DI D - Q J Q J"0- "0-"00 "00:.c.c : . c ..c ;

blank pattern char t in Ap pendix E that

may be co pied for your own patter ns.

Self

Figure 1.8

To hel p the people who wor k with pat-

ter ns, a color code system is used by some

manuf actur er s. This hel ps to dif f er entiate

the pattern pieces that ar e cut f r om differ-

ent fabrics. The f a br ic f r om which most of

the outer garment is cut is called "self ' fab-

r ic, and these pattern pieces are usually

la beled in black ink .

Contrast

Figure 1.9

If more than one fa bric is used on the

outsid e of the garment, the other fabrics

are called contr ast. For example, a grey



1002

scarf

all sizes

2- contrast 2

1002

sleeve tab ~all sizes

4- contr ast 1

2- int'f

1003

upper

collar

~2- contrast

2- int'f

1002

b a c k s h i rt

12

1- s e lf o n

0' t h e f o ldn:

1002

f r o n t s h i rt

12

2 - s e l f

_ OJ

Q) C

- D ' co C l l0..0..

o

1002 12

r ight back belt 2- contrast 1

I· • , I1002 12

le!t back belt 2-COntrast 1

I I

button

tabstitchline

1002

collar tab

all sizes

2- contrast 1

1- int'!

~

12

1003 2-imIng

~ 1003 12

~2-liiiiii9



the fabr ic layers

of this bodice

are as follows:

outermost layer = self

2nd layer = under lining

3rd layer = inter lining

with boning sewn

on seams

4th layer = lining, which

is the layer that goes

next to the model's skin

color coding pattern pieces. A color cod e

is provid ed below. You may customize

your own color code system.

Standard Color Code System

Self = black ink or pencil

Contrast #1 = blue

Contr ast #2 = brown

Contrast #3 = purple

Contr ast #4 = pink

Lining = red

Inter lining = or ange

Und er lining = yellow

Inter facing #1 = green

Interfacing #2 = light gr een

Contrast #1 =

Contr ast #2 =

Contrast #3 =

Contrast #4 =

Lining =

Inter lining =

Underlining =

Interf acing #1 =

Inter facing #2 =

Figure 1.12

Fir st patterns or original draf ts are usu-

ally drafted onto a lightweight paper that

creases easily for truing dar ts or pleats.First patterns may be "half' patterns, as

shown in the sk etch. In this example, you

would dr aft one sleeve but write "2-self '

to cut a r ight and a left sleeve, and then

draft one half of a front bodice and write

"I-self on the fold." The sketch shows the

f a bric f old ed with selvage ed ges together

and the front bod ice patter n piece placed

with the center f r ont against the fabric

fold . This results in a f ull f r ont bod ice

with right and lef t sid es attached in the

center. To indicate this ty pe of cut layout,

draw a foldline against center front.

Figure 1.13

To ena ble garment pieces to be sewn

together , excess fabric, called seam

allowance, is provided beyond the stitch-

lines. Seam allowance varies in wid th

d e pending on how the seams ar e fin-

ished. Most fashion manufactur er s use

1/2 inch f or average seams on garments.

Seam allowance of l j4 inch is used atenclosed seams or very curvy seams such

as neck lines and facings. The patter n-

mak er might allow a 3/4 inch seam



allowance to make it easier to sew in a

zipper . Seam widths vary according to

both the ty pe of machine used and the

ty pe of fa bric.

Figure 1.14

If a garmen t i s sewn together

using a five-thread overlock

machine, the patter nmak er

might ad d 1/2 inch or 3/8

inch seam allowance. The

r eason for this variance is

that the f ive-thr ead machine

sews a 3/8-inch wid e seam

but it also has a blade that

trims f raying edges beyond

3/8 inch. The garment mayneed 1/8 inch of fraying

thread s trimmed while the

garment is sewn.

-L~

0)

U

C< 1 l;;:

q \.Q

c a N-0 "

E "0

< 1 l ~0)(IJ

~¥

~ 1004

" back skirt0-

0) 12uc

2- self < 1 l;;:

.Q

c aE< 1 l0)(IJ

=~

y"0" ~""0

c o~

Figur e 1.15

Garments that ar e sewn with three thread s

on an over lock machine prod uce seams

that ar e 3/16 to 1/4 inch wid e, so the pattern-

mak er will pr o ba bly leave 1/4 inch seam



~)

~,

I

seam allowance shaped

to be pr essed back

allowance on edges to be sewn with this

type of machine. Three-thread overlock

seams are commonly used on knits. K nits

do not ravel, ther efor e, the r aw edges do

not need to be trimmed by the blad e.

Seam Allowance at Pattern Corn ers

The seam allowance shape at pattern cor-

ners can be determined by dif ferent factors:

Figur e 1.16

1. To simplif y the cut t in g pr ocess, seam

allowance shapes in the corners may

be extensions of the curves of the pat-

tern. The tool used to cut the garment

can continue its cour se.

Figure 1.17

2. To simplif y the sew ing pr ocess, seam

allowance corner s may be fold ed and

shaped in the direction the seam will

be pr essed or ironed .

Figure 1.18

3. Another option to sim plify the sewing

pr ocess is to sq uare the seams. In

some instances, this will show the

d epth of the seam allowance, reduc-

ing the need f or seam allowance

notches. This method also matches

seams that sew to each other , f rom the

stitchline out to the ed ge of the fabric.

To f inish the raw edges of f a br ic at the

outer edges of garments, such as the

bottom ed ge of a blouse, jacket, coat,

squar ed

seam corners

dr ess, or pants, hem allowance is added

beyond the f inished edges of the gar-

ment. Ther e are many differ ent ty pes of

hem f inishings, and the measurement

of the hem allowance can var y accor d -

ingly. Following are just a few ty pes of

hem finishes. .

Figur e 1.19

The narr owest hem f inish is the roll hem,

which can be sewn with three thr eads

on an overlock machine by setting the

stitches ver y close together and tightening

the tension of the upper looper . Some

machines, such as those made by Merrow,

ar e designed to produce this ty pe of deco-

rative overed ge or pear l edge. Unless the

f a bric f r ays, only 1/8 to 3/16 inch is used in

the hem depth. Fraying necessitates tr im-

ming with the blad e of the machine. Withsheer and very lightweight f a brics, roll

hems pr oduce a r ipple eff ect if the f a bric is

str etched while being sewn.

Figure 1.20

Baby hems, which are also very narrow,

use from 3/16 to 1/4 inch in the hem d epth.

They can be sewn using a straight-stitch

machine and a s pecial presser foot

attachment, which rolls the f abric as it issewn. Lik e r oll hems, ba by hems can also

pr od uce a r i pple effect in sheer or light-

weight f a br ics if the fa br ic is stretched

while being sewn.



Figure 1.21

R olled hems that ar e 1/4 and 1/4 inch or

1/2 and 1/2 inch ar e of ten used on casualclothing, es pecially at the bottom of

shir ts, full skir ts, or jeans (1 /2 and 1/2

inch). These hems are sewn on a straight-

stitch machine and can be used on light-

to heavy-weight f a brics.

Figur e 1.22

Knit f a brics may have hems that range in

d e pth from 1/2 to 2 inches, depending on

the style and ty pe of the garment. Usually

the raw ed ge of the fabric is folded to the

d esired depth and then stitched . A cover-

stitch machine is used , which shows two

or three rows of straight stitches on the

outside of the garment and has an overcast

of stitches on the insid e of the garment,

finishing off the raw edge.

Another way to finish knit fabrics is

to use a thr ee-thr ead over lock machine

on the raw ed ges, t urn up the hem the

desired d e pth, and use a str aight-stitch

machine with woolly nylon thread in the

bobbin (so the stitchline will stretch).This prod uces a similar ef f ect to a CQver -

stitch machine.

Figure 1.23

To pr oduce a mor e

ex pensive look for a hem, use a blind-

stitch machine or

hand sew the hem

so that you d o not

see stitches on the

outsid e of the gar -

ment. The hem

depth should be 1

to 2 inches.

Jacket and

Coat Hems

Figure 1.24

A jacket that has

a lining attached

should have a ll j2- Figure 1.24

to 2-inch d eep hem,

and the lining should finish 1/4 to 1/2 inch

shorter than the outer fabric. A coat,

cape, dress, pant, or sk ir t with a free-

hanging lining should have a 11/2- to 2-

inch deep hem, and the lining should

f inish 1/2 to 1 inch shor ter than the outer

fabric.

free

hanging

lining

used on:

coats,

capes,

dresses,

~ pants,

~ skirts3

Note: For full skirts with curved

hems, use shallow hem folds.

Otherwise, puckers will form

because the raw edge is too full to

lay flat.



. . . . . •

\N

-6."0

~

I > -0807

back

skirt

R2-self

"c -

~;:;:

' / \

0807

side

back

skirt

12

2- self

\

0807

side

f r ont

skirt

12

2- self

back

patch

pocket

0807

front

skir t

12

1 :s e if on the

f old

I

Figur e 1.25

The fashion industry uses nonverbal com-

munication, in the f orm of notches, on

garments. Notches ar e clips or slices into

the seam allowance on a pattern or on a

garment piece. They tell the person

sewing the gar ment whether the gar ment

piece is intended f or the f r ont or back . If

several garment pieces look alike, notchescan indicate which pieces match together

and in what or d er (indicated by the addi-

tion of one more notch to each seam

going around the bod y).

Notches also mark the intake of a

dart, pleat, or tuck and can be used to con-

trol where gather s are placed. Notches

may be used to indicate seam allowance

wid th; however, not all manufactur ers use

them for this purpose. It can be costly to

have sever al notches on each pattern

piece. Although one notch is cut through

all the layer s at once, there is the danger of the notches being cut too d eep, so use

them spar ingly.

1303

back pant

122- self

punch holes apex or

marked 1 1 2 " • bust pointfrom dart points

punch holes

mar ked l/s"

f r om stitchlines

at center of

double ended

darts

Figure 1.26

Punch holes ar e tiny holes that may be

used to ind icate pock et or dart placement.

They ar e mark ed in the f a bric using an

awl. Because it is a hole in the garment,

the punch hole need s to be placed wher e it

will be hidd en inside the garment. To

mark the placement of a pocket, d raw the

pock et outline on the bod y piece and

mark punch holes 1/8 inch inside the pock etoutline. Punch holes ar e mark ed on pat-

tern pieces with a screwpunch, which cuts

out a tiny hole.

To mark a double-ended dart, the

mid dle section of the dart intake or dart

excess is mar k ed with punch holes l j8 inch

from the dart stitchlines (or with one

punch hole 1/8 inch f rom the stitchline

and one punch hole at the d art's center ).

The end s of the dar t taper to sharp points

and are mark ed with the punch hole l j2

inch from the dart point. You must cir cle

the punch holes to d ifferentiate them fr omother d ots or mark s that may be on your

patter n.



Grading a Size Range

Figure 1.27

Gr ading patterns makes it pos-

sible to offer a r ange of sizes to

your customer s. Patterns can

be gr aded using a see-through

ruler .

Figure 1.28

A grading machine may also

be used to grade a size r ange.

It is faster and more exact than

the ruler method .

Figure 1.29

Some companies use com-

puter s to grad e patterns. Of

course this is much more

costly, but many manufactur -

ers have computer systems to per for m this function.



\

I~(' I t14

I', <

20

'-l • •l A , . ' 1 :-S ",,\I,.t

23~\o(cr

~ I > t tftf; ' "

1. Heavy paper (manila paper ) for slo pers and pr oduction pat-

terns

2. Muslin

3. Clear ta pe a pproximately l j2 inch wid e

4. Str aight metal r uler s of various lengths: 36,48, and 60 inches

5. Patter n pa per : solid pa per in white or other light color s

6. Tissue pa per : lightweight, pliable pa per used to test the f it of

patter ns

7. Patter n hole punch, which mak es a 3/4-inch d iameter hole

through which a patter n hook is put

8. Ta pe measure

9. Straight pins, size #17

10. Ninety-degr ee-angle metal ruler or L-square, the longer the

better

11. Hip cur ve, of metal or plastic, also called "var y form curve rule"

12. See-thr ough plastic ruler , 18 by 2 inches, with a lis-inch grid

spacmg

13. Pattern hook s, on which a completed patter n is stored , with a

pattern chart in f r ont

14. Needle point tr acing wheel

15. Awl, used to mak e tiny holes thr ough fabric when marking

punch-hole placement

16. Scr ew punch, used to make tiny punch holes in pa per patterns

when marking punch-hole placement

17. Pushpins

18. Weights, used to hold patter n pieces while being traced or to

k eep mark ers in place

19. Marker paper: white paper having a grid pr inted on it with

letter s and num ber s; also called d ot pap er

20. Notcher

21 . Hard pencils, which leave a f iner line than sof t ones

22. Pattern snips, used to cut heavy pattern paper

23. R otar y cutter : used with a surface that can be cut on, such as

l j16-inch thick sheet of Styr ene

24. Colored pencils or pens f or color cod ing and mark ing cor rec-

tions on patterns

25. Fa bric scissor s: to be used only f or f abric so that blad es stay

sharp longer

26. Pa per scissor s: to be used only for paper , which d ulls the

blades mor e quickly than fa bric

27. Cir cle template, for d rawing button or snap placement on pat-

terns

28 . Plastic cur ves in various shapes

29 . Tr iangle mar k ed with degr ee angles



Figure 1.31

A bod y f orm or a person to act as a fit

model is necessary f or patternmak ing. It

is easier to wor k with a bod y f orm rather

than a live per son. You can't pok e pins

into a per son, a nd their arms can't be

r emoved to mak e cer tain patterns easier

to dr aft or dr ape. However , a live person

can tell you if something is uncomf or t-

able and can sit, walk , bend over , and

raise the ar ms-all ver y hel pful when test

fitting a garment to see whether someone

can move in it. If you want to d esign a

dr ess or bodice that pushes the breasts

up and flattens them, then you'll need

a live fit model. Most dress forms cannotflatten at the bust. Chapter 14 covers

special bod y f orms a nd live fit mod els

for contoured styles. It is best to use a

body f orm that has legs so you can mak e

pants, bod ysuits, and other garments

that cover the lower limbs. If a body

f or m with legs is n ot available, you

will need to f ind a live mod el to fit

these styles.

Parts of the Body For m

Figure 1.32 shows the fr ont of the bod y

f or m and Figur e 1.33, a sid e view. Figur e

1.34 shows the back of the bod y for m.

Patt ern Paper

Some pattern mak ers use mark er paper

f or fir st patterns. A solid paper in white

or any other light color may also be

used . A lightweight paper that enables

you to see mark s thr ough the paper

when it is fold ed is pref er r ed .

Tissue Paper

This paper is ver y hand y when testing

the fit of a patter n draft before it is cut

in fa bric. Because it is so plia ble, it f its

over curves almost like f a bric. Figure 1.31

shoulder shoulder tip

tip

+-armhole plat g bottom of 0 +- shoulder

0 (J)blade level~ . 8 armhole . 8.2 upper chest

Q ; Q ; plate Q ;+- bust level n. -+ +-apex or n. +- bust leveln.

n. bust leveln.(largest part ~. bust point (largest part::J ::J

(largest 0- ::J

of upper torso) ' " +-rib cage of upper tor so)part of (Jl

' " levelupper l > l

tor so) 3+-waist level

0(smallest par t

0 (J) of tor so) 0(J) . 8 (J)

. 8 . 8Q ; Q ; Q ;;;: ;;:

+- hip level ;;:

.Q +- hip level .Q .Q .- hip level(largest part (largest part (lar gest part

of lower torso) J'

of lower torso) of lower torso)

crotch

level

0ci n' "III

3

) ( +-mid-knee Q

(Jl mid-kneelevel a:

' " level

(Jl

' "calf

l > l

3



Button Diameter Size in Inches and Line Number (1 line = .025")

Note: There are differences between button vendors in line sizes.

1 / 2 h 5 / Q h 3 Q 7 Q 000(10 line) (12/13 line) (14/15/16 line) (18 r ) 1/2 I~ch 9/16 Inch 5/8 InchIne (20 line) (22 line) (24/25 line)

00011/16 inch

(27/28 line)3/4 inch(30 line)

13/16 inch(32/33 line)

7/8 inch(35/36 line)

15/16 inch

(37/38 line)

1 inch

(40 line)1 1/16 inch

(42/43 line)11/8inch

(45 line)1 3/16 inch(47/48 line)

o~dome

~Oquarter ball half ball

OMo V000

Heavy Patter n Paper

This paper has sever al names, including

manila pa per, tag boar d , oak tag, and

hard pa per . It comes in various widths and

weights, similar to a manila fold er. It is

dur a ble, with stif f ed ges that ar e easy to

trace around . I t is used for sloper s and

prod uction patterns, which are traced to

make marker s.

Muslin

Muslin is a lOO- percent cotton f abric with

a weave that is easily seen, on both the

straight grain and cr oss gr ain. It is used

as a substitute for the fabric that will be

used i n the final gar ment (fashion fab-

r ic), t o dr a pe or test f it. Several

weights of muslin ar e availa ble, to r e p-

r esent var ious weights of woven fa b-

r ics, but it cannot substitute for ver y

sof t f a br ics, especially when used on

the bias gr ainline. If your fashion f a b-

r ic is one that str etches, such as a k nit,

muslin cannot be a substitute.

Buttons and zippers ar e some of the

notions used on gar ments. Figur e 1.35

illustr ates d ifferent ty pes and sizes of

buttons. Figure 1.36

shows severalty pes of zipper s.

Summary

The information in this chapter will

hel p pre par e you as you begin your

training as a patternmaker . As you

work through the cha pter s in this text,

you will tak e what you've lear ned in

this cha pter and ap ply it to the patter n

styles you create. Because each cha pter

and each pattern style in this text

builds on pr eviously lear ned mater ial,you should not sk ip chapter s.

An impor tant aspect of pattern-

making involves "what" or "who"

ser ves as your fit mod el. A pattern-

mak er must have a full-scale bod y

f orm or a live fit mod el readily avail-

a ble for fitting patterns. The patter n-

mak er 's choice of f it mod el is cr ucial in

d eter mining the garment's end use. To

become a custom d ressmak er, he or she

may use a potential customer (live

mod el) as a f it mod el and may wish to

work with a variety of body sha pes. If the patter nmaker wishes to wor k for a f ashion

manufactur er that produces standard-

sized clothing, a fit mod el should be cho-

sen with measurements that match a

standar d sample size so the gar ments f it as

many people as possible.

The size charts included in Cha pter 2,

Table 2.1, can hel p guide you in picking a

bod y form or a live model that ref lects

realistic proportions f or to day's average

woman. People have continued to grow

larger over the centuries, par ticular ly in

the past f ew decad es. Women also wear

differ ent und ergarments than they did in



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year s past, when pointy bras and waist-

cincher s or gird les wer e the norm. The

supposed "id eal" pr oportions of 36-inch

bust, 26-inch waist, 36-inch hip may be

pleasing to the eye but they do not ref lect

today's av e r ag e f igur e. Some women meas-

ur e their hi ps across their "hip bones."However, the largest circumf er ence of the

hips and buttocks is of ten lower on the

body. You will need to find the lar gest cir -

C lt7Tif e rence of the lower tor so for the correct

hip measur ement.

Questions

1. When using a mar ker to cut out gar -

ment pieces, is the f a bric f olded in half

parallel to the selvages, and the

mark er half the wid th of the fabric

f r om selvage to selvage?

2. What d oes the word " ply" ref er to?

3. How may fabric that d oes not stretch

and that is cut with the straight grain

r unning up and d own the bod y be

mad e to fit closely and smoothly over

the contour s of the adult f emale bod y?

4. Will a f abr ic that d oes not str etch on

the straight gr ain, str etch at least a

small amount on the bias gr ainline?

5. Does the cr oss grain of a piece of f a bric

run par allel or at a 90-d egr ee angle to

the selvages?

6. Does the grainline dr awn on a patter n

piece run par allel or at a 90-d egr ee

angle to the f a br ic's selvages when it is

laid out to be cut?



Taking Measurements, Body

Forms, and Live Models

The a bility to take accur ate measur e-

ments fr om body for ms and live mod els

is an im portant skill that all patternmak -

ers must learn _ Working with a bod y

f orm is less com plicated than working

with a live mod el. Bod y f or ms can be

pinned into, dr awn on, are always avail-

able, and never gain or lose weight. Live

mod els must be treated gently, their

mod esty needs to be res pected , and they

may gain or lose weight; however , your

final gar ment is produced for a live per -

son to wear. Live mod els are velY valu-

a ble as fit mod els because they can move

about, sit, walk , bend , and tell you ver -

bally if the garment you have mad e is

comf or ta ble and pr actical.

U sing the instructions in this chapter ,

you will be able to measur e f it models of

any Junior's, Misses', or Women's size.

The designs shown in this textbook are

dr awn from a Misses' size 12 set of meas-

ur ements. However , some of the styles

shown may be appropr iate for Junior 's or Women's sizes. The instr uctions in this

textbook will give you the knowledge to

proportion the pattern styles to the size

you are working with. Several charts of

measurements are includ ed in Chapter 3

to hel p you draft or d rape the size of your

choice. If your model's size is not

included in the charts, just look at the

incr ements between sizes and add or sub-

tr act these to arrive at the measur ement

for the size you need. Look at the size

charts included later in this chapter

befor e selecting a bod y for m or live fit

mod el with which to work. If you wish to

be a ble to grad e a range of average sizes

f r om your sample size, pick a fit mod el

that closely resembles one of the sizes in

the charts mentioned .

Note: For grading purposes, it is

best to work with a sample size

closest to the middle of the size

range you wish to offer . If you wish

to make custom clothing for a

client or for yourself, it doesn't

matter what size your model is.

A professional pattern maker must have a

f ull-scale model for fitting patterns and

garments. The patter n maker must take

very precise measur ements from the f it

mod el a nd r ecord them f or f utur e use.

These measurements are used to draft or

drape ver y basic pattern pieces called

sloper s, which are the sub ject of Chapters3 and 4. The slo pers and the fit mod el

measur ements ar e then used to mak e f lat

patterns for almost unlimited styles.

Some styles or the textiles used to make

them require pattern draping, which is

cover ed in selected cha pter s. Measur e-

ments must be taken f r om a bod y f orm or

live mod el car efully, so mistakes will not

be transf erred into the patterns, causing

f it problems. If you wish to make pat-

terns to fit your self , have someone else

tak e your measurements, because it is dif -

f icult to take your own measurements

accurately.

2



Checklis t f or Taking

Measurements

1. Select a bod y for m or live mod el as

your fit mod el. You will need a bod y

form with legs if you wish to make pat-

terns f or such garments as pants,

shorts, swimsuits, and bodysuits, or

find a live mod el to measure f or fitting

these items.

2. To prepare a bod y form f or measur ing,

you will need the f ollowing items:

str aight pins, narrow ri bbon or twill

tape, an accur ate f lexible tape meas-

ur e, and r uler s that ar e 48 to 60 inches

long or a carpenter 's level (to check

horizontal levels).

3. To prepar e a live mod el for measur-ing, you will need the following:

str aight pins, narrow elastic, thread

for tailor tacks or chalk , an accur ate

f lexi ble ta pe measure, and ruler s that

ar e 48 to 60 inches long or a car -

penter 's level (to check horizontal lev-

els). Your live mod el should wear

ap propr iate und ergarments (a br a

and und erpants that give the wear er a

natural sha pe f or ever yd ay clothing),

with either a full bodysuit or one that

r eaches to mid-thigh, which may be

marked and sewn with elastic.

4. A copy of the measur ements f r om this

cha pter, to be f illed in and saved for

futur e use. These measurements will

be r ef er r ed to throughout the text-

book .

Note: Because panty hose or tights

usually have tight waistbands and

distort the waistline measurement,

your model should not wear them

during the measuring process.

Preparing t he Body Form

Figure 2.1

1. Place a pin 1 inch below the ar mhole

plate at the side seam to mark the

underarm/sid e seam inter section.

Leave this pin in the form f or r ef er -

ence.

Figure 2.2

2. Place a pin at the ed ge of the should er

ti p/armhole intersection. This point is

located at the shoulder seam where

the shoulder tip just begins to curve

downwar d toward the armhole plate.

It is not at the top ed ge of the armhole

plate, which is usually placed a bout

1/4 inch below the curve of the shoul-

d er ti p.

3. Place a pin directly across fr om the

screw in the armplate, measured 1/4

inch into the f a bric away f r om the

plate-on the f ront, only-to mar k the

f ront mid-armhole point.

Figure 2.3

4. Establish the bustlevel. On the front of

the form is the apex or bust point posi-



tion. This is mark ed along the prin-

cess seam on the right and lef t sid es of

the f orm at the f ullest part of the bust

mound or cur ve, which is at the lar gest

circumf er ence of the bustline. Place

pins at each apex/ bust point and leave

them in the f orm. Be sure both pins

are the same height from the f loor .

Next, take a length of narrow r ibbon

or twill tape and pin it from a pex to

apex without slack . Pin the rib bon

completely around the form, parallel

to the f loor , to esta blish the bust level.

5. Esta blish the waistline. On most body

forms, the waistline is mar ked by a

woven tape. If your body form is not

marked , measure the form to find the

smallest circumf erence between the bust and hips, and pin ribbon or ta pe

around the f orm at this level. Waist-

lines are not necessar ily perfectly par-

allel to the floor . On ad ult females,

the waistline may d i p a little at center

back . This is normal; however , you

should check that the waistline at the

side seams measures an equal distance

from the floor on the right and left

sides. The waistline seam is measur ed

at the center of the waistline ta pe.

6. Establish the hip level. Find the largest

circumference of the hips and but-tock s by measuring at several levels of

the lower tor so. Once you've found

the level of the lar gest cir cumf erence,

mark it with ribbon or tape parallel to

the f loor to establish the hip level.

This level will not necessarily touch

the "hi p bones"; it may be lower ,

near er to the cr otch level.

Preparing Li ve Models

Your mod el should wear a br a and und er-

pants under a full bodysuit that can be

mark ed , pinned , and sewn with elastic to

establish the bust level, waistline, and the

hi p level. Panty hose and tights have snug

waistband s that distort the waist measure-

ment and should not be worn.

Figur e 2.4

1. Place a pin, or use chalk or a tailor tack

(thr ead loo ped thr ough fabr ic with

both end s stick ing out) to mark a s pot

1 inch below the mod el's underarm

along her body. The mod el should notlif t her arm when you mark this posi-

tion and also when measuring to this

point, because the und erar m hollows

out a s the arm lifts, which will distort

the measur ement.

2. Place a pin below the mod el's under -

ar m on her arm. This placement is used

f or measuring the ar m. The pin place-

ment f or the arm is d rop ped less f r om

the und er ar m than the pin placement

for the bod y to ena ble the sleeve cap

ar ea to fit into the ar mhole with the

correct amount of ease. Many women

have a large biceps circumference in

propor tion to their bust circum-

ference. To fit a sleeve with the cor rect

amount of cap ease, the cap height

must be shortened at the und erar m

area. Only on mod els with slend er

ar ms or lar ge bustlines, or both, maythe underar m mark on the ar m match

the und er arm mark on the bod y. For

average-sized women (see Ta ble 2.1,

page 34), measur e pin placement l j4

inch below the und erar m on the

mod el's arm.

Figure 2.5

3. The mod el's shoulder /ar mhole inter -

section is found by pressing with your

thumb or a finger in this ar ea to find a

d i p between the bones. Mark this

point on the mod el's bodysuit with a pin, chalk , or a tailor tack . This posi-

tion should be at the top of the shoul-

der curve. If you cannot f eel the d i p

between the bones, tr y to envision

wher e the armhole seam would natu-

rally meet at the mod el's should er and

mark this point.



Figur e 2.6

4. Have the mod el raise her arm about 45

d egr ees fr om the floor and swing it

slightly toward the center front until a

crease forms, which mark s where thefr ont mid-armhole will be. Mark this

point with a pin, chalk , or a tailor tack .

Figure 2.7

5. Esta blish the bust level. The apex or

bust point position is at the nipple.

The apex marks the f ullest portion of

the bust mound. Mark the a pexes

with chalk , tailor tack s, or pins. The

apexes should be the same height

f r om the floor . Pin a length of narr ow

elastic from apex t o apex without

slack. Continue pinning the elastic

around the mod el, kee ping an equal

distance f r om the floor , to esta blish

the bust level. Sew the elastic onto the

mod el's bod ysuit so this position d oes

not change for futur e fittings. Elastic

str etches as your mod el r emoves the

bod ysuit.

Figure 2.8

6. Esta blish the waistline. Have your

mod el bend to the sid e at the waist.

A crease will f orm at the natur alwaistline. Check that her und erwear

is not cr eating a f alse waist position.

Mark the waistline f ir st with a pin or

chalk , then pin narr ow elastic around

the mod el's bod y. The waistline may

dip down in the back , which is nor-

mal f or women. Sew the elastic onto

the bod ysuit for future f ittings.

Figure 2.9

7. Establish the hip level. Find the lar gest

circumf erence of the hips and but-

tock s by measuring at sever al levels on

the body. Once you've found the level

of the largest circumf er ence, mark it

with elastic parallel to the floor to

esta blish the hip level. Sew the elastic

onto the mod el's bod ysuit f or future

fittings.

Figure 2.10

8. Establish the center back neck posi-

tion. This is f ound by pressing with

your thumb or a finger in this ar ea to

find a dip between two prominent

bones, which ar e ver tebr ae. Mar k with

chalk , a tailor tack or a pin.

Figure 2.11

9. To mark the crease i n t he back mid -

armhole, leave your mod el's arm hang-

ing d own. Fir st, esta blish the shoulder

blade level on the model. Measur e the

center back f r om the neckline d own

to the waist = _

then d ivide this measurement by 4: _ ___ _ 7 - t = _

Using this final measur ement, meas-

ur e from the neck line d own along

the center back and place a pin or

tailor tack at this point. A line

going thr ough this point parallel to

the floor is called the should er blade

level. The back armhole seam runs

along the crease f or med between

your mod el's bod y and arm with



the arm hanging d own. The inter -

section of the shoulder blade level

and the ar mhole is called the back

mid -ar mhole.

Figur e 2. 12

10. Establish the should er /neck line inter-

section. Visualize where the curve of

the neck line seam would be if your

mod el wer e wearing a collar that

hugged the neck. (The collar in this

photo is set too far fr om the natural

neckline seam; thus, the pin mar k is

on the collar itself .) This position

should also inter sect at the to p of the

should er cur ve.

Figure 2.13

11. Esta blish the underarm/sid e seamintersection. The sid e seam of your

model's bod y suit may not be in the

cor rect position, so you will need to

mar k this inter section with a pin, tai-

lor tack , or chalk . This point should

line up in the center of the und er arm

on the mod el's upper r ib cage and

should inter sect with the pin that is

placed 1 inch below the und er ar m.

Figure 2. 14

12. Establish the side seam/waist inter -

section. Again, k eep in mind that the

sid e seam of your mod el's bod y suit

may not be in the cor r ect position.

Visualize a str aight line (or use a long

r uler) going half way between the

f r ont and back of the model's leg and

continuing str aight u p to the waist,

and mar k this point.

Upper Torso Measurements

Avoid pulling the ta pe measure tightly

over the bod y as this will d istort the meas-

urements. Be gentle. Do not let a live

mod el hold in her stomach or stand in an

unnatural position. The following ste ps

are shown on a bod y f orm, but the same

measurements ar e need ed if using a live

model.

#1 (Figure 2. 1 5)

Total shoulder girth level = _

Measure all the way ar ound the upper

arms and bod y with tape measure parallel

to the f loor . If your bod y for m does not



have ar ms, see Table 2.1 ( page 34) to f ind

the should er gir th measur ement that cor-

r es ponds with the should er width and

bice ps cir cumfer ence of your model.

#2 (Figure 2 . 1 6)

Total upper chest level = _

Measure all the way around the upper

chest under the ar ms. The tape measur e

may d ip down a little in the back .

#3 Total bust level = _

Measur e all the way around the largest cir -

cumfer ence of the bust, with the ta pe

measur e par allel to the f loor.

#4 (Figure 2. 17)

Total rib cage level = _

Measur e all the way ar ound the rib cage

d ir ectly und er the bust mound , par allel to

the f loor .

#5 Total waist level = _

Measure all the way ar ound the smallest

cir cumfer ence of the tor so. The waist level

may dip in the back .

#6 (Figure 2. 18)

Shoulder seam = _

Measure f rom the high neck point out to

the should er/ar mhole intersection alongthe top of the should er .

#7 (Figure 2. 19)

Half the front neckline = _

Measure from the high neck point ar ound

to the pit of the neck .

#8 (Figure 2.20)

Center front neck to shoulder tip = .

Measure from the pit of the neck to the

should er tip.



Note: Some body f or ms have a

high center fr ont neck position.

Check Table 2.1 ( page 34) for a

neck line circumf erence measure-

ment that corresponds with your

model's size. Measure your

model's total neckline circumfer-

ence to see ifthe center front neck

needs to be d ropped , and adjust it

befor e f illing in #7.

Measur e straight out from center f r ont to

the mid-armhole point at the pin.

#10 (Figur e 2.21)

Half the front upper chest = _

Measur e str aight out from center front to

the sid e seam at the under arm, par allel to

the f loor.

#11 Half the front bust level = _

Measur e straight out fr om center f r ont,

over the bust point to the sid e seam, par al-

lel to the f loor .

#12 Half the f r ont rib cage level = _Measur e straight out f rom center f r ont,

dir ectly und er the bust mound to the side

seam.

#13 (Figur e 2.22)

Bust span = _

Measur e from apex to apex for #13, then

d ivid e by 2 for #14.

#15 Half the front waist = _

Measure f r om center front waist over to

the sid e/waist inter section.

#16 (Figure 2.23)

Half the back neckline = _

Measur e f r om the high neck point ar ound

to the center back neck.

#17 (Figure 2.24)

Center back neck to shoulder tip = _

#18 Halfwav acr oss shoulder blades = __ .

The shoulder blade level is f ound using

one-fourth of the center back measur e-

ment fr om the neckline to the waistline.

Using the one-f ourth measurement, meas-

ure down fr om the neck and mark at

center back for the should er blade level.

Obtain the "half way across should er

blades" measur ement by measuring from

center back over to t he edge of the arm-

hole plate or the pin on your live model.

#19 Half the back upper chest = _

Measur e fr om center back to the sid e seam

at the und erarm. The ta pe measure may

dip down a little in the back .

#20 (Figure 2.25)

Half the back bust level = _

Measure str aight out fr om center back to

the sid e seam, parallel to the f loor .



measure str aight

Figure 2.26 across waistcir cumfer ence

#21 Half the back r ib cage level = _

Measur e straight out from center back to

the side seam at the rib cage level, parallel

to the f loor .

#22 Half the back waist = _

Measure from center back waist over to

the side seam/waist inter section.

#23 (Figure 2.26)

Dart placement = _

Measure out fr om center front to the

princess seam on the bod y f oml.

Figure 2.27

To f ind d art placement f or live mod els

or bod y f orms without pr incess seams,

measure str aight (not cur ved ) acr oss the

waistline f r om side to sid e (diameter) =

_____ _ and divide this number by 4 = . Then use

the chart below:

Add 3/8 inch if #5 total waist level is less

than 25 inches = _

Or , add 1/2 inch if #5 total waist level is

between 26 and 30 inches = _

Or , add 5/8 inch if #5 total waist level is

between 31 and 35 inches = _

Or , add 3/4 inch if #5 total waist level is 36

inches and up = _

Use this final measur ement in the s pace

for #23 where it says "Dar t placement =

"

#24 (Figure 2.28)

Side seam length = _

Measure fr om the pin placed 1 inch below

the underarm/armhole plate down to the

waistline.

#25 (Figur e 2.29)

High neck point to front side seam = _ _ .

Measur e f r om the high neck point down

the fr ont to the under arm/sid e seam inter -

section, which is mark ed with a pin.

#26 (Figur e 2.30)

High neck point to back side seam = _ _ .

Measure fr om the high neck point down

the back to the und erarm/sid e seam inter-

section, which is mar ked with a pin.

#27 (Figur e 2.31)

Center f r ont length = _Measure fr om the pit of the neck d own the

f r ont to the waist over the tape between

the bust mounds.

#28 Front total length = "

Measur e from the high neck point over

the bust to the waist. Do not contour the

ta pe measur e in under the bust.

#29 (Figure 2.32)

Shoulder tip to center front waist = .

Measure f r om the shoulder tip, over the

bust, and d own to the center front waist.

Do not contour the tape measur e in und er

the bust.



#31 (Figure 2.33)

Bust radius = _

Measur e f r om the a pex along the princess

line to just und er the bust mound at the

r i b cage level.

#32 (Figure 2.34)

Center back length = _

Measure from the back neck d own to the

waist.

#33 Back total length = ,

Measur e fr om the high neck point down

the back to the waist.



#34 (Figure 2.35)

Shoulder tip to center back waist = .

Measure from the shoulder ti p, over

the back, and down to the center back

waist.

Check Your Measurements

• Add #10 (half the front upper chest)

and #19 (half the back upper chest)

together : + _

_ _ ___ . Now multiply by 2:

_____ _ x 2 = _

This number should eq ual #2 (total

upper chest level): . If not,

check your measurements again.

• Add #11 (half the front bust level) and

#20 (half the back bust level) together:

------ + -------

______ . Now multiply by 2:

___ _ _ x 2 = . This

number should eq ual #3 (total bust

level): . If not, check your

measur ements again.

• Add #12 (half the fr on t r ib cage level)

and #21 (half the back r ib cage level)

together : + _

_ ____ . Now multi ply by 2:

_ _ _ __ x 2 = . This

number should equal #4 (total rib cagelevel): . If not, check your

measur ements again.

• Ad d #15 (half the front waist) and

#22 (half the back waist) together :

_ _____ . Now multiply by 2:

______ x 2 = _

This number should equal #5 (total

waist level): . If not, check

your measurements again.

The total ar m length may seem short,

but sloper sleeves only reach to the wr ist

bone as a landmark . As you use this

sloper to d r af t other sleeve styles, you

can add length to the sleeve so it f alls

onto the hand if necessary. If you ar e

using a bod y form that d oes not have an

arm, check the instructions in Cha pter 3

(see Table 3.1, page 77) to find a size that

matches your bod y f orm. The armhole

plate o n the bod y form represents the

point wher e the arm connects to the

bod y. The mark s that were dr o pped from

the bottom of armhole plate and the

under arm along the arm allow some ease

under the arm. If a sleeve is cut in f a bric

that does not str etch and it reaches all

the way up to the underarm, it will be

ver y uncomfor ta ble to wear.

#35 (Figure 2.36)

Total arm length = _

Measure from the shoulder tip down the

arm and ar ound the el bow tip to just

below the wr ist bone with the ar m slightly

bent, hanging naturally.

#36 (Figure 2.37)

Under ar m length = _

Measur e fr om the pin that is 1/4 inch

below your model's under ar m, down to

just below the wrist bone with the arm

held str aight.



#37 (Figure 2.38)

Forearm length = _

Measure f rom just below the wr ist bone

up to the elbow tip with the arm bent.

#38 (Figure 2.39)

Biceps cir cumference = _

Measure the biceps at the largest circum-

f erence, high u p under the ar m with themuscle flexed, which will enlarge the cir -

cumference.

#39 (Figure 2.40)

Elbow circumfer ence = _

Measur e the el bow at the widest part with

the arm bent.

#40 (Figure 2.41)

Wrist circumference = _

Measur e ar ound the wrist joint.

)

•••if J~

~



#41 (Figur e 2.42)

Hand cir cumference = _

Measure around the hand at the largest

cir cumfer ence.

Lower Tor so and Leg

Measurements

These steps are shown on a body form,

but the same measurements ar e needed if

using a live model. The live mod el

should not wear shoes for these measure-

ments. If you are measuring a body

form, it will not have feet, and it may nothave legs. Check Table 2.1 ( page 34) to

find the lower torso and leg measure-

ments that correspond to your form's

size and height. Use your form's center

back length and high shoulder point to

bust level as a gauge to determine the

body form's total height.

Note: Some female body forms are

too long waisted, so compare both

measur ements.

#42 (Figure 2.43)

Total hip level = _

Measure all t he way around the largest

circumference of the hips and buttocks

with the tape measure parallel to the

floor.

#43 Hip depth at center f r ont = _

Measure from center front waist level

down to the hip level.

#44 (Figure 2.44)

Hip depth at side seam = _

Measure from the side/waist down to the

hip level along the side seam.

#45 Hip depth at center back = _

Measure from center back waist level

down to the hip level.

#46 (Figure 2.45)

Half the f ront hip = _

Measure from center front over to the sideseam at the hip level.

#47 (Figure 2.46)

Half the back hip = _

Measure from center back over to the side

seam at the hip level.



#48 (Figure 2.47)

Outseam / side seam to floor = _

Measur e fr om the side/waist along the

sid e seam to the f loor (no shoes).

#49 Inseam to floor = _

Measure fr om the center of crotch d own

to the floor (no shoes).

#50 Crotch depth = _

Find the d if f er ence between #48 and #49,

which gives you #50, the cr otch d e pth. To

check this measur ement with your live

mod el, have her sit up str aight on a f lat

sur face, and measur e from the surf ace (at

her cr otch level) u p to her waist level along

her side seam.

#51 (Figure 2.48)

Outseam to ankle = _

Measure f r om the side/waist d own to just

above the ank le bone.

#57

~

#52 Inseam to ankle = _

Measur e from the center of the cr otch

d own along the inner leg to just a bove the

ank le bone.

#53 (Figure 2.49)

Crotch length = _

Measur e f r om center fr ont waist d own

between legs and up to center back waist.Do not pull tightly between the buttock s.

#54 (Figure 2.50)

Total thigh cir cumference = _

Measure all the way ar ound the largest cir -

cumf er ence of the u pper thigh.

#55 Total calf cir cumfer ence = _

Measur e the largest cir cumf er ence of the

u pper calf .

#56 Knee level from waist = _

Measure f r om the sid e/waist down to the

mid d le of the knee.



Measure fr om the middle of the knee

down to just above the ankle bone.

#58 Total ankle circumfer ence = _

Measure the smallest cir cumference of the

ankle just a bove the ankle bone.

#59 (Figur e 2.51)

Foot cir cumf er ence = _

Have the mod el point her toes, then meas-

ur e ar ound the wid est par t of her heel.

Check Your Measurements

Add #46 (half the f ront hip) and #47 (half

the back hi p) together: +

_ _ ___ .Nowmul-

tiply by 2: x 2 =

_ _ __ _ _ __ . This number should

equal #42 (total hip level): _

If not, check your measurements again.

Size Charts for Junior's, Misses',

and Women's Sizes

The measurements shown in Ta ble 2.1

(page 34) ref lect results of resear ch the

author conducted by measuring womenof differ ent ages, ethnicities, weights, and

heights. Size charts from garment manu-

facturers and mail-or der companies and

measurements tak en for scientific studies

published on the Internet were also com-

pared. Obviously, it is impossible ta

develop a set of measurements that will f it

every woman's body perfectly, because

each woman has an individual shape.

However , after compiling r esearch and

developing size charts, the author found

that she was able t o match mast ind ividu-

als with a size that fit reasona bly well.

Misses' sizes are usually gr aded in

total circumfer ence for the bust, waist,

and hips as follows: 1 inch between each

size from size ° up to size 10, then 11/2

inches between each size from size 10 ta

size 16; af ter that there is a 2-inch gr ade

between each size from size 16 to size 18

(or u p to size 26 f or some manuf actur -

ers). However, not all manufactur er s

gr ade with these increments, which is

part of the reason that size measurements

var y so much from one company ta

another . It should be noted that commer -

cial clothing pattern companies have

their own size charts, which of ten vary

consider a bly fr om those for read y-to-

wear clothing sold in stor es.

Note: The crotch depth measure-

ments may seem long; this is

because they are measured from

the side seam over the curve of

the hip, not from the center f r ont.

This measurement cor r esponds

with the pattern dr afts of the pants

and activewear included in this

textbook.

Tak ing pr ecise measur ements from a bod y

f or m or a live mod el can be time consum-

ing but is well wor th the ef fort. These

measur ements are used in Chapter 3 ta

dr aft a sloper set-a ver y basic set of pat-tern pieces f r om which numer ous other

styles ar e f lat patter ned. The accuracy of



these measurements will directly correlate

to the fit of the sloper set. Any er r ors

should be corrected when test f itting the

sloper set, so the er rors will not be trans-

fer red to the r est of the styles f lat patterned

f r om the sloper . The care you take when

recording these measurements will be

rewar d ed by better fitting patterns, saving

you time and hassle in futur e. It is impera-

tive for pattern makers to be d etail orien-

tated. Always check your wor k so mistak es

won't get by you.

Quest ion s

1. How do you f ind the bust point or

a pex on a female body form?

2. How do you find the shoulder/ar m-

hole inter section on a live model?3. Why isn't the underarm/sid e seam

intersection marked directly at the

under arm on a live model or at the

bottom of the armhole plate on a body

form?

4. Is the widest area of the lower torso

always measured at a point touching

the front hip bones?

5. Does the waist level for an adult female

body form or live mod el usually dip

down in the front or the back ?

6. How d o you find the waistline on a

live mod el?

7. How do you f ind the waistline/side

seam intersection on a live model?

Learning Activities

1. Tr y tak ing the measurements of an eld -

erly woman. How do this person's

proportions compare with those of

"average" ad ults? Ask her how she

feels about the way clothing f its. How

can the fashion ind ustry better serve

this customer? Which aspects of the

market are the most impor tant for this

customer : fit, comfort, color , style,

price, q uality, or availability?2. Try taking the measurements of a

woman befor e and also during preg-

nancy. Besides the obvious, how does

her body change? How can the fash-

ion industr y better serve this cus-

tomer? Which aspects of the market

are the most impor tant for this cus-

tomer : fit, comfor t, color , style, price,

quality, or availability?



Table 2.1

Body Measurements and Sizes

A. Ju ni or 's Av erag e Sizes fo r 5'5" Height

Size 1-JA 3JA 5-JA 7-JA 9-JA llJA 13JA 15-JA 17JA

Bust cir cumference 32" 33" 34" 35" 36" 37.5" 39" 40.5" 42"

Waist circumf er ence 25" 26" 27" 28" 29" 30.5" 32" 33.5" 35"

Hip cir cumfer ence 35" 36" 37" 38" 39" 40.5" 42" 43.5" 45"

Center back neck to waist 15.375" 15.5" 15.625" 15.75" 15.875" 16" 16.125" 16.25" 16.375"

Back total length 16.5312" 16.6875" 16.8437" 17" 17.1562" 17.3125" 17.4687" 17.625" 17.7812"

Front total length 16.5312" 16.8125" 17.0937" 17.375" 17.6562" 17.9375" 18.2187" 18.5" 18.7812"

High shoulder point 9.875" 10.125" 10.375" 10.625" 10.875" 11.125" 11.375" 11.625" 11.875"

to bust level

Bust s pan, point to point 6.5625" 6.6875" 6.8125" 6.9375" 7.0625" 7.25" 7.4375" 7.625" 7.8125"

Upper chest cir cumference 31.5" 32.25" 33" 33.75" 34.5" 35.75" 37" 38.25" 39.5"

Rib cage cir cumf erence 27.5" 28.5" 29.5" 30.5" 31.5" 33" 34.5" 36" 38"

Br a size 32AA 32A 32B 34B 34B 36B 36C 38C 40C

Panty size 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9

Acr oss should ers, should er 14.5" 14.75" 15" 15.25" 15.5" 15.875" 16.25" 16.625" 17"

tip to should er tip

Should er seam, 4.8125" 4.875" 4.9375" 5" 5.0625" 5.1875" 5.3125" 5.4375" 5.5625"

neck to should er tip

Should er gir th 38.125" 39" 39.875" 40.75" 41.625" 42.75" 43.875" 45" 46.125"

Biceps cir cumf erence 10.75" 11.125" 11.5" 11.875" 12.25" 12.75" 13.25" 13.75" 14.25"

Arm, shoulder ti p to wrist 22.375" 22.5" 22.625" 22.75" 22.875" 23" 23.125" 23.25" 23.375"

C. b. to shoulder tip, 29.625" 29.875" 30.125" 30.375" 30.625" 30.9375" 31.25" 31.5625" 31.875"

down arm to wrist

Wrist cir cumfer ence 5.875" 6" 6.125" 6.25" 6.375" 6.5" 6.625" 6.75" 6.875"

Outseam, waist to 41.25" 41.375" 41.5" 41.625" 41.75" 41.875" 42" 42.125" 42.25"

floor at side seam

Inseam, crotch to floor 31" 31" 31" 31" 31" 31" 31" 31" 31"

Crotch d e pth, 10.25" 10.375" 10.5" 10.625" 10.75" 10.875" 11" 11.125" 11.25 "

outseam - inseam = depth

Crotch length, c.f . 25" 25.5" 26" 26.5" 27" 27.625" 28.25" 28.875" 29.5"waist to c. b. waist

Waist to mid -knee 22.875" 23" 23.125" 23.25" 23.375" 23.5" 23.625" 23.75" 23.875"

at side seam

Waist to ankle at side seam 38.25" 38.375" 38.5" 38.625" 38.75" 38.875" 39" 39.125" 39.25"

Thigh cir cumference 20" 20.75" 21.5" 22.25" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27"

Mid-knee circumf er ence, 13.625" 14.0625" 14.5" 14.9375" 15.375" 16" 16.625" 17.25" 17.875"

leg str aight

Calf cir cumference 13.125" 13.5" 13.875" 14.25" 14.625" 15.125" 15.625" 16.125" 16.625"

Ankle cir cumference 7.875" 8.125" 8.375" 8.625" 8.875" 9.125" 9.375" 9.625" 9.875"

Neckline circumfer ence 14.5625" 14.875" 15.1875" 15.5" 15.8125" 16.125" 16.4375" 16.75" 17.0625"



B. Junior's Petite Sizes for 5'1" Height

Size I-JP 3-JP 5-JP 7-JP 9-JP II-JP 13-JP 15-JP 17- JP

Bust cir cumference 32" 33" 34" 35" 36" 37.5" 39" 40.5" 42"

Waist cir cumference 25" 26" 27" 28" 29" 30.5" 32" 33.5" 35"

Hip circumfer ence 35" 36" 37" 38" 39" 40.5" 42" 43.5" 45"

Center back neck to waist 14.375" 14.5" 14.625" 14.75" 14.875" 15" 15.125" 15.25" 15.375"

Back total length 15.5312" 15.6875" 15.8437" 16" 16.1562" 16.3125" 16.4687" 16.625" 16.7812"

Fr ont total length 15.5312" 15.8125" 16.0937" 16.375" 16.6562" 16.9375" 17.2187" 17.5" 17.7812"

High shoulder point to 9.375" 9.625" 9.875" 10.125" 10.375" 10.625" 10.875" 11.125" 11.375"

bust level

Bust span, point to point 6.0625" 6.1875" 6.3125" 6.4375" 6.5675" 6.75" 6.9375" 7.125" 7.5"

U pper chest cir cumf erence 31.5" 32.25" 33" 33.75" 34.5" 35.75" 37" 38.25" 39.5"

Ri b cage circumfer ence 27.5" 28.5" 29.5" 30.5" 31.5" 33" 34.5" 36" 38"

Bra size 32AA 32A 32B 34B 34B 36B 36C 38B 40C

Panty size 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9

Across shoulder s, shoulder 14.5" 14.75" 15" 15.25" 15.5" 15.875" 16.25" 16.625" 17"


Should er seam, neck to 4.8125" 4.875" 4.9375" 5" 5.0625" 5.1875" 5.3125" 5.4375" 5.5625"

should er tip

Shoulder girth 38.125" 39" 39.875" 40.75" 41.625" 42.75" 43.875" 45" 46.125"

Biceps circumference 10.75" 11.125" 11.5" 11.875" 12.25" 12.75" 13.25" 13.75" 14.25"

Ar m, should er tip to wrist 20.875" 21" 21.125" 21.25" 21.375" 21.5" 21.625" 21.75" 21.875"

G. b. to should er tip, 28.125" 28.375" 28.625" 28.875 " 29.125" 29.4375" 29.75" 30.0625" 30.375"

down arm to wr ist

Wr ist circumf er ence 5.875" 6" 6.125" 6.25" 6.375" 6.5" 6.625" 6.75" 6.875"

Outseam, waist to f loor 38.75" 38.875" 39" 39.125" 39.25" 39.375" 39.5" 39.625" 39.75"

at sid e seam

Inseam, cr otch to floor 29" 29" 29" 29" 29" 29" 29" 29" 29"

Crotch d epth, 9.75" 9.875" 10" 10.125" 10.25" 10.375" 10.5" 10.625" 10.75"

outseam - inseam = d epthCrotch length, c.f . waist 24" 24.5" 25" 25.5" 26" 26.625" 27.25" 27.875" 28.5"

to c. b. waist

Waist to mid -knee 21.375" 21.5" 21.625" 21.75" 21.875" 22" 22.125" 22.25" 22.375"

at sid e seam

Waist to ankle at sid e seam 36.25" 36.375" 36.5" 36.625" 36.75" 36.875" 37" 37.125" 37.25"

Thigh cir cumf erence 20" 20.75" 21.5" 22.25" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27"

Mid-knee circumference, 13.625" 14.0625" 14.5" 14.9375" 15.375" 16" 16.625" 17.25" 17.875"

leg str aight

Calf cir cumf er ence 13.125" 13.5" 13.875" 14.25" 14.625" 15.125" 15.625" 16.125" 16.625"

Ankle cir cumference 7.875" 8.125" 8.375" 8.625" 8.875" 9.125" 9.375" 9.625" 9.875"

Neckline cir cumference 14.5625" 14.875" 15.1875" 15.5" 15.8125" 16.125" 16.4375" 16.75" 17.0625"



Table 2. 1 (canL)


C. Misses' Average Sizes for 5'6" Height

ize 2-MA 4-MA 6-MA 8-MA 10-MA 12-MA 14-MA 16-MA 18-MA

ust cir cumference 32.5" 33.5" 34.5" 35.5" 36.5" 38" 39.5" 41" 43"

Waist cir cumference 24.5" 25.5" 26.5" 27.5" 28.5" 30" 31.5" 33" 35"

Hi p cir cumf erence 35.5" 36.5" 37.5" 38.5" 39.5" 41" 42.5" 44" 46"

enter back neck to waist 15.875" 16" 16.125" 16.25" 16.375" 16.5" 16.625" 16.75" 16.875"

ack total length 17.0312" 17.1875" 17.3437" 17.5" 17.6562" 17.8125" 17.9687" 18.125" 18.3125"

ront total length 17.0312" 17.3125" 17.5937" 17.875" 18.1562" 18.4375" 18.7187" 19" 19.4375"

High shoulder point 10.125" 10.375" 10.625" 10.875" 11.125" 11.375" 11.625 " 11.875" 12.1875"

to bust levelust s pan, point to point 6.6875" 6.8125" 6.9375" 7.0625 " 7.1875" 7.375" 7.5625" 7.75" 8"

Up per chest cir cumference 31.5" 32.25" 33" 33.75" 34.5" 35.75" 37" 38.25" 40"

R ib cage cir cumfer ence 27.5" 28.5" 29.5" 30.5" 31.5" 33" 34.5" 36" 38"

ra size 32A 32A 32B 34B 34B 36B 36 C 38 C 40C

anty size 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 9 10

cr oss should er s, shoulder 14.625" 14.875" 15.125" 15.375" 15.625" 16" ]6.375" 16.75" 17.125"


hould er seam, 4.875" 4.9375" 5" 5.0625" 5.125" 5.25" 5.375" 5.5" 5.625"


hould er gir th cir cumfer ence 38.375" 39.25" 40.125" 41" 41.875" 43" 44.125 " 45.25" 46.5"

ice ps cir cumf er ence 10.75" 11.125" 11.5" 11.875" 12.25" 12.75" 13.25" 13.75" 14.5"

Arm, should er tip to wr ist 22.875" 23" 23.125" 23.25" 23.375" 23.5" 23.625" 23.75" 23.875"

. b. to should er tip, 30.1875" 30.4375" 30.6875" 30.9375" 31.1875" 31.5" 31.8125" 32.125" 32.4375"

down arm to wrist

Wrist cir cumf erence 5.875" 6" 6.125" 6.25" 6.375" 6.5" 6.625" 6.75" 7"

Outseam, waist to floor 41.75" 41.875" 42" 42.125" 42.25" 42.375" 42.5" 42.625" 42.75"

at sid e seam

nseam, cr otch to f loor 31" 31" 31" 31" 31" 31" 31" 31" 31"

r otch d e pth, 10.75" 10.875" 11" 11.125" 11.25"

11.375" 11.5"

11.625" 11.75"


rotch length, c.f . waist 26" 26.5" 27" 27.5" 28" 28.625" 29.25" 29.875" 30.875"

to c. b. waist

Waist to mid -k nee at 23.125" 23.25" 23.375" 23.5" 23.625" 23.75" 23.875" 24" 24.125 "

side seam

Waist to ankle at sid e seam 38.75" 38.875" 39" 39.]25" 39.25" 39.375" 39.5" 39.625" 39.75"

high cir cumfer ence 20" 20.75" 21.5" 22.25" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27.5"

Mid-knee cir cumference 13.625" 14.0625" 14.5" 14.9375" 15.375" 16" 16.625" 17.25" 18.125"

leg str aight

alf cir cumf erence 13.125" 13.5" 13.875" 14.25" 14.625" 15.125" 15.625" 16.125" 16.75"

Ank le cir cumference 7.875" 8.125" 8.375" 8.625" 8.875" 9.125" 9.375" 9.625" 10"

Neck line cir cumference 14.5625" 14.875" 15.1875" 15.5" 15.8125" 16.125" 16.4375" 16.75" 17.1875"



D. Misses' Petite Sizes for 5'2" Heigh t

Size O-MP 2-MP 4-MP 6·MP 8·MP lO-MP 12·MP 14-MP 16-MP 18-MP

Bust circumfer ence 31.5" 32.5" 33.5" 34.5" 35.5" 36.5" 38" 39.5" 41" 43"

Waist circumf er ence 23.5" 24.5" 25.5" 26.5" 27.5" 28.5" 30" 31.5" 33" 35"

Hi p cir cumference 34.5" 35.5" 36.5" 37.5" 38.5" 39.5" 41" 42.5" 44" 46"

Center back neck to waist 14.75" 14.875" 15" 15.125" 15.25" 15.375" 15.5" 15.625" 15.75" 15.875"

Back total length 15.875" 16.0312" 16.1875" 16.3437" 16.5" 16.6562" 16.8125" 16.9687" 17.125" 17.3125"

Fr ont total length 15.75" 16.0312" 16.3125" 16.5937" 16.875" 17.1562" 17.4375" 17.7187" 18" 18.4375"

High shoulder point 9.375" 9.625" 9.875" 10.125" 10.375" 10.625" 10.875" 11.125" 11.375" 11.6875"

to bust level

Bust s pan, point to point 6.5625 " 6.6875" 6.8125" 6.9375" 7.0625" 7.1875" 7.375" 7.5625 " 7.75" 8"

U pper chest circumf er ence 30.75" 31.5" 32.25" 33" 33.75" 34.5" 35.75" 37" 38.25" 40"

Rib cage cir cumf er ence 26.5" 27.5" 28.5" 29.5" 30.5" 31.5" 33" 34.5"" 36" 38"

Bra size 30A 32A 32A 32B 34B 34B 36B 36C 38C 40C

Panty size 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 9 10

Acr oss should ers, shoulder 14.375" 14.625" 14.875" 15.125" 15.375" 15.625" 16" 16.375" 16.75" 17.125"tip to should er ti p

Shoulder seam, neck to 4.8125" 4.875" 4.9375" 5" 5.0625" 5.125" 5.25" 5.375" 5.5" 5.625"shoulder tip

Shoulder girth 37.5" 38.375" 39.25" 40.125" 41" 41.875" 43" 44.125" 45.25" 46.5"

circumfer ence

Bice ps cir cumfer ence 10.375" 10.75" 11.125" 11.5" 11.875" 12.25" 12.75" 13.25" 13.75" 14.5"

Arm, should er tip to wrist 21.25" 21.375" 21.5" 21.625" 21.75" 21.875" 22" 22.125" 22.25" 22.375"

C. b. to shoulder tip, 28.4375" 28.6875" 28.9375" 29.1875" 29.4375" 29.6875" 30" 30.3125" 30.625 " 30.9375"d own arm to wris t

Wrist circumf er ence 5.75" 5.875" 6" 6.125" 6.25" 6.375" 6.5" 6.625" 6.75" 7"

Outseam, waist to 39.125" 39.25" 39.375" 39.5" 39.625" 39.75" 39.875" 40" 40.125" 40.25"floor at sid e seam

Inseam, crotch to floor 29" 29" 29" 29" 29" 29" 29" 29" 29" 29"

Crotch d e pth, out- 10.125" 10.25" 10.375" 10.5" 10.625" 10.75" 10.875" 11" 11.125" 11.25"

seam - inseam = d e pth

Crotch length, c.r . waist 24.5" 25" 25.5" 26" 26.5" 27" 27.625" 28.25" 28.875" 29.875"to c. b. waist

Waist to mid-knee 21.5" 21.625" 21.75" 21.875" 22" 22.125" 22.25" 22.375" 22.5" 22.625"at sid e seam

Waist to ankle 36.625" 36.75" 36.875" 37" 37.125" 37.25" 37.375" 37.5" 37.625" 37.75"at sid e seam

Thigh circumference 19.25" 20" 20.75" 21.5" 22.25" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27.5"

Mid -knee circumference, 13.1875" 13.625" 14.0625" 14.5" 14.9375" 15.375" 16" 16.625" 17.25" 18.125"leg straight

Calf cir cumference 12.75" 13.125" 13.5" 13.875" 14.25" 14.625" 15.125" 15.625" 16.125" 16.75"

Ankle circumference 7.625" 7.875" 8.125" 8.375" 8.625" 8.875" 9.125" 9.375" 9.625" 10"

Neckline circumference 13.75" 14.5625" 14.875" 15.1875" 15.5" 15.8125" 16.125" 16.4375" 16.75" 17.1875"



Table 2. 1 (cant.)


. Misses' Tall Sizes for 5'10" Height

ze 4-MT 6-MT 8-MT lO-MT 12-MT 14-MT 16·MT 18-MT

ust cir cumference 33.5" 34.5" 35.5" 36.5" 38" 39.5" 41" 43"

Waist cir cumfer ence 25.5" 26.5" 27.5" 28.5" 30" 31.5" 33" 35"

i p circumf erence 36.5" 37.5" 38.5" 39.5" 41" 42.5" 44" 46"

enter back neck to waist 17" 17.125" 17.25" 17.375" 17.5" 17.625" 17.75" 17.875"

ack total length 18.1875" 18.3437" 18.5" 18.6562" 18.8125" 18.9687" 19.125" 19.3125"

r ont total length 18.3125" 18.5937" 18.875" 19.1562" 19.4375" 19.7187" 20" 20.4375"

igh shoulder point 10.875" 11.125" 11.375" 11.625" 11.875" 12.125" 12.375" 12.6875"to bust level

ust s pan, point to point 6.8125" 6.9375" 7.0625" 7.1875" 7.375" 7.5625" 7.75" 8"

pper chest circumfer ence 32.25" 33" 33.75" 34.5" 35.75" 37" 38.25" 40"

ib cage circumfer ence 28.5" 29.5" 30.5" 31.5" 33" 34.5" 36" 38"

ra size 32A 32B 34B 34B 36B 36C 38 C 40C

anty size 5 5 6 6 7 8 9 10

cr oss shoulder s, should er 14.875" 15.125" 15.375" 15.625" 16" 16.375" 16.75" 17.125"

tip to shoulder tip

hould er seam, 4.9375" 5" 5.0625" 5.125" 5.25" 5.375" 5.5" 5.625"


hould er gir th cir cumference 39.25" 40.125" 41" 41.875" 43" 44.125" 45.25" 46.5"

ice ps cir cumference 11.125" 11.5" 11.875" 12.25" 12.75" 13.25" 13.75" 14.5"

r m, should er tip to wr ist 24.5" 24.625" 24.75" 24.875" 25" 25.125" 25.25" 25.375"

.b. to should er tip, 31.9375" 32.1875" 32.4375" 32.6875" 33" 33.125" 33.625" 33.9375"

d own arm to wrist

Wr ist circumf erence 6" 6.125" 6.25" 6.375" 6.5" 6.625" 6.75" 7"

utseam, waist to f loor 44.375" 44.5" 44.625" 44.75" 44.875" 45" 45.125" 45.25"

at sid e seam

nseam cr otch to floor 33" 33" 33" 33" 33" 33" 33" 33"r otch d epth, 11.375" 11.5" 11.625" 11.75" 11.875" 12" 12.125" 12.25"


r otch length, c.f. waist 27.5" 28" 28.5" 29" 29.625" 30.25" 30.875" 31.875"

to c. b. waist

Waist to mid-knee at 24.75" 24.875" 25" 25.125" 25.25" 25.375" 25.5" 25.625"

sid e seam

Waist to ank le at side seam 40.875" 41" 41.125" 41.25" 41.375" 41.5" 41.625" 41.75"

high cir cumf er ence 20.75" 21.5" 22.25" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27.5"

Mid -knee cir cumference, 14.0625" 14.5" 14.9375" 15.375" 16" 16.625" 17.25" 18.125"

leg straight

alf cir cumf erence 13.5" 13.875" 14.25" 14.625" 15.125" 15.625" 16.125" 16.75"

nkle cir cumf er ence 8.125" 8.375" 8.625" 8.875" 9.125" 9.375" 9.625" 10"

eckline cir cumf er ence 14.875" 15.1875" 15.5" 15.8125" 16.125" 16.4375" 16.75" 17.1875"



F.Women's Average Sizes for 5'6" Height

Size 18-W A 20-WA 22-W A 24-WA 26-WA 28-W A 30-WA

Bust circumference 45" 47" 49" 51" 53" 55" 57"

Waist cir cumference 37.5" 40" 42.5" 45" 47.5" 50" 52.5"

Hip circumference 48" 50" 52" 54" 56" 58" 60"

Center back neck to waist 16.75" 16.875" 17" 17.125" 17.25" 17.375" 17.5"

Back total length 18.25" 18.4375" 18.625" 18.8125" 19" 19.1875" 19.375"

Front total length 19.875" 20.3125" 20.75" 21.1875" 21.625" 22.0625" 22.5"

High should er point to bust level 12.5" 12.8125" 13.125" 13.4375" 13.75" 14.0625" 14.375"

Bust s pan, point to point 8.25" 8.5" 8.75" 9" 9.25" 9.5" 9.75"

U pper chest cir cumfer ence 41.75" 43.5" 45.25" 47" 48.75" 50.5" 52.25"

Rib cage circumference 40" 42" 44" 46" 48" 50" 52"

Bra size 42C 44D 44D 46D 48D 50DD / E 52 DD / E

Panty size 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Acr oss should ers, should er ti p 17.5" 17.875" 18.25" 18.625" 19" 19.375" 19.75"

to shoulder tip

Shoulder seam, neck to shoulder ti p 5.75" 5.875" 6" 6.125" 6.25" 6.375" 6.5"

Shoulder gir th circumf erence 47.75" 49" 50.25" 51.5" 52.75" 54" 55.25"

Biceps circumfer ence 15.25" 16" 16.75" 17.5" 18.25" 19" 19.75"Ar m, shoulder ti p to wr ist 24" 24" 24" 24" 24" 24" 24"

C. b. to should er tip, 32.75" 32.9375" 33.125" 33.3125" 33.5" 33.6875" 33.875"

down arm to wrist

Wr ist cir cumfer ence 7.25" 7.5" 7.75" 8" 8.25" 8.5" 8.75"

Outseam, waist to floor at side seam 42.75" 42.75" 42.75" 42.75" 42.75" 42.75" 42.75"

Inseam, crotch to floor 30.875" 30.75" 30.625" 30.5" 30.375" 30.25" 30.125"

Crotch depth, 11.875" 12" 12.125" 12.25" 12.375" 12.5" 12.625"

outseam - inseam = d epth

Crotch length, c.f . waist to c.b. waist 31.875" 32.875" 33.875" 34.875" 35.875" 36.875" 37.875"

Waist to mid -knee at side seam 24.125" 24.125" 24.125" 24.125" 24.125" 24.125" 24.125"

Waist to ank le at side seam 39.75" 39.75" 39.75" 39.75" 39.75" 39.75" 39.75"

Thigh circumf er ence 29" 30.5" 32" 33.5" 35" 36.5" 38"

Mid -k nee cir cumference, leg str aight 19" 19.875" 20.75" 21.625" 22.5" 23.375" 24.25"

Calf cir cumf erence 17.375" 18" 18.625" 19.25" 19.875" 20.5" 21.125"

Ankle cir cumf er ence 10.375" 10.75" 11.125" 11.5" 11.875" 12.25" 12.625"

Neckline cir cumference 17.625" 18.0625" 18.5" 18.9375" 19.375" 19.8125" 20.25"



Table 2. 1 (cont.)


G. Women's Petite Sizes for 5'2" Height

Size 18-WP 20-WP 22-WP 24-WP 26-WP 28-WP 30-WP

Bust cir cumf er ence 45" 47" 49" 51" 53" 55" 57"

Waist cir cumference 37.5" 40" 42.5" 45" 47.5" 50" 52.5"

Hi p cir cumf er ence 48" 50" 52" 54" 56" 58" 60"



Fr ont total length 18.875" 19.3125" 19.75" 20.1875" 20.625" 21.0625" 21.5"

High shoulder point to bust level 12" 12.3125" 12.625" 12.9375" 13.25" 13.5625" 13.875"

Bust s pan, point to point 8.25" 8.5" 8.75" 9" 9.25" 9.5" 9.75"

U pper chest cir cumference 41.75" 43.5" 45.25" 47" 48.75" 50.5" 52.25"

Rib cage circumfer ence 40" 42" 44" 46" 48" 50" 52"

Bra size 42C 44D 44D 46D 48D 50DD / E 52 DD / E

Panty size 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Acr oss should er s, should er tip 17.5" 17.875" 18.25" 18.625" 19" 19.375" 19.75"

to should er ti p

Should er seam, neck to should er ti p 5.75" 5.875" 6" 6.125" 6.25" 6.375" 6.5"

Shoulder girth cir cumfer ence 47.75" 49" 50.25" 51.5" 52.75" 54" 55.25"

Biceps cir cumf erence 15.25" 16" 16.75" 17.5" 18.25" 19" 19.75"

Arm, shoulder ti p to wr ist 22.5" 22.5" 22.5" 22.5" 22.5" 22.5" 22.5"

C. b. to should er tip, down arm to wrist 31.25" 31.4375" 31.625" 31.8125" 32" 32.1875" 32.375"

Wrist cir cumference 7.25" 7.5" 7.75" 8" 8.25" 8.5" 8.75"

Outseam, waist to floor at side seam 40.25" 40.25" 40.25" 40.25" 40.25" 40.25" 40.25"

Inseam, cr otch to f loor 28.875" 28.75" 28.625" 28.5" 28.375" 28.25" 28.125"

Cr otch d e pth, 11.375" 11.5" 11.625" 11.75" 11.875" 12" 12.125"


Cr otch length, c.f . waist to c. b. waist 30.875" 31.875" 32.875" 33.875" 34.875" 35.875" 36.875"

Waist to mid -k nee at sid e seam 22.625" 22.625 " 22.625" 22.625" 22.625 " 22.625" 22.625"

Waist to ank le at sid e seam 37.75" 37.75" 37.75" 37.75" 37.75" 37.75" 37.75"

Thigh cir cumf erence 29" 30.5" 32" 33.5" 35" 36.5" 38"

Mid-k nee circumf erence, 19" 19.875" 20.75" 21.625" 22.5" 23.375" 24.25"

leg str aight

Calf circumf er ence 17.375" 18" 18.625" 19.25" 19.875" 20.5" 21.125"

Ank le cir cumf erence 10.375" 10.75" 11.125" 11.5" 11.875" 12.25" 12.625"

Neck line circumfer ence 17.625" 18.0625" 18.5" 18.9375" 19.375" 19.8125" 20.25"



H. Women's Tall Sizes for 5'10" Height

Size 18-WT 20-WT 22-WT 24-WT 26-WT 28-WT 30-WT

Bust cir cumfer ence 45" 47" 49" 51" 53" 55" 57"

Waist circumfer ence 37.5" 40" 42.5" 45" 47.5" 50" 52.5"

Hi p circumference 48" 50" 52" 54" 56" 58" 60"



Fr ont total length 20.875" 21.3125" 21.75" 22.1875" 22.625" 23.0625" 23.5"

High should er point to bust level 13" 13.3125" 13.625" 13.9375" 14.25" 14.5625" 14.875"

Bust span, point to point 8.25" 8.5" 8.75" 9" 9.25" 9.5" 9.75"

Upper chest circumfer ence 41.75" 43.5" 45.25" 47" 48.75" 50.5" 52.25"

Rib cage circumference 40" 42" 44" 46" 48" 50" 52"

Bra size 42C 44D 44D 46D 48D 50 D D /E 52 D D / E

Panty size 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Acr oss should ers, should er tip to 17.5" 17.875" 18.25" 18.625" 19" 19.375" 19.75"

should er ti p

Should er seam, neck to shoulder ti p 5.75" 5.875" 6" 6.125" 6.25" 6.375" 6.5"

Should er gir th circumf er ence 47.75" 49" 50.25" 51.5" 52.75" 54" 55.25"

Bice ps circumfer ence 15.25" 16" 16.75" 17.5" 18.25" 19" 19.75"

Arm, should er ti p to wr ist 25.5" 25.5" 25.5" 25.5" 25.5" 25.5" 25.5"

C.b. to shoulder tip, d own arm to wrist 34.25" 34.4375" 34.625 " 34.8125" 35" 35.1875" 35.375"

Wrist cir cumf er ence 7.25" 7.5" 7.75" 8" 8.25" 8.5" 8.75"

Outseam, waist to f loor at sid e seam 45.25" 45.25" 45.25" 45.25" 45.25" 45.25" 45.25"

Inseam, cr otch to floor 32.875" 32.75" 32.625" 32.5" 32.375" 32.25" 32.125"

Crotch depth, 12.375" 12.5" 12.625" 12.75" 12.875" 13" 13.125"

outseam - inseam = d e pth

Crotch length, c.f . waist to c. b. waist 32.875" 33.875" 34.875" 35.875" 36.875" 37.875" 38.875"

Waist to mid -knee at side seam 25.625" 25.625" 25.625" 25.625" 25.625" 25.625" 25.625"

Waist to ank le at side seam 41.75" 41.75" 41.75" 41.75" 41.75" 41.75" 41.75"

Thigh cir cumference 29" 30.5" 32" 33.5" 35" 36.5" 38"

Mid -knee circumfer ence, 19" 19.875" 20.75" 21.625" 22.5" 23.375" 24.25"

leg straight

Calf circumf erence 17.375" 18" 18.625" 19.25" 19.875" 20.5" 21.125"

Ank le cir cumference 10.375" 10.75" 11.125" 11.5" 11.875" 12.25" 12.625"

Neck line cir cumfer ence 17.625" 18.0625" 18.5" 18.9375" 19.375" 19.8125" 20.25"



Table 2. 1 (cont.)


Bra size is deter mined by thr ee measurements:

the bust cir cumf er ence

the upper chest cir cumf erence

the r i b cage cir cumf erence

The number size r elates to upper chest cir cumf erence, not to bust circumference.

The letter size or "cup" size r elates to the difference between bust cir cumf er ence and upper chest circumference.

Ri b cage circumf er ence should also be f actor ed into the bra size, because some women have a wid e u pper chest with a nar row rib cage.

Bra sizes come in even number sizes only, which means that if the upper chest measures at an od d num ber, the measur ement will f all

in between sizes. To verif y which even num ber to round of f to (lower or higher than the up per chest), consider r i b cage circumf er-

ence compared with that of the upper chest. Example: if upper chest circumf er ence measur es 33" and r ib cage circumf er ence meas-

ures f rom 2.5" to 5" less, select br a band size 32. If upper chest cir cumference measures 33" and r ib cage cir cumference measures the

same to 2l j4" less, select bra band size 34. However , if u p per chest cir cumf erence measures 33.75" to 33.875", select bra band size

34, r egardless of r ib cage cir cumfer ence.

The dif f erence between bust circumf er ence and upper chest cir cumference determines the letter size or "cu p" size, as f ollows:

Bust circumf er ence total 36.5" 37" 38" 39" 40" 41" 42" 43" 44" 45"

U p per chest 36" 36" 36" 36" 36" 36" 36" 36" 36" 36"

circumf er ence total

Up per chest smaller u p to 0.5" 0.5"-1.25" 1.5"-2.25" 2.5"-3.25" 3.5"-4.25" 4.5"-5.25" 5.5"-6.25" 6.5"-7.25" 7.5"-8.25" 8.5"-9.25"

than bustLetter size or "cup " SIze AA A B C D DD/E DDD/F G H r

Bra size 36AA 36A 36B 36C 36D 36DD/E 36DDD/F 36G 36H 36r

Panty number sizes do not r elate to Junior 's or Misses' number sizes; they come in even and odd numbers and have a 2" cir cum-

fer ence grad e between each size.

Panty Sizes XS S

Panty Sizes 4 5

Waist circumf er ence 23"-24" 25"-26"

Hip circumfer ence 34"-35" 36"-37"

M L

6 7

27"-28" 29"-30"

38"-39" 40"-41"

IX

8

31"-32"

42"-43"

2X 3X 4X 5X

9 10 11 12

33"-34" 35"-37" 38"-39"40"-41"

44"-45" 46"-47" 48"-49" 50"-51"

6X

13

42"-43"

52"-53"

7X

14

44"-45"

54"-55"

Hat size XS XS S S M M

Hat size 6l j2 65/8 63/4 67/8 7 71/8

Head cir cumference, wher e hat sits 20.5" 20.875" 21.25" 21.625" 22" 22.375"

Hat size (cont.) L L XL XL XXL XXL XXXL XXXL

Hat size (cont ) 7lj4 73/8 71/2 75/8 73/4 77/8 8 81/8

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