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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
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The Practical Guide to Patternmaking
for Fashion Designers
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
Learning Activities 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
Learning Activities 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
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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
Pattern Chart for Style 0706 785
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
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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
Pattern Chart for Style 0808 222
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
Pattern Chart for Style 0908 255
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
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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
Pattern Chart for Style 1104 314
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
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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
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Style 1104: Single-Br easted Jacket, Including Lining, from Chapter 18 447
Pattern Chart for Style 1104 452
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
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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
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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 .
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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
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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
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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
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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
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, = ~ . .~' 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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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- 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
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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
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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)
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C< 1 l;;:
q \.Q
c a N-0 "
E "0
< 1 l ~0)(IJ
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~ 1004
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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
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~)
~,
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.
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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.
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. . . . . •
\N
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back
skirt
R2-self
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0807
side
back
skirt
12
2- self
\
0807
side
f r ont
skirt
12
2- self
back
patch
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.
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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.
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\
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
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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
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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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u..c (ij ~0
Qj el l
.8~
E 0..
(i j .D OJ OJ
· 0 0 C C
Qj .~ ~E
s. ~ r o r oa.. a..
Q) Q)
(/) (/)
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?
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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
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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-
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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 .
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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.
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#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.
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#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.
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#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~
~
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#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.
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#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.
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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
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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?
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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"
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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"
tip to should er tip
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"
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Table 2. 1 (canL)
Body Measurements and Sizes
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"
tip to should er tip
hould er seam, 4.875" 4.9375" 5" 5.0625" 5.125" 5.25" 5.375" 5.5" 5.625"
neck to should er tip
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"
outseam - inseam = depth
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"
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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"
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Table 2. 1 (cant.)
Body Measurements and Sizes
. 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"
neck to should er tip
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"
outseam - inseam = depth
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"
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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"
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Table 2. 1 (cont.)
Body Measurements and Sizes
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"
Center back neck to waist 15.75" 15.875" 16" 16.125" 16.25" 16.375" 16.5"
Back total length 17.25" 17.4375" 17.625" 17.8125" 18" 18.1875" 18.375"
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"
outseam - inseam = depth
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"
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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"
Center back neck to waist 17.75" 17.875" 18" 18.125" 18.25" 18.375" 18.5"
Back total length 19.25" 19.4375" 19.625" 19.8125" 20" 20.1875" 20.375"
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"
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Table 2. 1 (cont.)
Body Measurements and Sizes
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