What is size grading?
Size grading is the process of scaling a base pattern — usually the medium — up and down to every other size by set increments for each measurement: chest, length, sleeve, shoulder. A well-graded XL is not just a bigger medium; the proportions change with the size.
Why it matters
Bad grading is why some brands' large fits well and their XXL fits nobody. It also decides how many sizes a run can carry: our standard is XS to 3XL, extended to 4XL for uniforms.
On our floor
Graded from a tested block in-house, checked on a size-set sample — one of each size — before bulk on any cut-and-sew order.
Common questions
- What sizes can you make?
- XS to 3XL standard; up to 4XL on request. Any breakdown within the order.
- What is a size-set sample?
- One garment in each size, made before bulk to confirm the grading fits real bodies.
- Can I supply my own grading rules?
- Yes, in the tech pack. Otherwise we grade to standard increments for the market you sell in.
- Do US, UK and EU sizes differ?
- Yes — labels differ and so do some proportions. Tell us your market and we grade and label for it.
Related terms
pattern
A pattern is the set of flat shaped pieces a garment is cut from — front, back, sleeves, hood, pocket, cuff and so on — drafted for the…
tech pack
A tech pack — technical package — is the document that specifies one garment completely: flat sketches, bill of materials, measurements per…
pre-shrunk
Pre-shrunk — or compacted — fabric has been mechanically shrunk before the garment is cut, so the finished piece shrinks far less in the…
cut and sew
Cut and sew means the garment is made from fabric — cut to a pattern and sewn — rather than bought as a finished blank and decorated. It is…
Where this applies
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