Monday, February 28, 2011

Women's and Men's Pattern Sizing--It's more complicated than you think.

This is probably a pretty boring blog post as it consists of a bunch of charts.  But the charts are important when deciding on the category of pattern that you choose.  You will want to choose a category that best reflects your proportions.  If you must choose a pattern that is not in your category, the sizes in the respective chart can guide you well in making your alterations.  Please go by measurements when selecting a size. If you go by retail RTW sizes, the pattern will not fit, it will be too small.  Pattern companies have not been vanity sizing the last 40 years.
Men's and Women's circumference measuring points and some vertical measures.



From left to right: Junior/Teen, Women, Half-Size, Miss Petite, Junior, and Junior Peitite

Misses Sizing
Designed for the female American figure of average proportions. 5'5" to 5'6" tall without shoes.
Size68101214161820
Bust30.5”31.5”32.5”34”36”38”40”42”
Waist23”24”25”26.5”28”30”32”34”
Hip32.5”33.5”34.5”36”38”40”42”44”
Back Waist Length15.5”15.75”16”16.25”16.5”16.75”17”17.25”


Women
Designed for figures 5'5" to 5'6" tall without shoes, with larger bust and hips than the Misses figure.
Size36404244464850
Bust42”44”46”48”50”52”54”
Waist35”37”39”41.5”44”46.5”49”
Hip44”46”48”50”52”54”56”
Back Waist Length17.25”17.36”17.5”17.63”17.75”17.88”18”


Miss Petite
Designed for figures 5'2" to 5'4" tall without shoes, with back-waist lengths shorter than Misses.
Size6MP8MP10MP12MP14MP16MP
Bust30.5”31.5”32.5”34”36”38”
Waist23.5”24.5”25.5”27”28.5”30.5”
Hip32.5”33.5”34.5”36”38”40”
Back-waist length14.5”14.75”15”15.25”15.5”15.75”


Half Size
Designed for figures 5'2" to 5'3" without shoes. with short back-waist and large waist and hips.
Size10.512.514.516.518.520.522.524.5
Bust33”35”37”39”41”43”45”47”
Waist27”29”31”33”35”37.5”40”42.5”
Hip35”37”39”41”43”45.5”48”50.5”
Back-waist length15”15.25”15.5”15.75”15.88”16”16.13”16.25”

Junior
Designed for figures 5'4" to 5'5" tall without shoes, with high busts and short back-waist lengths.
Size579111315
Bust30”31”32”33.5”35”37”
Waist22.5”23.5”24.5”25.5”27”29”
Hip32”33”34”35.5”37”39”
Back-waist length15”15.25”15.5”15.75”16”16.25”

Junior Petite
Designed for figures 5'-5'1" tall without shoes, with high busts and very short back-waist lengths.
Size3JP5JP7JP9JP11JP13JP
Bust30.5”31”32”33”34”35”
Waist22.5”23”24”25”26”27”
Hip31.5”32”33”34”35”36”
Back-waist length14”14.25”14.5”14.75”15”15.25”

Junior Teen
Designed for girls, 5'1" to 5'3" tall without shoes, the waist is large in proportion to the bust.
Size5/67/89/1011/1213/1415/16
Bust28”29”30.5”32”33.5”35”
Waist22”23”24”25”26”27”
Hip31”32”33.5”35”36.5”38”
Back-waist length13.5”14”14.5”15”15.3815.75

Men
Designed for the male American figure of average proportion, 5'10" tall without shoes.
Size3436384042444648
Chest34”36”38”40”42”44”46”48”
Waist28”30”32”34”36”39”42”44”
Hip35”37”39”41”43”45”47”49”
Neck- band14”14.5”15”15.5”16”16.5”17”17.5”
Shirt
Sleeve
32”32”33”33”34”34”35”35”
Just an observation, it seems like only the men's chart makes any sense in relation to the size and the measurements...