The four parts of a point
- Code: a short reference, such as CHE-01, used on the flat, in the table and in fit comments.
- Name and method: where the tape starts and ends, from a fixed landmark such as the high point shoulder. "Body length from HPS to hem" can only be measured one way.
- Spec: the finished measurement at the sample size.
- Tolerance: how far a piece may measure above or below the spec and still pass.
Measure flat, from landmarks
Most widths are taken with the garment laid flat, from edge to edge: a half measurement. Say so in the name or the table head. A chest of 21 1/4 in flat is 42 1/2 in round, and a factory that reads one as the other cuts the wrong garment.
Every length starts at a landmark that does not move: the high point shoulder, the centre back neck, the shoulder point, the underarm. "Chest 1 in below armhole" says where the tape sits; "chest" does not.
| Code | Point of measure | cm | in | Tol. ± |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLN-60 | Body length from HPS to hem | 70.0 | 27 1/2 | 1/2 |
| CHE-01 | Chest 1" below armhole | 54.0 | 21 1/4 | 1/2 |
| SHO-03 | Across shoulder | 47.0 | 18 1/2 | 1/2 |
| SLV-19 | Sleeve length | 20.0 | 7 7/8 | 3/8 |
| SLV-21 | Sleeve opening | 17.5 | 6 7/8 | 3/8 |
| SL3 | 3-point sleeve length | 44.0 | 17 3/8 | 1/2 |
| AHS | Armhole straight | 21.6 | 8 1/2 | 3/8 |
| BCP | Muscle width | 20.1 | 7 7/8 | 3/8 |
| SCH | Sleeve cap height | 10.6 | 4 1/8 | 1/4 |
| CH5 | Chest 5 in below armhole | 54.0 | 21 1/4 | 1/2 |
| SWP | Bottom sweep | 54.0 | 21 1/4 | 1/2 |
| FND | Front neck drop | 7.6 | 3 | 1/4 |
| BND | Back neck drop | 2.1 | 7/8 | 1/8 |
Tolerances
A tolerance is how far either side of the spec a piece may measure and still pass inspection. It is tighter on small measurements, because the same error matters more on a 3/4 in back neck drop than on a 27 in body length.
| Measurement | Tolerance ± |
|---|---|
| 15 3/4 in and over | 1/2 in |
| 5 7/8 to 15 3/4 in | 3/8 in |
| 2 to 5 7/8 in | 1/4 in |
| Up to 2 in | 1/8 in |
Write the tolerance as plus and minus, even when the two are equal. Some points need them uneven, such as a body length that may run longer but never shorter.
One code on the flat and in the table
A dimension line on the flat carries the same code as its row in the table, so a reader keys one to the other without guessing. The Studio draws the code on the flat and prints the same code in the table and on its how-to-measure page, so a fit comment such as "CHE-01 is 1/2 in under" means one thing.
Common mistakes
- Half and full measurements mixed in one table, or not labelled.
- A start point that moves: "from the shoulder" instead of from the high point shoulder or the shoulder point.
- A curve measured straight, or the other way round, without saying which. An armhole is measured both ways.
- No tolerance on small details, such as a cuff height or a placket width.
- A spec changed after a fit without a new version date.
