Plus-size is not a size run. It is a different block.
Adding 5 cm to a straight-size pattern gives you a bigger garment, not a curve garment. The armhole gets tight, the neck cuts in, the waist drops, and the customer sends it back. Here is what we do differently.
Bust, waist and hip move at different rates
In a straight-size run, the body stays roughly proportional. Above a 14W it does not. Hip and waist gain faster than the bust, the shoulder stays comparatively narrow, and the armhole has to deepen so the sleeve does not pull.
We grade each of those on its own rule. In practice that means a curve block has its own shoulder slope, its own armhole depth, and its own neck opening — drafted, not scaled.
| Point of measure | Grade step | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bust | 5.0 | 2″ per size |
| Waist | 5.0 | Follows bust |
| Hip | 6.0 | Wider than bust — the curve rule |
| Shoulder | 0.6 | Barely grows |
| Armhole depth | 0.6 | Most-missed point |
| Neck opening | 1.2 | Second most-missed point |
A worked example, 14W to 24W
Below is a sample body chart generated from the rules above. Every style starts from a chart like this and is then adjusted for fabric, stretch and intended ease.
| Point of measure (cm) | 14W | 16W | 18W | 20W | 22W | 24W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bust | 106.0 | 111.1 | 116.2 | 121.2 | 126.3 | 131.4 |
| Waist | 86.0 | 91.1 | 96.2 | 101.2 | 106.3 | 111.4 |
| Hip | 112.0 | 118.4 | 124.7 | 131.1 | 137.4 | 143.8 |
| Shoulder | 41.0 | 41.6 | 42.3 | 42.9 | 43.6 | 44.2 |
| Armhole depth | 22.0 | 22.6 | 23.3 | 23.9 | 24.6 | 25.2 |
Body measurements, not garment measurements. Garment specs add ease per style.
Two fittings before anything is cut
A curve garment cannot be signed off from measurements alone. The first sample goes on a real body, we photograph it, mark the corrections, and re-cut. Only the second sample goes to bulk.
- Fit 01 — on the first sample Checked on a fit model in the 16W–18W range. Photos, notes, and a marked-up pattern come back to you with the sample.
- Fit 02 — after correction Same style, corrected block. This is the version that gets sealed and used for production.
- Fabric behaviour, not just size Elastane content, recovery after wash, and shrinkage are measured before the grade is locked. A block that grows 3 cm in the wash is a return.
Four things we check because they go wrong
- Armhole depth. Too shallow and the sleeve pulls across the bicep; too deep and the whole garment lifts when the arm raises.
- Neck opening. A scaled neck strangles the wearer. It is drafted from the shoulder, not from the chest.
- Waist position. On a curve body the natural waist sits higher relative to a straight-size block. Get it wrong and the dress looks like it is falling down.
- Stretch recovery. Rib and ponte grow. If the block is cut to the unstretched measurement it will fit on day one and not on day thirty.
Have a curve style you cannot get made properly?
Send the tech pack, or just a reference photo and your target FOB. We will tell you honestly whether the block needs rebuilding before we quote.
Send a style