Fit, Sizing, Design and Tech Packs: A Buyer Reference
Size and specification errors are expensive because they are discovered after production, not before. This hub covers body measurement, size charts, grading, tolerance and the tech pack itself: the fields that must be present, the artwork a factory needs and the approval gates that should exist before bulk cutting starts.
What this hub covers
A tech pack is not paperwork that follows a design. It is the thing that makes a design reproducible. Without it, a factory fills the gaps with its own assumptions: its standard block, its usual stitch, its nearest stock colour. The sample that comes back may be well made and still be a completely different garment from the one in your head.
This hub is mostly original reference material, because the existing archive has comparatively little deep coverage of specification work. It starts with measurement and grading, moves through tolerance and artwork handover, and ends with a pre-cut checklist. Throughout, the emphasis is on numbers and written approvals rather than on adjectives.
The guidance assumes a small custom run. At very large volumes a full technical design team would handle these documents; at sixty pieces the buyer usually is that team, which is why the fields need to be simple enough to complete and complete enough to be useful.
If you are starting from scratch, work through the sections in order and build the size chart before the artwork. If you already have a tech pack, use the checklist at the end to find missing fields.
Body measurement and the size chart
A size chart is a list of finished garment measurements, not a list of labels. For a top it usually includes chest or bust, body length, shoulder width, sleeve length, hem width and neck opening. For bottoms it includes waist, hip, thigh, inseam, leg opening and front and back rise. State how each measurement is taken – flat across, around the body, from which seam to which seam – because two people measuring "chest" differently will produce a systematic error across every size.
Decide whether you are specifying body measurements or garment measurements. Body measurements describe the wearer; garment measurements describe the finished item and include ease. Mixing the two in one chart is a common and expensive mistake. State the unit, the measuring method and a tolerance for every point, then have someone measure an actual sample against the chart before approving it.
| Field | What to state | Typical omission |
|---|---|---|
| Measurement point | Exact start and end, flat or around | A name with no method, such as "chest" alone |
| Unit | Centimetres or inches, consistently | Mixing units between the chart and the sample |
| Body or garment | Which one the number describes | Ease added twice or not at all |
| Tolerance | Plus and minus at each point | No tolerance, so any deviation is an argument |
| Sample check | Measured values against the chart | Approving a fit without measuring it |
Every manufacturing process varies. A written tolerance turns variation into an acceptance rule instead of an opinion. Without one, both sides can be right and the order still stalls.
Grading across a size run
Grading is the set of rules that scales one pattern to the next size. A common mistake is to assume every point grows by the same amount. In practice, length grades differ from width grades, sleeve length grades differently from sleeve opening, and neck opening changes very little across adult sizes. A graded size run is therefore not a set of independent patterns multiplied by a factor.
Ask to see the grade rule table, not just the finished chart. Check the extremes: the smallest and largest sizes are where proportional errors show up, particularly in sleeve length, shoulder slope and rise. If a run covers both youth and adult sizes, treat them as separate blocks rather than stretching one grade rule across the whole range.
| Grade rule question | Why it matters | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Which point is the base size | All other sizes derive from it | That the base size sample was actually approved |
| Grade increments per point | Width and length rarely grade equally | The increments in the written rule table |
| Extreme sizes | Errors accumulate at the ends | Measurements on the smallest and largest samples |
| Youth to adult transition | Different body proportions | Whether a separate block is used |
| Decoration scaling | A fixed print size looks different on each size | Placement and maximum size per size |
Fit blocks, ease and style intent
A fit block is the underlying pattern shape: straight, relaxed, tapered, drop-shoulder, close-fitting. The same chest measurement can produce a very different garment depending on the block and the ease added. Describe the intended fit in words and in measurements, and give a reference garment if you have one – but keep the measurements authoritative, because a reference garment can be measured and a word cannot.
Ease is the difference between the body and the garment. It varies with fabric: a high-elastane knit can be close fitting with negative ease, while a woven needs positive ease to allow movement. If you change fabric after approving a fit sample, the fit has effectively changed. Re-approve the fit on the new base cloth rather than assuming the measurements still behave the same way.
| Fit intent | Specification consequence | Check on a wearer |
|---|---|---|
| Close or compression | Negative ease, high-elastane knit, flatlock seams | Opacity under stretch, restricted movement |
| Regular | Moderate ease, standard grading | Shoulder position, hem length, sleeve twist |
| Relaxed or oversized | Larger width grade, dropped shoulder | Sleeve length, neck opening, print placement |
| Cropped | Shortened length grade only | Proportion across sizes, hem riding up |
| Layered or over-garment | Extra ease in chest and sleeve | Whether it fits over the intended layer |
The tech pack field list
A workable tech pack has six groups of fields. First, a style identity: style code, name, version and date. Second, a graded measurement chart with tolerances and measuring methods. Third, a bill of materials naming every fabric, trim, label and packing item. Fourth, a construction sheet describing seams, stitches, hems and operations. Fifth, an artwork and decoration sheet with files, colours, positions and sizes. Sixth, an approval section recording who signed off each version.
Version control matters as much as the fields themselves. Every change should produce a new version number and a note of what changed and why. A factory working from version 3 while the buyer is discussing version 5 is a predictable disaster. Keep the latest version in one place and confirm in writing which version a quotation and a sample refer to.
| Group | Must contain | Common gap |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Style code, version, date, owner | No version number |
| Measurements | All sizes, all points, method, tolerance | Only three sizes and no tolerance |
| Bill of materials | Body fabric plus every trim and label | Trims described as "matching" |
| Construction | Seam types, stitches, hems, operations | No seam or stitch information |
| Artwork | Files, colours, placement, size per size | One placement for the whole size run |
| Approvals | Named approver, date, version | Verbal approval in an email thread |
Write the tech pack version number on every quotation, sample card and approval. Most "the factory got it wrong" stories are two people working from two different versions.
Artwork files and colour references
Production artwork is not the same as marketing artwork. Supply vector files with fonts outlined, state colour references rather than screen approximations, and give the physical print dimensions at each size. If a design uses a gradient, a photographic image or very fine lines, confirm that the chosen decoration method can reproduce it at the intended size before the sample is made.
Colour needs a system and a standard. A hex code on a screen is not a fabric shade and is not an ink mix. For fabric, use a named colour system and approve a lab dip or a physical swatch. For print, state the ink reference and approve a strike-off. Keep the approved physical reference with the tech pack, because a reorder six months later will otherwise be matched to a monitor that nobody still owns.
| Asset | Requirement | Failure if missing |
|---|---|---|
| Vector logo | Outlined fonts, editable paths, colour references | Blurred edges or font substitution |
| Placement sheet | Distances from seams, size per size | A mark crowding a small size |
| Colour standard | Named system and approved physical reference | Two different "navy" across orders |
| Print strike-off | Approved on the actual base cloth | Colour shifting on a different fabric |
| File inventory | Named files with version and checksum if needed | The printer using an outdated logo |
Approval gates before bulk cutting
Three gates protect a small order. Gate one is the specification: the tech pack is complete, versioned and agreed. Gate two is the physical sample: a pre-production sample made on the exact bulk fabric and trims, measured against the chart and washed. Gate three is the artwork proof: final files, colours and placement approved by one named person. Bulk cutting should not start until all three are recorded.
Each gate needs a written record with a date, a version and a name. It does not need a complicated system – a shared document and a signed sample card are enough. What matters is that a change after a gate reopens that gate. If the size run changes after the sample is approved, the sample approval no longer covers the order.
Change a fabric, a measurement, a colour or an artwork file after approval and the relevant approval expires. Re-confirm it in writing rather than assuming the earlier sign-off still applies.
A worked example: a 60-piece run
Suppose a club orders sixty tops across three sizes in one colour. The size chart needs all three sizes with measurements and tolerances; the grade rule table needs to show how each point changes between them; the decoration sheet needs the chest mark position for each size, because a fixed distance from the neck seam will look different on a small and an extra-large garment. Sixty pieces is a small enough run that a single mis-sized cut is a noticeable share of the order.
Now add a second colourway of twenty pieces. That is a separate per-colour minimum and may require a separate print setup, so the cost is not simply eighty divided by sixty. The MOQ and Size Run Planner lays out this arithmetic in your browser, and the RFQ Brief Builder turns the resulting numbers into a specification. Neither tool sends data anywhere.
What we see in enquiries
First-hand observations from the desk
Four gaps show up repeatedly in first-order specifications. Each can be closed with one field in the tech pack.
A size chart with no measuring method. Two people measure "chest" differently and every size is systematically off. State exactly where the tape starts and ends, and whether the number is flat or around the garment.
Artwork approved on a monitor. A colour is approved from a screen and then matched to fabric months later. Approve a physical lab dip or swatch and keep it with the tech pack.
One print placement for all sizes. A graphic placed a fixed distance from the neck looks correct on a medium and crowds a small. Give placement and maximum dimensions for each size.
A change that never reached the factory. A size is added in a phone call and the tech pack is never versioned. Production works from the old document. Written version control is the whole fix.
These are process observations rather than complaints about buyers. Someone specifying a first small run is being asked to make decisions that normally sit across several roles. The purpose of this hub is to put the questions in one place before a sample is made.
Checklist
Use this as the agenda for a specification or approval meeting. It is written for a small run; a full compliance programme will need more, and a destination market may impose requirements not listed here.
- Give every measurement point a start, an end and a measuring method.
- State whether the chart describes body or finished garment measurements, and use one consistently.
- Add a plus-or-minus tolerance to every measurement.
- Include every size in the run, not only the base size.
- Obtain and check the grade rule table, especially at the smallest and largest sizes.
- Describe the fit block and the intended ease in words and in measurements.
- List every fabric, trim, label and packing item in a bill of materials.
- Name seam types, stitches, hems and the main construction operations.
- Supply vector artwork with outlined fonts and stated colour references.
- Give decoration placement and maximum size for each size.
- Version the tech pack and write that version on every quote and sample card.
- Record three written approvals: specification, physical sample and artwork proof.
Selected reading from the archive
This is a deliberately short, grouped selection rather than a dump of every link. The cluster currently contains 15 articles; the rest remain available through the Blog category, the Guides category and the site XML sitemap. Where an older article disagrees with this page, this page reflects current practice.
Measurement and sizing
Body measurement, size charts and grading from the archive.
- Hollister vs Abercrombie: The Definitive Brand Hierarchy, Price-Quality Matrix, and Fit Guide
- The Sizing Measurement Blueprint: How to Build a Tech Pack That Gets It Right the First Time
- Soccer Jersey Fit Guide: Why Tight Isn t the Goal for Performance Apparel
- How to Measure Your Body Size and Clothing Size?
- The Complete Guide to Hoodie Body Length Measurement for Custom Apparel Buyers
- Childrens Clothing Size Chart: A Complete Guide for Accurate Sizing
- The Measurement of Body for Clothes: A Sourcing Manufacturing Guide
- Jacket Measurement Guide with Size Chart: Comprehensive Guide
Design and specification
Tech packs, spec sheets, artwork and design handover.
- How to Make a Tech Pack When You’re Clueless: A No-Illustrator, Real-Cost Founder’s Guide
- AI Tech Pack Generator Reality Check: What 5 Sportswear Factories Rejected (and Why)
- PLM for Fashion: Everything You Need to Know
Buyer checklists
Practical guides and checklists for specifying a first order.
- Cut and Sew Factory Los Angeles Selection Guide: Real MOQs, Price Ranges Vetting Checklist from a Factory Floor Veteran
- The Definitive Paradox Clothing Buyer s Guide: Decoding the 4 Unrelated Brands, Prices, and Sizing
More from this topic
Additional articles from the archive that relate to this hub, kept here so the shorter clusters still have a usable reading path.
Limits and sources
Where this guide stops
Figures are indicative. Numeric ranges on this page describe families of products or processes. A supplier specification, a physical sample and a test on the exact item always outrank them. Do not copy a range into a tech pack as an acceptance criterion.
Standards are references, not certifications. ISO, AATCC, ASTM and OEKO-TEX appear as method families or documents to request from a supplier or test house. This page does not claim that Fexwear holds any certification and does not report a test result for your garment.
This is not a quotation. No Fexwear prices, minimums or lead times appear here. A price depends on a confirmed fabric, decoration, quantity and size run.
It is not compliance advice. Labelling, chemical restrictions, import classification and claims vary by destination and change over time. Check them with a qualified broker, test house or adviser for your market.
No live data. Real-time freight rates, exchange rates, duty tables and stock availability are not published here. They change faster than an editorial page can be responsibly updated.
<b>This is not a pattern-making service.</b> The hub explains which fields a specification needs. It does not produce a graded pattern, and the worked example uses illustrative numbers rather than a real order.
<b>Size standards differ by market.</b> Label sizes are not standardised across regions or brands. Always specify measurements rather than relying on a letter or number.
Sources and corrections. Physical garments measured before and after controlled washing, grade rule tables and sample approval records from small-run specifications. Reader corrections go to the editorial desk and are recorded in the changelog.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a size chart and a grade rule?
A size chart lists the finished measurements for each size. A grade rule is the set of increments that generates those sizes from a base pattern. Ask for both: the chart tells you what to expect, the grade rule tells you whether the increments are sensible.
How much tolerance should I allow?
There is no universal figure; it depends on the garment, fabric and measurement point. The important thing is to state a tolerance at every point so that variation becomes an acceptance rule rather than a negotiation after delivery.
Can I use a sample garment instead of a size chart?
Use it as a reference, but still measure it into a written chart. A physical garment can be stretched, washed or substituted; a chart with methods and tolerances is what a factory can reproduce.
Why does my print look different on the largest size?
Because the placement was specified once for the whole run. A fixed distance from the neck seam produces a different visual position on a wider garment. Give placement and maximum dimensions per size.
Who should approve the tech pack?
One named person. Multiple informal approvers produce serial revisions and no clear record. Name an approver, version the document and record the date of each sign-off.
Do I need to re-approve after changing fabric?
Yes. Fabric changes ease, shrinkage, drape and decoration behaviour. Re-approve the fit sample on the new base cloth even if the measurements in the chart are unchanged.