Most women's patterns are drafted for a height of about 165 to 170 cm (5 ft 5 in to 5 ft 7 in). If you are petite, around 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) or shorter, or tall, around 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) or taller, the hem is the last place to adjust, not the first: changing only the hem leaves the waist, bust darts, elbows, knees and crotch in the wrong places. Adjust the bodice length, armhole depth, sleeve, rise and leg separately, on the lengthen/shorten lines, and the garment's proportions follow yours.
Petite and tall describe height and proportions, not girth. A petite person can wear any size, and so can a tall one.
Which lengths change with height?
Height is not spread evenly over the body. To show how much each length moves, here are the lengths Sewly fills in from height alone for three people with the same EU 38 girths (bust 88 cm, waist 72 cm, hip 97 cm), only their height changed. Your own proportions will differ (some people are long in the leg and short in the body), which is why measuring each length beats any rule. Our guide on taking body measurements shows how.
| Length | 155 cm (5 ft 1 in) | 168 cm (5 ft 6 in) | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back waist length | 38.3 cm (15 1/8 in) | 41.5 cm (16 3/8 in) | 44.5 cm (17 1/2 in) |
| Bust height | 24 cm (9 1/2 in) | 26 cm (10 1/4 in) | 27.9 cm (11 in) |
| Arm length | 54.9 cm (21 5/8 in) | 59.5 cm (23 3/8 in) | 63.8 cm (25 1/8 in) |
| Waist to hip | 18.9 cm (7 1/2 in) | 20.5 cm (8 1/8 in) | 22 cm (8 5/8 in) |
| Crotch depth | 25.4 cm (10 in) | 27.5 cm (10 7/8 in) | 29.5 cm (11 5/8 in) |
| Inseam | 72 cm (28 3/8 in) | 78 cm (30 3/4 in) | 83.6 cm (32 7/8 in) |
| Waist to floor | 96.9 cm (38 1/8 in) | 105 cm (41 3/8 in) | 112.5 cm (44 1/4 in) |
Going from 168 to 155 cm, a 13 cm (5 in) difference becomes about 3 cm in the bodice, 4.5 cm in the sleeve, 2 cm in the rise and 6 cm in the inseam. Shorten only the hem and the waist seam, knees and crotch end up in the wrong place.
Where do I shorten or lengthen a bodice?
- Above the bust, between shoulder and bust point. If the bust dart points above or below your bust point, this is the length to change. Compare your bust height (from the shoulder at the neck to the bust point) with the pattern.
- Between bust and waist, the usual lengthen/shorten line. If the waist seam of a dress sits above or below your waist, change it here by the difference between your back waist length and the pattern's.
- Armhole depth. Petite bodies often need the armhole raised by 1 to 1.5 cm (3/8 to 5/8 in), tall bodies lowered, or sleeves feel tight and the armhole gapes.
To shorten, fold a tuck along the line: a tuck 1 cm deep removes 2 cm. To lengthen, cut along the line and spread the two parts by the amount over paper. Then redraw (true) the side seams so they run smoothly.
How do I adjust sleeves?
On a long sleeve, change the length in two places, above and below the elbow, so the elbow shaping sits at your elbow. On short sleeves, the hem is fine. Tall people with long arms often need a slightly deeper armhole as well, petite people a shallower one.
How do I adjust trousers for petite or tall?
Trousers have three lengths, and most people only change one:
- Rise (crotch depth). Sit on a hard chair and measure from your waist down the side to the seat. Compare with the pattern, from the waistline to the crotch line. Adjust on the line between waist and crotch: a wrong rise makes a crotch that cuts in or hangs low.
- Above the knee. It matters on tapered and fitted legs, where the knee shaping has to sit at your knee.
- Below the knee. The rest of the difference, or the hem on wide-leg trousers.
On wide-leg and straight trousers, splitting the change between above and below the knee is enough. Tapered and jogger styles show a misplaced knee more.
How do I adjust skirts and dresses?
Skirts are the easiest: change the length at the hem, keeping the hem's shape. On an A-line or circle skirt, lengthening also widens the hem, and a tall person's maxi circle skirt may no longer fit on 150 cm (60 in) wide fabric. Check with the fabric yardage calculator before buying. On dresses, adjust the bodice first, then the skirt.
Petite sewists often find knee-length skirts falling to mid-calf, and tall sewists find midi skirts ending at the knee. Choose a length from your own waist-to-knee and waist-to-floor measurements rather than from the pattern's name for it.
What else changes with height?
- Pocket placement. In-seam pockets should open where your hands fall naturally, so move them along with the rise.
- Dart position. A bust dart ends about 2 to 3 cm (3/4 to 1 1/4 in) short of the bust point and should follow it when you change the upper bodice.
- Fabric quantity. Tall sewists need more fabric for trousers, maxi skirts and long sleeves; petite sewists can sometimes cut from narrower fabric.
- Scale of details. A very wide waistband, a large patch pocket or a deep ruffle can overwhelm a petite frame; scaling them down by 10 to 20 % keeps the look in proportion.
Is there a faster way?
Measure every length you can: back waist length, bust height, arm length, waist to knee, waist to floor, crotch depth and inseam. Our guide to measuring yourself alone helps with the awkward ones. With those numbers, a made-to-measure pattern is drafted at your lengths from the start, with nothing to fold or spread.
In Sewly, your height scales the lengths you have not measured, as in the table above, and every length you measure yourself replaces the estimate. You can then add or take away up to 25 cm (about 10 in) with the length adjustment, and the pattern redraws instantly. More on custom-fit sewing patterns.