Definition
Wearing ease is the minimum extra room a pattern adds to body measurements so a woven garment can be worn, letting you breathe, sit, bend and move your arms.
A woven garment cut exactly to your measurements would be impossible to sit down in. Wearing ease is the small allowance, built into the pattern, that prevents this. It is invisible in the style: a fitted dress and a loose one both contain it, and the loose one adds design ease on top.
Typical minimums for woven fabrics:
| Body point | Wearing ease |
|---|---|
| Bust | 5–8 cm (2–3 in) |
| Waist | 2–3 cm (3/4–1 1/4 in) |
| Hip | 4–5 cm (1 1/2–2 in) |
| Upper arm | 4–6 cm (1 1/2–2 1/4 in) |
Pattern blocks, the basic shapes every style is drafted from, carry this ease (see pattern block). Taking it out leads to strained buttons, skirts that ride up and seams that split when you sit.
Knits behave differently. Because the fabric stretches, a T-shirt or leggings may need little or no wearing ease, and some knit garments use negative ease instead.
Wearing ease also depends on the garment's job: a coat worn over other clothes needs more than a blouse, and a waistband needs less than a bust. If you are unsure how much room a garment needs, ease in sewing patterns has charts by garment type.