Pattern Grading Services for Apparel and Sewn Products
Expand your size range while maintaining fit, proportion, and construction accuracy across every graded size.
Scaling changes a pattern's size. Grading changes it correctly.
Bodies don’t change evenly from one size to the next, so neither should your pattern. MADE uses established grading standards to expand your approved pattern across the corresponding sizes in your Alvanon dress form series, then reviews each size digitally using CLO 3D to evaluate how your product fits and looks across the size range.
Pattern Grading
Size range expansion for an approved pattern - Starting at $300
Your approved base pattern is expanded into a complete size range using grading standards appropriate to your garment type and intended fit.
Measurement chart with defined points of measure for every graded size
Customer facing size chart ready for retail or ecommerce use
3D visual lineup confirming proportional growth and silhouette consistency
Graded patterns for your full size range delivered in .dxf/.rul format following lineup approval
Grading Audit
Technical review of an existing graded pattern - Starting at $150/hour
An independent review of a pattern set that's already been graded elsewhere. We catch proportion or fit issues across your size range before you invest in samples or move to production.
30-minute intake to review your graded pattern set and the grading standards used
Each size set up in CLO 3D on Alvanon dress forms for a 3D visual lineup confirming proportional growth and silhouette consistency across the range
Tells you whether inconsistencies are coming from the grade rules, a specific size, or the base pattern itself
Client Reviews
How Does Pattern Grading Fit Into the Process?
Pattern grading typically happens after the fit and design of your base size have been approved. This keeps changes focused on one size before expanding the pattern into the rest of your size range. Once the graded patterns are complete, the project can move on to Tech Packs and preparation for manufacture.
What Do I Need to Get Started?
You need an approved base pattern before grading can begin, confirmed through a finished prototype. If you're not sure whether your pattern is ready to grade, the free consultation is where we figure that out together.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Pattern grading is the process of expanding an approved base pattern into additional sizes using established grade rules. The goal is to preserve the fit, proportion, and design of the approved product as the pattern changes from one size to the next.
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MADE uses established grading standards to develop the size range, then reviews the graded patterns digitally using CLO 3D and corresponding sizes in an Alvanon dress form series. This allows us to evaluate how the product changes across sizes rather than relying on mathematical scaling alone.
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Extended size grading expands a pattern beyond its original size range. Because body proportions do not change evenly across an extended range, grade rules may need to change rather than simply continuing the same increments indefinitely.
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Pattern grading begins with an approved base pattern. The base size should already have been developed and evaluated through sewn prototyping so the grade is being built from a pattern whose fit, proportion, and construction have been established.
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Yes. Extended size grading expands an approved pattern beyond its original size range. Because body proportions do not change evenly from one size to the next, grade rules may need to change across the range rather than applying the same increments indefinitely. MADE reviews the graded sizes digitally to evaluate how the fit, proportion, and design are changing across the expanded range.
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Our pattern grading services provide digital pattern files in .dxf/.rul format, along with a full measurement chart for all graded sizes. These files can be transferred directly to your manufacturer.
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Not always. Many manufacturers can grade a base pattern for you. However, factory grading limits your oversight and control over how measurement changes are applied across sizes. If fit issues arise, it can be difficult to isolate the cause.
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The timeline for pattern grading services depends on garment complexity and the number of sizes being developed. More intricate garments or wider size ranges may require additional review to ensure grading accuracy and balanced proportions.
