Fabric Consumption by Garment Type

Meters per garment at a glance

Every garment consumes a different length of cloth because of how its pattern pieces sit across the width. A waistcoat is four small panels. A coverall is a full body plus two sleeves and two legs. The chart below is the quickest way to see the spread before you work a real order out.

The full consumption table

These ranges are for mid-size adult garments at 150 cm width. The lower end fits small sizes and plain styling, the upper end fits large sizes, longer lengths and heavier pocket or pleat detailing.

Junior school sizes run well below these figures: budget about 0.7 to 1.0 m for a trouser, 1.0 to 1.3 m for a shirt and 0.9 to 1.2 m for a skirt.

What moves the number

Two factories cutting the same garment from the same fabric can land 15 percent apart on consumption. The pattern and the cutting room decide it, not the cloth.

• Size: a 44 chest shirt takes noticeably more than a 38, and a mixed-size run averages out somewhere in between.
• Sleeve and length: full sleeve over half sleeve, a longer kurta or lab coat, each adds a clear step.
• Detailing: patch pockets, pleats, wide facings and contrast panels all draw extra cloth.
• Stripes and checks: matching a repeat across seams adds 5 to 15 percent on top of the plain figure.
• Marker quality: nesting small and large sizes on one marker recovers cloth that a size-by-size layout wastes.

Turning per-garment figures into an order

Take the garment mix for your program, multiply each garment by the headcount that wears it, then add 5 to 10 percent for cutting wastage. A hospital ordering 120 lab coats and 200 scrub sets plans about 120 x 2.0 m plus 200 x 2.4 m, so 240 m plus 480 m, which lands near 790 m after wastage.

Once the total for a single shade crosses 500 m, the program can be woven as a custom shade in one dye lot. Below that, a running ready-stock shade from 50 m is the practical route.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much fabric does a coverall need?

About 2.4 to 2.8 m at 150 cm width, the highest consumption of any common uniform garment because it combines a full body with sleeves and legs in one piece.

How much fabric for a chef coat or an apron?

A chef coat runs about 1.8 to 2.0 m and a bib apron about 1.0 to 1.2 m at 150 cm width. A kitchen kit of one coat plus one apron is close to 3 m per person.

Do these figures work for children's sizes?

No. They are mid-size adult figures. Junior school sizes take roughly a third less: about 0.7 to 1.0 m for a trouser and 1.0 to 1.3 m for a shirt.

Why does my tailor quote a different meterage?

Because a tailor works from the actual pattern and marker for your styling and size ratio, which is always more precise than a planning table. Use these numbers to size the order and the marker to confirm it.

Does a heavier GSM need more meters?

No. GSM is weight per square meter, not length, so a heavier fabric needs the same meterage for the same garment. It changes the weight and the price of the order, not the length.

Can you work out the meters for my garment mix?

Yes. Send the garment list, headcount per garment and sets per person, and we will work the total meters and the shade plan back to you.