If you wear above a standard XL and you have tried buying linen online, you already know the pattern. The bust fits and the shoulders are enormous. The shoulders fit and you cannot fasten it. The length that was midi on the model is nearly maxi on you, or the reverse. You return it, or you keep it and never wear it.
This is not bad luck, and it is usually not bad sewing. It is a predictable result of how clothing patterns are built.
What grading actually does
Most brands draft one pattern on one fit model, usually somewhere around a US size 8 for women or a medium for men. Every other size in the range is then produced by grading: scaling that single pattern up or down by fixed increments.
Grading works reasonably well across two or three sizes either side of the base. It breaks down at the edges, because bodies do not scale proportionally. Between a US 8 and a US 20, bust circumference does not grow at the same rate as shoulder width. Waist to hip ratio shifts. Upper arm circumference grows considerably faster than armhole depth needs to. Back width and bust depth change independently of each other.
A graded size 22 is, in effect, a size 8 that has been photocopied larger. It is the right circumference and the wrong shape.
What the better brands do about it
Credit where it is due: several brands take extended sizing seriously and it shows in their fit.
- Torrid runs to 6X and drafts on plus size fit models rather than scaling a straight size pattern, so the proportions are considered rather than stretched.
- Universal Standard and Eloquii build extended ranges as their core business rather than as an add on.
- Baacal, in Los Angeles, works exclusively in sizes 10 to 30 and does part of its range in European linen.
- FLAX has been doing linen in regular and plus sizes for years, roughly 6 to 26.
If you want to buy linen off the rack in extended sizes, those are real options and we would point you at them before we would point you at a brand that scales a straight size pattern and hopes.
One caution that applies across the whole market: extended size charts are frequently drafted separately from a brand's standard chart, so the numbers on one do not necessarily follow from the other. Always read the extended chart on its own terms rather than assuming your usual size carries across.
The other approach: no grading at all
The alternative is to stop scaling a pattern and cut to a specific body instead.
That is what we do. Every PehroDesign piece is cut and stitched after the order comes in, at our workshop in Jaipur, and we have been working this way since 2018. Listed sizes run XS to 3XL on both women's and men's pieces, which reaches roughly a US 20 with a 44 to 46 inch bust.
Above that, there is no larger listed size, and we do not pretend there is. What happens instead is that you send your measurements and we cut from those rather than from a size. There is no grading step, so the shoulder, bust, waist and length are each drawn to the number you gave rather than to whatever the scaling formula produced.
If you are not sure whether a particular shape works at your measurements, ask before ordering rather than after. Email chhavi@pehrodesign.com or message +91 87699 99839 and describe what you want.
What to send
For most women's pieces, four numbers do the work: bust, natural waist, hip, and shoulder to hem length. For shirts, add shoulder width and sleeve length. Our guide to taking your own measurements covers how to take each one properly, and the mistakes worth avoiding.
Two things worth adding to any custom brief:
- How you want it to sit. Skimming, relaxed, deliberately oversized. The same measurements can produce very different garments.
- A garment you already like. If you own something that fits the way you want, measure it flat and send those numbers alongside your body measurements. Say which is which.
If it still comes out wrong
If the finished garment differs from the measurements you supplied by more than half an inch, we remake it once at no charge. Send a photo within 30 days of delivery. Return shipping on a remake is the customer's, and the piece comes back to us.
That covers our error. It does not cover a measurement that was taken incorrectly in the first place, which is the honest reason we would rather you spent ten minutes on the measuring guide than five minutes guessing.
Where to start
Browse women's linen or men's linen, check the size guide against your own numbers, or start from a blank brief on the custom order page. Everything is medium weight OEKO-TEX 100 certified pure linen, made to order, shipped worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest size you make?
Listed sizes run to 3XL, roughly a US 20 with a 44 to 46 inch bust. Above that we cut from your own measurements rather than a listed size. If you are unsure whether we can make a particular style at your measurements, ask before ordering.
Why does plus size clothing so often fit badly in the shoulders?
Because most patterns are graded up from a much smaller base size, and shoulder width grows far more slowly than bust and waist circumference do. Scaling the whole pattern by one factor makes the shoulders wider than any real body needs at that bust measurement.
Does made to measure cost more than buying a standard size?
Not with us. Every piece is cut after you order regardless, so cutting to your measurements instead of to a listed size is the same work and the same price.
Can I ask for design changes as well as size changes?
Yes. Length, sleeve length, neckline depth and pockets are the common requests. Send the details through the custom order page or within 24 hours of ordering.
Can I return a custom sized piece if I do not like it?
Made to measure pieces are final sale, because they are cut for one person. If the garment does not match the measurements you sent by more than half an inch, we remake it once free of charge within 30 days.
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