How to make a basic skirt pattern

What you will learn

Learn to draft the base pattern of a skirt from the waist and hip measurements, and understand how the straight skirt, the pencil skirt, the flared skirt and the pleated skirt are all derived from that same base.

Before you start

You need the measurements of your base size (waist, hip and hip depth) and pattern paper, a ruler, a set square, a measuring tape and a French curve. If you are going to digitize the pattern later as a DXF or open it in a CAD such as Optitex or Audaces, it is best to note every point and every dart in centimeters from the start.

Concept

The base pattern of a skirt is the piece most variants come from: it is built with just four measurements (waist, hip, hip depth and desired length) in two pieces, front and back, which take up the difference between waist and hip with darts. From that same structure, by changing how that difference is resolved, you get the straight skirt, the pencil skirt, the flared skirt without darts and the pleated skirt with extra panels. Like any base pattern, it is not graded directly across the whole size range: first it is tested and corrected in the base size, and only once that is approved is it graded to the other sizes.

Lesson content

The 4 measurements and the two pattern pieces

The pattern is built from four measurements: waist circumference, hip circumference, hip depth (the distance between those two lines, generally between 18 and 22 cm as a guide) and the final length of the skirt. In production those measurements come from your size chart, not from one specific person: as a reference, in women's S to L the waist runs around 66 to 78 cm and the hip 90 to 102 cm, although it varies by brand.

With those four measurements you build two pieces, front and back: each one is a quarter of the waist and hip circumference plus seam allowance, between the waist line and the hip line, extended down to the desired length. The width at the hip comes straight from the quarter circumference; the waist has to be closed in, because the waist measures less than the hip.

That difference between waist and hip (between 5 and 7 cm per piece in a medium size, as a guide) is distributed into darts: one or two at the front and two at the back, 2 to 3 cm each and 9 to 12 cm long, with the back darts deeper because the back has a larger circumference difference.

Straight skirt and pencil skirt: two variants with darts

The straight skirt starts from the base pattern as is, with the waist darts and little extra ease at the hip, and falls straight to the hem. The problem is that, without elastane, a fitted straight skirt below the knee leaves no room to walk, which is why a back or side slit, a kick pleat at the center back, or a button opening is added.

The pencil skirt reduces the shaping at the hip and leaves the sides straighter, and it is generally cut in woven fabric with 2 to 3% elastane, which sometimes lets you do without the slit. The difference between the two lies in how much shaping the dart takes up and how much fabric is left free for stepping.

Flared and pleated: when sweep or panels replace the dart

The flared (circle) skirt has no darts: instead of closing the difference between waist and hip with a seam, it leaves it open as flare, building the pattern on a circle with the waist circumference setting the inner circle and the desired length as the outer radius. A quarter circle gives moderate flare and better fabric yield; a half circle, built with two panels, gives more flare; the full circle has the most flare and the highest consumption. Since part of the circumference falls on the bias, that area drops over time, so it is best to leave the garment hanging for at least 24 hours before leveling the hem.

The pleated skirt, by contrast, takes in nothing: it adds fabric. Each piece carries between 4 and 8 wide pleats, each made from a panel 2 to 3 times wider than the space it occupies when closed, held in place by a waistband or a yoke sewn above the pleats. The accordion-pleated skirt uses the same principle but with much finer lines, heat-set on industrial presses: it works well in polyester and poorly in pure cotton. Both consume considerably more fabric than a straight skirt; an eight-pleat skirt may need between 1.5 and 2 times the fabric of the same skirt without pleats.

Test and correct before grading

Before grading the pattern to the full size range, it has to be approved in the base size: a sample is cut in a fabric that behaves like the final one, sewn with real seams and waistband, and tried on a dress form or a person of that size. Check that the waist is neither loose nor tight, that the hip does not pull, that the darts point at the fullest point without wrinkling the fabric, and that the length is as agreed.

Step by step

  1. Gather the four measurements of the base size: waist circumference, hip circumference, hip depth (18 to 22 cm, as a guide) and the desired skirt length.
  2. Get ready with pattern paper, ruler, set square, measuring tape and French curve; if you are going to digitize the pattern, note every point in centimeters from the start.
  3. Draw the base rectangle for the front and the back: each piece is a quarter of the waist and hip circumference plus seam allowance, between the waist line and the hip line, extended down to the desired length.
  4. Calculate the difference between waist and hip for each piece (5 to 7 cm in a medium size, as a guide) and distribute it into darts: one or two at the front and two at the back, 2 to 3 cm each and 9 to 12 cm long, with the back darts deeper.
  5. If you are making a straight skirt, add a back or side slit, a kick pleat or a button opening if the fabric has no elastane, to leave room to walk.
  6. If you are making a pencil skirt, reduce the shaping at the hip, leave the sides straighter and cut it in fabric with 2 to 3% elastane.
  7. If you are making a flared skirt, leave the darts out and build the pattern on a circle (inner circle set by the waist circumference, outer radius the desired length), choosing a quarter, half or full circle according to the flare you want.
  8. If you are making a pleated or accordion-pleated skirt, add the extra panels: between 4 and 8 pleats per piece, each panel 2 to 3 times the closed width, held in place by a waistband or yoke.
  9. Cut a sample in a fabric that behaves like the final one and try it on a dress form or a person of the base size, checking waist, hip, darts and length.
  10. Correct on paper whatever does not fit (open or close a dart, move the hip line, adjust the hem) and test again until the base size is approved.
  11. Only once the base size is approved, grade the pattern to the other sizes in your size chart.

Practical example

In women's S to L, the waist runs around 66 to 78 cm and the hip 90 to 102 cm (as a guide; it varies with each brand's size chart). With those measurements, the difference to close with darts in a medium size is between 5 and 7 cm per piece: for example, one or two darts at the front of 2 to 3 cm each, and two at the back, a little deeper.

Common mistakes

Grading the pattern to the whole size range without having approved the base size first.: Cut and sew a sample in the base size first, correct on paper whatever does not fit, and only then grade to the other sizes: a fit defect that gets graded is multiplied across the whole size range.

Designing a closely fitted straight skirt without planning for a slit or elastane.: If the fabric has no elastane, add a back or side slit, a kick pleat or a button opening to leave room to walk.

Leveling the hem of a flared skirt right after cutting the sample.: Leave it hanging at least 24 hours before leveling the hem, because part of the circumference falls on the bias and drops over time.

Modeltex tip

Developing a skirt pattern from scratch, with tests and corrections, takes weeks. If you need to move fast into production, the Modeltex catalog already has skirt patterns (straight, pencil, flared, pleated and others) with the complete women's size range from XS to 4XL, graded and approved with a sewn sample, in PDF A4, plotter PDF, DXF/AAMA, PDS and the other CAD formats the industry uses.

Exercise

Take the waist and hip measurements of your base size and calculate how much you need to close with darts in each piece (the difference between the hip quarter and the waist quarter). Then choose one of the four variants — straight, pencil, flared or pleated — and write a list of what changes compared with the base pattern: whether it adds a slit, elastane, a circle without darts or additional panels.

Frequently asked questions

How do you draft the base pattern of a skirt?

With four measurements: waist circumference, hip circumference, hip depth and desired length. They give two pieces, front and back, that take up the difference between waist and hip with darts; from there come the straight, pencil, dartless flared or pleated skirt. The pattern is tested in the base size and only then graded to the whole size range.

What is the difference between a straight skirt and a pencil skirt?

Both start from the same base pattern with darts, but the straight skirt follows the whole hip curve and, without elastane, needs a slit or pleat to be able to walk. The pencil skirt has less shaping and straighter sides, and usually carries some elastane, which sometimes lets you do without the slit.

Why does a flared (circle) skirt have no darts?

Because the pattern is built on a circle, with the waist circumference setting the inner circle and the desired length as the outer radius: the fabric's flare absorbs the difference between waist and hip instead of closing it with a seam. Using a quarter, half or full circle changes the flare and the fabric consumption.

How much extra fabric does a pleated skirt take compared with a straight one?

It depends on the number of pleats, but an eight-pleat skirt may need between 1.5 and 2 times the fabric of the same skirt without pleats (as a guide). The accordion-pleated skirt, with a continuous panel much wider than the waist, usually consumes even more.

How is a skirt pattern approved before moving to production?

By cutting a sample in a fabric that behaves like the final one, sewing it with real seams and waistband, and trying it on a dress form or a person of the base size: check waist, hip, darts and length. Only with that sample approved is the pattern graded to the whole size range.

Summary

The base pattern of a skirt is drafted with four measurements (waist, hip, hip depth and desired length) in two pieces, front and back, that close the difference between waist and hip with darts. From that same base come the straight skirt, the pencil skirt (less shaping and some elastane), the flared skirt (no darts, built on a circle) and the pleated or accordion-pleated skirt (which adds panels). Before grading it to the whole size range, the pattern is tested and corrected in the base size: only once approved there is it graded to the other sizes.

Go back to the full course or ask the Modeltex Lab AI.