# What is a garment spec sheet? A garment spec sheet records finished measurements for the base size at agreed points on the garment. *A measurement needs a location and a method as well as a number. The diagram and chart should use the same point references.* A garment spec sheet is the page of finished measurements for the base size, taken at agreed points on the garment. It tells the factory what to measure, how to measure it and which result the approved style requires. A useful sheet puts the measuring diagram and its numbers together. The measurements describe the garment, not the customer’s body. They are also not the dimensions of an unfinished pattern piece. A shirt measured after sewing can differ from its cut parts because seams, folds, gathers and finishing all affect the result. State the condition in which the factory should check the garment. ## Give every point of measure a reference A point of measure is a defined place and method for checking a dimension. Each point needs an identifier that appears both on the flat drawing and in the chart. The drawing shows the endpoints or line. The row gives its name, value and any measuring instruction that cannot be shown clearly with an arrow. For a peplum shirt, useful points may include bust width, waist seam width, centre-back length, sleeve length and cuff opening. The final list depends on the design. A point belongs on the sheet because it controls fit, proportion or construction, not because it appeared on a template for another style. Avoid names that leave two possible methods. “Sleeve” does not establish whether the tape starts at the shoulder seam, neckline or centre back. “Length” does not tell the reader whether to include the collar. Name the point precisely enough that another person can repeat the check. ## Put the diagram beside the numbers A measurement chart alone is not enough when the location is open to interpretation. A horizontal bust arrow placed near the armhole needs a stated distance or clear landmark. If the intended line crosses the fullest part, show that instead. Those two lines can produce different measurements on the same shirt. The chart should use the same reference as the arrow, rather than relying on row order. A factory may print the diagram and chart on separate pages. Matching identifiers keep them connected when a sheet is added, removed or marked during a fitting. Front and back views also prevent a back measurement from being mistaken for a front one. ## Agree on flat widths and full measurements State whether a value is a flat width, a full circumference or another defined measurement. A flat bust width is commonly taken with the garment laid flat, but the method still needs to be written. A reader should not double or halve a number because it resembles a size chart they have used before. Gathers and openings need particular care. A cuff can be measured closed or along its full open edge. An elastic section can be measured relaxed or extended. A peplum may have both an attachment width and a fuller hem width. Each method answers a different question, so separate the points when both are required. Record the unit once in a clear chart heading and keep it consistent. Mixing centimetres and millimetres without labels can turn a small trim dimension into a much larger instruction. If a supplier provides a different unit, convert and check it rather than copying an unexplained number into the sheet. ## Tolerances need a reason A tolerance is the agreed variation allowed around a target measurement. It is not permission to change the design, and it should not be copied across every row without review. A small collar detail and a long gathered hem may not need the same allowance. Fabric behaviour and the operation being checked also matter. Agree tolerances with the people responsible for making and approving the garment. A value that cannot be achieved consistently needs discussion before production, not silent alteration after the sample arrives. The sheet should make the accepted range clear enough that a measurement can be assessed without a fresh interpretation each time. If a sample falls within a stated tolerance but still looks wrong, review the target, method and pattern together. Meeting one number does not prove the whole garment fits. The chart is part of the approval process, not a substitute for looking at the sample. ## A spec sheet is not a shopper size chart A shopper size chart helps someone choose a size and may show body measurements. A garment spec sheet instructs the factory about the product itself. Ease, shape and construction mean the two sets of numbers are not interchangeable. A fitted shirt and a loose shirt can be intended for the same body measurements and have different finished dimensions. The base-size spec also does not automatically describe every size. Other sizes need agreed grade rules, which explain how relevant measurements change. Keep those rules connected to the approved base instead of filling a size range with numbers that have not been checked against the design. ## Record sample measurements separately During review, keep target measurements distinct from the measurements found on the sample. A separate sample column or clearly named review sheet makes the difference visible. Replacing the target with the sample result without a decision can accidentally approve a dimension that was meant to be corrected. Fit comments should refer to the same point identifiers. If the sleeve needs changing, name the point, the required result and any related construction decision. A comment such as “make shorter” does not say which sleeve measurement changes or whether the cuff position must stay fixed. ## Keep the sheet consistent with the pack When a measurement changes, check the flat, construction details, pattern and revision record. A lower waist seam can affect bodice length, peplum position and total length together. Changing one spec row while leaving the other pages untouched gives the workroom conflicting instructions. A final check can be simple: ask someone to measure the garment using only the sheet, then compare the method and result. Questions reveal where the diagram or wording is still incomplete. For the surrounding pages, read [what a factory tech pack includes](https://truile.com/guides/what-is-a-tech-pack.html). The spec works when it describes the same approved garment as the rest of that set. If the measurements for your style are still being resolved, start with a brief. A 3D sample and its factory tech pack can establish the garment before its instructions are issued. [Order](https://truile.com/order/)