Ease Allowance Guide
A finished garment should almost always measure more than your body — here's how much, by fit.
Wearing ease vs. design ease
Wearing ease is the minimum extra room a garment needs so you can actually move, breathe, and sit down in it — it's not optional even on a "fitted" garment. Design ease is anything added beyond that for a deliberately loose or oversized silhouette. The ranges above blend both, since most people care about how a garment measures in total, not which category each inch falls into.
Ease varies by body location
Bust and hip typically need more ease than waist, and ease at the upper arm/bicep matters more for a sleeve's range of motion than the numbers above might suggest. These ranges are most reliable for bust and hip circumference; treat them as a starting point elsewhere and adjust based on how a similar existing garment fits you.
Check the pattern's ease first
Most commercial patterns already state their finished garment measurements alongside the size chart, telling you exactly how much ease is built in for that specific design — use this guide when a pattern doesn't specify ease, or when you're drafting rather than following a printed pattern.