Unstitched suits · 30 September 2026 · 4 min read
Brand size charts vs made-to-measure: which gives the better fit?
Why Pakistani and Indian brand size charts rarely agree from label to label, how to read one properly, and when made-to-measure is the better route to a good fit.
InspirationWhy size charts differ
Every brand sets its own size chart. One label’s medium can be roomy at the waist and tight across the bust, while another’s is the opposite, and even lines within one brand can be cut differently. Letters such as XS to XL do not line up neatly with UK, EU or US dress sizes either; our guide to UK, EU and US sizes for kameez explains the comparison.
Charts also measure different things. Some give body measurements, the size of the person the garment is meant for. Others give garment measurements, the size of the finished piece laid flat, which already includes ease. Mixing the two up is the most common reason an online order does not fit.
How to read a size chart properly
- Find out whether it is body or garment measurements. The chart heading or a note usually says; if not, ask the seller.
- Check the units. Many charts are in inches; convert carefully if you measure in centimetres. Our guide to inches or centimetres helps.
- Measure yourself first: bust, waist, hips and shoulders, following our guide to measuring yourself without help.
- Compare with a kameez that fits you: measure it flat and set it against the garment measurements.
- Choose by the largest measurement that matters for the style, usually bust or hips, because taking in is easier than letting out.
- Check length and sleeves as well as width, especially if you are petite or tall.
- Read the fit notes: some listings say whether a style is relaxed, fitted or runs large, which adds useful context to the numbers.
- Keep a record of what fits: once you know your size in one brand, note it with the measurements, because it will not necessarily carry over to the next.
Where charts fall short
A chart assumes one set of proportions for each size. If you are a different size on top and bottom, have broad or narrow shoulders, long arms, or are petite or tall, no single size fits everywhere. The result is a suit that is almost right, which then needs altering, and ready-to-wear seam allowances are often narrow, so there may be little room to let out. Our guide to altering a ready-made suit explains what can and cannot change.
Unstitched suits sidestep the problem entirely, because there is no size to choose: the fabric is cut to you. That is one reason they are popular with anyone who struggles with ready-made sizing.
Buying online adds the problem of returns. Sending a ready-made suit back to a brand abroad can be slow and costly, so a wrong size is harder to put right than in a local shop. That is worth weighing when a design is sold both as pret and as an unstitched pack.
What made-to-measure changes
Made-to-measure starts from your numbers rather than a chart. The kameez is cut to your bust, waist, hips and shoulders, with the amount of ease you prefer, and the length and sleeves end where you want them. Our guide to ease explains how loose to go.
You can give your measurements using the size guide, start from a standard UK size and have the key numbers confirmed with you before cutting, or send a kameez that fits well; see using a kameez as a template. Then send photos of your fabric or unstitched suit through the stitching quote form, or choose Fabric + Stitching and we supply the agreed fabric. The custom stitching page explains the rest.
Common questions
Are Pakistani clothing sizes the same as UK sizes?
No, not reliably. Each brand sets its own chart, and a brand’s medium can sit between two UK sizes, so compare your measurements with the chart rather than relying on the letter.
Should I use body or garment measurements from a size chart?
Use whichever the chart gives, but know which it is. Body measurements should match yours, while garment measurements should be larger than yours by the amount of ease you like, which you can find by measuring a kameez that fits well.
Can I give a UK dress size instead of measurements for made-to-measure?
You can start from a standard UK size, and the key measurements are confirmed with you before cutting. Your own measurements, or a kameez that fits you well, give the most reliable result.
