How much fabric for a knee-length or midi dress?

Typical amounts by dress shape

Midi length here means mid-calf, which on average height is about 8 inches (20 cm) longer than a knee-length hem. Because that extra length is added to both the front and the back, it costs roughly 0.4 to 0.5 metres more, and more again on a flared skirt cut in several panels.

• Shift or straight dress, sleeveless or short sleeves: knee length about 2 to 2.25 m (2.25 to 2.5 yards); midi 2.5 to 2.75 m (2.75 to 3 yards). On 58 to 60 inch fabric, 1.25 to 2 m.
• Shirt dress with collar, button stand and long sleeves: knee length 2.5 to 2.75 m (2.75 to 3 yards); midi 3 to 3.25 m (3.25 to 3.5 yards). On wide fabric, 2 to 2.5 m.
• Fit-and-flare with a gathered or A-line skirt: knee length 2.25 to 2.75 m (2.5 to 3 yards); midi 2.75 to 3.25 m (3 to 3.5 yards). A skirt gathered from three fabric widths instead of two adds about one more skirt length.
• Fit-and-flare with a full circle skirt: knee length 3.5 to 4 m on 44 to 45 inch fabric, about 2.5 m on wide fabric. A midi circle skirt can need 4 metres or more on either width, because the quarter circles no longer fit side by side.

What pushes the figure up or down

The biggest single factor is whether the front and back can sit next to each other across the fabric. On 44 inch cloth they usually cannot in mid and larger sizes, so each needs its own length. On 58 to 60 inch cloth they usually can, which is why wide fabric saves so much. Our guide to fabric widths explains how to read the width on a label.

Sleeves matter less than people expect. When the body pieces are cut one below the other, short and even full sleeves can often come out of the strip left beside them. Where there is no spare strip, full sleeves add up to about half a metre (half a yard).

• Height: every extra inch of dress length is needed twice, once for the front and once for the back.
• Size: crossing the point where the pieces no longer sit side by side adds a whole extra length, not a few centimetres.
• Fullness: a softly flared skirt adds little; a gathered or circle skirt can double the skirt fabric.
• Print: one-way designs, checks and large motifs need extra so every piece faces the same way and lines up.
• Lining: add roughly the body lengths again in lining fabric. Sleeves are often left unlined.

Before you buy or post your fabric

Measure yourself first, because the dress length you want decides most of the sum. Our guide on how to measure for a made-to-measure dress covers the numbers to take. Then note your fabric’s width and length before you buy, and round up rather than down: a few centimetres short can rule out a sleeve or a pocket.

If you already have the fabric, send its length, width and a photo on a Stitching Only quote. We confirm that it suits the dress you have in mind and that there is enough before you post anything to us in Pakistan. If you would rather not work it out at all, Fabric + Stitching means we supply the agreed fabric for the design. For a ready-drawn starting point, our shirt dress is a long button-front design you can order in a standard size or made to measure.