How much fabric for a short frock or peplum top?

Why a frock needs more than a peplum

Both shapes end around the hip or upper thigh, but they spend fabric in different places. A peplum top has a fitted bodice that stops at the waist, with a short flared strip below it, usually 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) deep. The flare is small, so the extra fabric is small. Our guide to peplum tops and short kurtis covers where the waist seam should sit.

A short frock starts its flare much higher, under the bust or from a yoke, so the whole lower part is cut in wide panels or a full gathered skirt. The hem of a full frock can measure three or four times your hip, and every bit of that width has to come out of the cloth. The kalidar frock page shows the panelled version.

Typical amounts by flare and sleeve

All for 44 to 45 inch fabric. The yard figures are rounded up to the nearest quarter, the way fabric is usually sold.

• Peplum top, gathered peplum, sleeveless or short sleeves: 1.75 to 2 m (2 to 2.25 yards).
• Peplum top with three-quarter or full sleeves: 2 to 2.5 m (2.25 to 2.75 yards).
• Circular peplum instead of gathered: add about a quarter to half a metre, because the curved pieces leave offcuts that are hard to use.
• Short frock with a gentle A-line flare (hem about one and a half times your hip): 2.25 to 2.75 m (2.5 to 3 yards).
• Short frock with a full flare in panels or gathers (hem three times your hip or more): 2.75 to 3.5 m (3 to 3.75 yards), and up to about 4 m for a very full kalidar cut with full sleeves.

Adding the sharara and dupatta

A short frock is the usual top for a sharara, and the sharara is often the bigger fabric cost of the outfit. Our guide on how much fabric a sharara needs gives the figures for each fullness, and a dupatta adds about 2.5 metres more. Add all three before you buy, so the pieces come from the same roll and dye lot.

If you are working from an unstitched three-piece, the shirt piece of about 2.5 to 3 metres is usually enough for a peplum top or a gently flared frock. A very full frock may not fit, and the trouser piece in a standard pack is rarely enough for a full sharara. Our guide to a suit that is short of fabric explains the usual ways round it, such as a plain contrast panel.

Lining and fabric choice

Sheer fabrics such as lawn, chiffon and organza are often lined in a frock. The lining does not need to be as full as the outer layer; a slimmer A-line slip is common, so allow roughly the frock length twice in lining fabric rather than the full panel count. Crisp cotton and cambric hold a peplum’s shape well, while soft fabrics fall into deeper folds and look fuller for the same amount.

To check a piece you already have, send its length, width and photos on the stitching quote form. We confirm that the fabric suits the shape and that there is enough before you send it to us in Pakistan; the unstitched suit stitching page explains the two shipping stages.