Occasions and ordering · 8 October 2026 · 4 min read
What does custom size mean when buying a dress online?
What does custom size mean? Usually a few of your measurements used to adjust a standard pattern. How it differs from standard sizes and true made to measure.
InspirationThe short answer
On most online shops, custom size means you enter a few body measurements, usually bust, waist and hips and sometimes height or length, and the maker adjusts their standard pattern to suit those numbers instead of sending a stock S, M or L. It is closer to your shape than a ready-made size, but it is not the same as made to measure, where a full set of measurements is taken and agreed with you before anything is cut.
The wording is used loosely, so the same button can mean quite different things from one shop to the next. Knowing what usually sits behind it helps you decide whether it is enough for the dress you want, or whether you need something more thorough.
What usually happens behind the button
A clothing maker starts from a base pattern drawn in a set of sizes. When you choose custom size, someone compares your three or four numbers with those sizes and makes a few changes. The details vary, but these are the common approaches:
- Picking the nearest size and changing the length, which helps if you are tall or petite but leaves the widths as they are.
- Blending two sizes, for example a size 10 at the bust running into a 12 at the hip, for someone whose measurements sit in different sizes.
- Adjusting the main widths at the bust, waist and hip to your numbers, while the shoulder, armhole, sleeve and neckline stay at the base size.
Standard size, custom size and made to measure
The three options sit on a scale from least to most personal. Our guide to what made to measure means goes into the last one in more depth.
- Standard size: you pick from a chart; the garment is already made or cut from the graded pattern. Quick, but the chart decides the shape.
- Custom size: a few of your numbers adjust a standard pattern. Better for the measurements you gave, but shoulders, arms and lengths may still be generic.
- Made to measure: a full set of measurements, often ten or more, including shoulder, armhole, sleeve and the lengths you want, with the design and numbers agreed before cutting.
Questions to ask before you choose it
Before you pay for a custom size anywhere, it is worth knowing exactly what you are buying. A clear seller will answer these without fuss:
- Which measurements do you use, and which parts of the dress stay at the standard size?
- Should I give body measurements or the finished garment measurements? Our body vs garment measurements page explains the difference.
- Will you confirm the numbers with me before cutting, or go straight ahead?
- Can I change the length, sleeve or neckline as well, or only the width?
- What happens if it does not match what I ordered, and can a custom item be returned?
- Does it cost more or take longer than a standard size?
How sizing works when you order from us
Every outfit we make is cut to the customer, so there is no separate custom size option to tick. On the quote form you can enter your measurements in centimetres or inches, using the size guide to take them, or choose a standard UK size and we confirm the key measurements with you. Our ready-drawn designs can be ordered in a standard size or made to measure. Either way, the design and measurements are agreed in writing before cutting, as our page on design approval describes.
Making takes 5 to 7 working days once the quote is approved and paid in full. If the finished outfit does not match the agreed measurements or design and the mistake is ours, we correct or remake it without charge for the work, provided you tell us no later than 7 days after delivery; you pay the postage both ways. The custom stitching page has the full picture.
Common questions
Is a custom size more expensive?
Often, because someone has to adjust the pattern and the garment is cut for one person rather than taken from stock. Some shops charge a fixed extra; others include it. Ask before you order so the total is clear.
Can you return a custom size dress?
Many shops treat custom-sized items as final sale, because they cannot be resold, while still accepting faults. Read the returns terms before you pay. With us, the written quote sets out the cancellation and fault terms that apply.
Is custom size the same as tailored?
Not quite. Custom size usually adjusts an existing pattern to a few numbers. Tailored or made to measure work uses a full set of measurements and agrees the details with you before cutting, so it can also change shoulders, sleeves and lengths.
