How to make a height adjustment

Getting a perfect fit in your clothes is all about the right proportions. When you’re sewing, adjusting patterns to fit your height is key to making sure things like waistlines, hems, and sleeves hit just right. This article is about why adjusting for height in your sewing patterns is super important, with easy tips on how to change them up to fit your unique shape.

Why making this adjustment? It’s all about proportions! Proportion is a key design principle that makes things appealing to the human eye. It’s used in photography, architecture, painting, and of course, fashion design. Let’s say you’re designing a knee-length dress with a seam at the waist; you will need to choose the right length for the bodice and skirt so that they fall nicely at those places. Usually, these lengths are based on a certain height, which the designer settles on. For my pattern, I typically go with a standard height of 1.64 m (5.4 ft). But what if you’re taller or shorter than that?

See the illustration below: on the left, you’ve got a model at 1.64 m (5.4 ft) wearing a knee-length skirt that cuts right above the knee. In the center, a model at 1.57 m (5.1 ft) is wearing the same skirt, but it looks much longer and actually covers her knee. Then on the right, the same model is wearing a skirt that’s 3 cm (1″) shorter, which makes it sit perfectly like it does for the taller model. This is why you need to adjust for height—it keeps everything looking balanced, no matter your height!

So how do I know if I should adjust my pattern? I would recommend only if your height has a difference of at least 5 cm (2″) with the one used by the designer. If that’s you, let’s get right into it!

Step 1: Cutting the pattern

First, you need have all your pattern pieces cut in the chosen size and ready to use. Then, slash along the “adjustment” lines that are on your pattern pieces. I’m working on adding adjustment lines to all my patterns, but for now, feel free to draw your own. I’ll show you where exactly to put them below! Just make sure the lines run parallel to the grainline, and if your pattern is cut on the bias, at a 45-degree angle from the grainline.

The adjustment lines need to be put in the right places, which means above and below the waistline, in the armhole, and right around the knees. This will ensure that the curves follow your body. For long sleeves, add a line above and below the elbow, plus in the sleeve head. Fortunately, most patterns has notches to indicate the waist, hips and knees, so they are easy to spot.

Make sure to add lines on pieces like facings, pocket linings or fly parts, so that when you’re sewing the garment, everything still fits together. When it comes to fly closures, make sure you grab a zipper that’s either longer or shorter to match those new pieces you’ve got. We’ll see by how much the pattern pieces should be adjusted below. But what if you can’t find a zipper that fits into the new pattern? In this case, you can just leave the fly pieces as they are, and shift the notch at the end of the fly so that it remains at the same distance from the top edge. If the adjustment is lengthening the fly opening by 1 cm (3/8″), then shift the notch 1 cm (3/8″) higher up on the seam.

Step 2: Lengthen or shorten

Before you start adjusting the pattern, be sure to know by how much you need to add or remove. If you need help with that, check out the following measurements which are based on a height difference of about 10 cm (4″). The amount you need to add or remove really depends on where you’re making the adjustment.

Body part	Measurement to add or remove
Armhole / sleeve head	1 cm (3/8″)
Bust (upper torso) / Biceps	1.5 cm (5/8″)
Abdomen (lower torso) / Forearm	1.5 cm (5/8″)
Thigh	3 cm (1 1/4″)
Calf	3 cm (1 1/4″)

To adjust the pattern to your height, slash it on the adjustment lines and spread it out for extra length, or overlap it to make it shorter. Use some paper scraps to fill in the gaps, then tape it all back together.

You can also use this method to lengthen or shorten just specific areas. For instance, if you’re working with a dress pattern, you could take off 2 cm (3/4″) above the waist and add 2 cm (3/4″) below it. The overall length of the dress will stay the same, but the waistline will be lifted, which is great for someone with a shorter bust.

When you’re working with fitted clothes, it’s important to adjust the pattern so that the hips and waist fit your shape just right. But with loose clothing, especially with straight side seams, you can keep it simple by gathering all the measurements in one area. For example, if you want to add 2 cm (3/4″) above and below the waist on a looser shirt, just add that one line below the waist and spread it out by 4 cm (1 1/2″).

Step 3: Final touches

Once you’ve wrapped up adjusting all the pattern pieces, take some time to reshape the curves and lines using the “give and take” method. Basically, you fill in one side of the line and scoop out the other side. This way, you’ll have a line that blends nicely with the original one.

Also, if your pattern includes button and buttonhole symbols, make sure to replace them so they’re spaced evenly. Just measure the distance between the first and last symbols, then divide that distance by the number of symbols minus 1. For example, if your shirt has 6 buttons on the front placket, you’ll be dividing the distance by 5. After that, draw a straight line between the first and last symbols, and redraw the symbols in between using the measurement you figured out.

Now you’re ready to cut and sew your new pattern! As always, I recommend making a toile first to make sure you’ve got your adjustments right. A toile is super quick to make (just use longer stitches) with a similar but cheaper fabric. No buttons or seam finishes are needed! And if you’ve added length to your pattern, keep in mind that you might also need more fabric than what’s listed in the requirements!

Knowing how to make height adjustments lets you create clothes that fit your body just right. By figuring out where and how to adjust your patterns, whether it’s the bodice, sleeves, or pant legs, you ensure that everything you sew fits perfectly. With these handy tips, you’ll be ready to adjust any pattern to match your height, making your sewing projects feel more personal and enjoyable!