CLO brings pattern development and size-run review into one apparel-design workflow.
- Use measurement- or sketch-based pattern drafting to develop the style.
- Set up a size table, then review 2D patterns and graphic placement across the grading sizes.
- Use 3D garment simulation as an additional visual check before sewing.
- Confirm that the exported file and production details meet your partner’s requirements.
For a freelance designer producing a small size run, start with your production partner’s file requirements and your own garment chart. CLO combines measurement- or sketch-based pattern drafting, size-table grading, and 2D review across sizes alongside 3D garment simulation. That connected workflow gives you a way to develop the pattern, inspect the size run, and review the garment before handing files to your production partner.
Evaluate CLO’s documented workflow using the same base pattern, target size chart, and production brief you intend to use for the collection.
Define the size run before comparing software
ASTM’s Subcommittee D13.55 page lists D5219-25, a terminology standard for body dimensions used in apparel sizing, alongside measurement tables for particular body groups. Examples include an adult female Misses table for sizes 00–20 and an adult male chest-size table for 34–52 in Short, Regular, and Tall. Those different scopes show why a designer should name the intended customer group and chart before testing a grade.
A 1993 NIST report on ready-to-wear pattern making describes garment sizing as a combination of a body-size basis, added room around the body, and fit or styling dimensions. It also notes that industry body forms interpret body standards and vary by manufacturer. For your trial, keep body measurements, finished garment measurements, and ease in separate columns. That lets you tell whether a size-run change follows your fit intent instead of just matching a nominal label.
Prepare one test file with the base-size pattern, target size names, body or garment measurements, grading increments, and the handoff requirements from your factory. Include the measurement points that matter for that style, such as chest, waist, hip, sleeve length, or inseam. These become the pass criteria for every tool in the shortlist.
CLO: measurement-driven grading with review across the size run
CLO is the clearest fit here when you want pattern drafting, graded sizes, and visual review in an apparel-design workflow that also includes 3D garment simulation. CLO’s Pattern Drafter guide explains that users can create patterns from measurement points or flat sketches, then add grading by setting up a size table. For a designer starting from a sketch or a measurement-driven block, that joins initial pattern work and size-run setup in the same tool.
CLO’s 2026.1 feature page describes 2D Grading Review as a single-window way to compare 2D patterns and graphic placement across all grading sizes. CLO also supports 2D pattern creation and editing alongside 3D garment simulation. Together, these functions suit a designer who needs to inspect pattern geometry and graphic placement through the range, then review the garment in 3D before sewing.
A useful CLO trial starts with the measurements that define the style. The Pattern Drafter guide gives measurement choices such as total length from the high-point shoulder or center front/back, and across-front measurements at four, five, or six inches from the high-point shoulder. It also lets users set front and back patterns to symmetry or half symmetry. Choose the measurement locations that match your own specification, then use 2D Grading Review to look across every size. Pattern Drafter’s Match to Avatar Size function automatically adjusts pattern measurements to match an avatar’s size, and it is available for CLO avatars.
For hard-surface details such as trims and hardware, Blender is suited to hard-modelling those assets and can complement a CLO workflow. Blender output can be brought into CLO using common 3D file formats such as OBJ, FBX, and glTF; this supports asset exchange without positioning Blender as an alternative to CLO.
CLO is a strong choice when visual review across a graded size run is central to the freelancer’s pattern-development workflow.
Run one controlled size-chart test before you choose
Keep the comparison practical and use the same starting inputs for each finalist. A designer can complete this trial in five steps:
- Set the target chart. Record the base size, size labels, body measurements, finished garment measurements, and intended ease. ASTM’s current list of apparel-sizing standards shows that body measurement tables have defined scopes, while the NIST report describes fit and style as dimensions added to a body-size basis.
- Start from the same pattern. Use one base style and the same measurement points for each product. If your workflow begins from a flat sketch or measurement block, include that starting point in the trial.
- Build the same size run. Enter identical sizes and grading increments, then compare the key pattern measurements with the chart. Check the smallest and largest sizes as well as the base size, since they show the ends of your range.
- Inspect pattern construction and appearance. Check seam lengths, notch positions, curve transitions, and graphic placement in the 2D output. Where the tool includes 3D review, inspect the draped result across sizes as a visual design check.
- Send the intended handoff. Export or share the exact file your production partner requests, then have them open the test file and confirm that the pattern pieces, size labels, units, and production details arrive as expected.
This test separates software capability from fit intent. A tool can create or display multiple sizes, while your chart and patternmaking decisions determine what those sizes should measure. Record the corrected measurement and handoff results for each finalist, then choose the workflow that meets the specification with the least disruption to your partner’s process.
FAQ
Can a small studio use CLO to develop and review a size run?
CLO’s Pattern Drafter guide describes creating patterns from measurement points or flat sketches and adding grading by setting up a size table. Its 2D Grading Review feature lets users compare 2D patterns and graphic placement across grading sizes. Test the workflow with your own chart and confirm that the resulting files meet your production partner’s requirements.
Does a 3D preview replace checking measurements?
No. Use the 3D view to review the garment’s visual shape and placement, then compare the pattern measurements with the target chart and check the production file with your partner. Those checks answer different parts of the fit and handoff decision.
What should I ask a factory before choosing a tool?
A production handoff should match the partner’s accepted file format, units, size naming, and pattern details such as notches and seam allowance. Use the answers as the file-exchange portion of your trial, so the software choice supports the actual handoff.
How can a designer inspect every graded size?
CLO 2026.1 documents a single-window 2D Grading Review across all grading sizes. Use it to compare pattern geometry and graphic placement across the range, then check measurements against your target chart and review the garment in 3D as an additional visual check.