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Will this vintage knit fit?
“Ease” is the difference between your body and the finished garment. It decides whether a sweater hugs you or hangs loose, and vintage patterns vary a lot: many 1940s knits were made to fit snugly, while 1980s knits were often roomy. Enter your bust and the pattern’s finished bust to see how it will fit, or tell us the fit you want and we’ll suggest the finished bust to look for.
Check the fit
Ease guide
| Fit | Ease (cm) | Ease (in) |
|---|
How this works, and its limits
- Ease = the pattern’s finished bust minus your bust. Positive ease means the garment is bigger than you; negative ease means it stretches to fit.
- Our fit bands follow the widely used industry ease chart: very close fitting is 5–10 cm (2–4 in) smaller than the bust, close fitting is about equal to the bust, classic is 5–10 cm (2–4 in) bigger, loose is 10–15 cm (4–6 in) bigger, and oversized is more than 15 cm (6 in) bigger. Between those bands we draw the line halfway, so “close fitting” here means within about 2.5 cm (1 in) either side. Published charts vary a little, so treat the edges of each band as soft.
- If a pattern gives only a “to fit” bust, the finished size isn’t known. Many vintage patterns don’t state it. Look for the stitch count at the bust (back and front together) and divide by the stitches per cm or inch in the tension.
- Negative ease suits stretchy fabrics like ribbing and fitted 1940s sweaters. It suits firm fabrics, cardigans that should close, and colourwork much less well.
- Decade notes are general tendencies, not rules. Always check your own pattern.
Want a vintage pattern already rewritten for your size and gauge? Browse our patterns. For more on how vintage knits were meant to sit, read our guide to how vintage knitwear should fit.