Pleated Skirt Calculator

Your details

Your actual waist circumference (or hip, if that is where the skirt will sit).
cm
Finished length from waist seam to hem edge (not including waistband).
cm
Knife pleats fold all in the same direction. Box pleats fold outward. Inverted box pleats fold inward (flat front, fullness at back).
Total number of pleats around the full skirt.
Added to each side seam. Typical: 1.5 cm (metric) or 0.625 in (imperial).
cm
Extra fabric folded under at the hem. Typical: 2-4 cm or 1-1.5 in.
cm
Add fabric for a separate waistband piece.
Finished height of the waistband once folded and sewn.
cm
Extra length for the button/hook overlap at centre back or front. Typically 2-4 cm.
cm
Standard bolt widths found at fabric stores. Choose the width you plan to buy.
Leave at 0 to skip the cost estimate.
/ m
Skirt panel width neededTwo-panel skirt
155

Total cut width of the skirt panel before sewing

Skirt panel length to cut64.5
Fabric width per pleat12.7
Fabric yardage to buy135.5
Panels to cut2
Waistband cut width82
Waistband cut height11
Skirt panel width155
Cut length64.5
Waistband width82

Buy 135.5 metres of fabric for this skirt.

  • Each knife pleat requires 12.7 cm of cut fabric, so the total skirt panel is 155.0 cm wide.
  • You will need 2 panels cut from the bolt and seamed together before pleating.
  • The fabric-to-waist ratio is 2.0x: the skirt panel is about 2.0 times your waist measurement.
  • Each pleat starts as 6.3 cm of finished (flat) width and uses 2x that amount of fabric.

Next stepAdd about 10% extra if your fabric has a pattern repeat or if you are a less experienced cutter, as matching checks or stripes across 12 pleats requires additional length.

 = Powered by OnlyCalculators