Answer: for a saree blouse in cotton the calculator leaves 1.5 cm on the side seams, 1.5 cm at the hem and 1 cm at the neckline. A 42 cm blouse is cut 45 cm long and a 92 cm bust is cut 98 cm round.
Source: StitchMagic calculator defaults, last checked 22 Oct 2026. No official body publishes seam allowances for Indian garments; tailors vary them by habit and fabric.
Seam allowance calculator: allowances by garment
These are the values the calculator uses. Velvet and other heavy fabrics add 0.5 cm to the side seam and 1 cm to the hem; cotton, silk and georgette use the base values.
| Garment | Side seam | Hem | Neckline | Heavy fabric (seam / hem) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saree blouse | 1.5 cm | 1.5 cm | 1 cm | 2 / 2.5 cm |
| Kurti | 1.5 cm | 2.5 cm | 1 cm | 2 / 3.5 cm |
| Salwar suit (kameez) | 1.5 cm | 2 cm | 1 cm | 2 / 3 cm |
| Lehenga skirt | 2.5 cm | 3.5 cm | — (waistband) | 3 / 4.5 cm |
| Anarkali | 1.5 cm | 2.5 cm | 1 cm | 2 / 3.5 cm |
Seam margin on body measurements: cut length and cut round
Cut length is the finished length plus the hem plus the seam at the top, the shoulder seam on a blouse or kameez and the waistband seam on a lehenga. Cut round is a body measurement plus the side seam allowance on all 4 edges that meet at the two side seams. On the calculator's default, a 42 cm blouse is 42 + 1.5 + 1.5 = 45 cm long, and a 92 cm bust is 92 + 4 x 1.5 = 98 cm round. Ease, the room you leave for movement, is not included: add it the way you always do, then the margin.
Tailor calculator: from margins to metres of fabric
This page gives margins in centimetres, not how much cloth to buy. For metres, use the fabric calculator for every garment, the blouse fabric calculator or the lehenga fabric calculator; each gives the metres to buy for one garment on your roll width. More tailoring tools and design galleries are on the designs page.
Stitching margin questions
What is stitching margin?
The extra cloth left outside the stitching line so the seam can be sewn and later let out, also called seam allowance or seam margin. The calculator uses 1.5 cm on the side seams of a blouse, kurti, salwar suit and anarkali, and 2.5 cm on a lehenga skirt.
How much stitching margin for a blouse?
1.5 cm on the side seams, 1.5 cm at the hem and 1 cm at the neckline in cotton, silk or georgette. In velvet or other heavy fabric the calculator adds 0.5 cm and 1 cm: 2 cm seams and a 2.5 cm hem.
How do I add seam allowance to body measurements?
A garment with two side seams has 4 seam edges around the body, one on the front and one on the back piece at each side, so add 4 x the side seam allowance. A 92 cm bust in a blouse is cut 98 cm round, before any ease.
Is seam margin the same as ease?
No. Seam margin is cloth that disappears into the seam; ease is extra room so the garment moves with the body. The calculator adds seam margin only, so add the ease you normally give on top.
How much seam allowance for a lehenga?
2.5 cm on the kali and side seams and a 3.5 cm hem in the calculator, the widest of the five garments; in heavy fabric, 3 cm and 4.5 cm.
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