How is fit and size grading handled before bulk production?
Grading converts the approved base size into the full range by applying measured increments to each point of measure. Before bulk, VANRD issues a size set (usually the smallest, base and largest sizes) and a measurement sheet with tolerances; the set is measured again after a wash cycle when the fabric shrinks. Bulk is then inspected against that sheet, not against the base sample alone.
What grading actually changes
Chest, body length, shoulder, sleeve, hem and neck opening each move by their own increment. A hoodie may grade 5 cm across the chest per size but only 2 cm in body length — the increments are not uniform, and they must follow the fit intent.
This is why a base-size sample alone cannot prove a range. A size L that fits does not guarantee an XL that still looks oversized rather than simply bigger.
| Checkpoint | What to confirm | When |
|---|---|---|
| Base size sample | Silhouette, fabric hand, details | Sampling |
| Grading rules | Increments per point of measure | Before size set |
| Size set | Smallest, base, largest | Before bulk |
| Tolerances | Acceptable deviation per point | With size set |
| Post-wash measurement | Shrinkage applied to grading | Before bulk approval |
Where size complaints come from
Two causes dominate: grading increments copied from a different fit block, and shrinkage applied to the base size but not to the grade. Both show up as “the larger sizes are off” rather than “everything is off”.
Specify tolerances in the tech pack. Without them, measurement disputes have no reference.
Field example
A brand's XL measured 2 cm short against the size set. The cause was shrinkage applied to the base size only, so the increment carried the error upward. VANRD recalculated grading on post-wash measurements, and the resubmitted set passed on the first inspection.
Numbers that matter
- Grading uses a separate increment per point of measure, not a single scale factor
- Approve a size set, not only the base size
- Apply shrinkage to the grade, not only to the base size
- Put measurement tolerances in the tech pack before bulk
- Service Process
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