Size Sets and Grading for a Leather Jacket Range: A Guide for Brands and Shops

By LeatherJacket.pk team · Published 10 October 2026 · All buyer guides

A single jacket only has to fit one person. A range has to fit everyone from your smallest customer to your largest, in every style, and keep fitting the same way on every reorder. That is the job of grading: turning one approved base pattern into a full size set, so an XS and a 3XL look like the same jacket in different sizes.

This guide is for brands, shops and online sellers ordering leather jackets in a size run. It explains the terms a leather jacket maker will use, how to write grade rules and tolerances, how to plan a size breakdown, and how to check graded sizes before bulk. For measuring individual customers, start with our leather jacket size guide.

The terms you will hear

Choosing your base size

Pick the size your best customers wear, and a fit model or a person close to that size who can try the samples on. Most brands use M, or the middle of their range, because grading from the centre keeps errors small at both ends. If you sell mainly to larger or smaller customers, a base size closer to them makes sense.

Fit the base size completely before any grading starts: shoulders, chest, sleeve length, body length and how the jacket sits over the layers your customers wear. Everything else is built from it, so any fit problem in the base size will be copied into every size.

What your size chart needs

A useful chart is a table with sizes across the top and points of measure down the side. For a leather jacket, the usual points are:

• Chest, measured flat across at the underarm
• Waist and hem width
• Across shoulder, seam to seam
• Back length, from the collar seam to the hem
• Sleeve length, from the shoulder seam to the cuff
• Bicep and cuff opening
• Collar height and front zip length

Write how each point is measured, in centimetres or inches, and add a tolerance for each. Our size guide explains how to measure a jacket flat, which is the easiest way to build a chart from a jacket you already sell.

Writing grade rules

Not every measurement grows at the same rate. A common pattern is:

The actual steps should come from your own customers, not a generic chart. The easiest source is a jacket that already fits and sells well in several sizes: measure each size and use the differences as your grade rules. If you have no data yet, ask the maker to propose grade rules from their base pattern and approve them in writing.

Why leather grading needs extra care

• Leather has little give. A woven jacket can hide a slightly tight size; leather cannot, so the larger sizes need their full grade, especially across the chest and shoulders.
• Panels must fit on the skin. A back panel that fits on one lambskin in size M may not fit in 3XL. The larger sizes may need an extra seam, so agree where it goes and check it looks intentional.
• Proportions matter. Pocket placement, belt position and quilting should stay in proportion across sizes, not drift towards the side seams.
• Shearling and padding take up room. A quilted or shearling-lined jacket needs its inside measurements checked, not just the outside.

Choosing your size range

A range from XS to 3XL covers most retail customers, but it does not have to start there. Many new brands launch with a narrower core range and add the outer sizes once they know demand. Some points to decide early:

• Men's and women's jackets need their own patterns, not one pattern graded down. Shoulders, bust, waist and sleeve length differ.
• Very large sizes, or tall and short fittings, may need their own adjusted pattern rather than a straight grade.
• Decide whether labels show letters, UK/US numbers or EU numbers. Our size conversion table helps you label for each market.
• Keep the same size labels across every style, or customers who own one of your jackets will be confused by the next.

Planning the size breakdown

The size breakdown is how many of each size you order, per style and per colour. There is no universal rule. The best guide is your own sales and returns history: which sizes sold out first, which were returned for fit, and which were left over. Write the breakdown as a ratio, for example 1:2:2:1 across S to XL as a format, and agree it per style, because a slim racer and an oversized bomber rarely sell in the same pattern of sizes.

Quantities, any minimums per style or size, price and timing are confirmed per design on WhatsApp, because they depend on the style, leather and branding. Our wholesale ordering steps explain how a bulk order is quoted.

Checking graded sizes before bulk

1. Approve the base size sample first, in the production leather and lining.
2. Ask for the smallest and largest sizes in your range, or a full size set if your range is new or unusual.
3. Measure each against your chart and note any point outside tolerance.
4. Try them on people who wear those sizes. A jacket can measure correctly and still pull at the shoulders.
5. Check details: pocket position, logo placement and zip length in proportion on every size.
6. Sign off the graded sizes in writing before cutting starts.

The bomber fit checklist and our sampling guide cover what to look for on a fitted sample.

Keeping sizes consistent on reorders

Customers who buy a second jacket expect the same fit. Give each style a code, and keep the approved chart, grade rules, tolerances and size set samples together. If you change anything, such as a longer sleeve, change the chart and note the date, then confirm it with the maker before the next order is cut.

Our wholesale leather jackets page covers styles, leathers and private label options for brands and shops, and our custom options include standard graded size sets, sizing from your own chart, and made-to-measure single pieces. Patterns are graded after fit approval, as shown in our manufacturing process.

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