A practical first CLO pilot for an approved jacket size run
- Keep the approved size run and grade rules as the control record.
- Use CLO Pattern Drafter when the task is drafting from entered measurements and generating points of measure (POMs) and grading.
- Use CLO Auto Fitting to fit a pattern to a supported avatar size, then review the garment across the sizes that matter.
- Compare any new or adjusted output with the approved pattern and size specifications before adopting it.
Choose the patternmaking task before choosing automation
For a jacket with an approved multi-size rule set, make the first CLO pilot a controlled review against that existing size run. Keep its pattern, measurements, grade rules, size labels, and revision as the baseline. This gives the team a clear way to see how the 3D workflow supports its established patternmaking decisions. If the pilot tests a new or adjusted output, keep it separate and compare its sizes and rules with the approved baseline before adopting it.
These workflows address different parts of the work. Size-range grading applies size changes to a base pattern to create a run. Measurement-led drafting creates or edits a pattern while measurements are entered. Avatar fitting adjusts or fits a pattern to an avatar’s size so the garment can be reviewed on a body model. CLO’s tools can support these tasks, but the approved size run remains the reference for fit and grading decisions.
A grade rule is the increment applied to a garment measurement as a style moves between sizes. Uphance’s apparel grade-rule explanation notes that rules vary by point of measure: a sleeve, torso, and inseam can follow different increments, and knits can grade differently from wovens. For a jacket, shoulder, chest, sleeve, and length measurements each follow their own increments, which keeps each pattern change traceable to the approved standard. The shoulder, chest, sleeve, and length rules need to remain traceable to the team’s approved standard.
In their 2005 study, Nancy Schofield and Karen LaBat examined 40 women’s clothing size charts and found that only 17% of the upper-torso measurements they assessed were useful for forming grade rules. That finding is specific to their upper-torso analysis, but it makes a useful pilot principle: a body measurement is not automatically an approved pattern grade rule. Preserve the rule set the team already uses, then test whether a new automation produces the intended measurements and geometry.
Match the CLO workflow to the pattern you have
For the approved jacket run, begin with a clear decision about whether the team wants to carry its existing rules into a 3D fit review, develop a new size run from a base pattern, or draft from entered measurements. CLO offers workflows for measurement-led drafting and avatar fitting; whichever path the team chooses, the approved pattern and grading rules remain the control for review.
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| CLO workflow | Documented starting point and operation | Best fit for this pilot |
|---|---|---|
| CLO Pattern Drafter, Auto POM & Grading | Enter measurements during pattern drafting; CLO says it can automatically generate POMs and apply grading, with flexible editing. | Measurement-led drafting where POM generation and grading are part of pattern development. |
| CLO Auto Fitting | Automatically fits a pattern to an avatar’s size. CLO avatars are supported; custom avatars need an applied Fitting Suit. | Fit review on a supported avatar size. |
For a new measurement-led jacket draft, compare the editable POM and grading results with approved jacket targets before adding the pattern to the team’s controlled size range. This keeps the drafting workflow connected to the fit and measurement standards the team already trusts.
For an existing graded pattern, bring the approved sizes into CLO for 3D review. Keep the source pattern and rules intact, and record any proposed changes separately so patternmakers can assess them against the approved baseline.
CLO Auto Fitting can support the avatar setup when the selected body is a CLO avatar or a custom avatar with a Fitting Suit applied. Choose this path when the pilot question is how the jacket fits a selected body model. For a multi-size rollout, avatar fitting is part of the review setup; it does not by itself define the jacket’s approved grading rules.
Run a controlled pilot on the approved jacket
Use one jacket style with an approved base pattern and a complete multi-size rule set. The purpose is to learn whether the 3D workflow preserves the pattern and fit decisions the team has already approved, then judge any automation output against the same control.
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Freeze a baseline. Record the source pattern revision, base size, size labels and order, POM targets, grade rules, measurement units, and any exceptions such as a non-linear size jump. Keep a copy of the approved run unchanged so the team can compare the pilot result to the source.
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Choose the workflow that matches the input. For measurement-led drafting, trial CLO Pattern Drafter with entered measurements. For an existing graded pattern, take the approved sizes forward into 3D review as the baseline. If the pilot produces a new or adjusted output, record separately whether it changed rules or created a new size run.
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Keep the test size set small and revealing. Include the base size and representative sizes at both ends of the run. If the range includes a break or non-linear increments, include the sizes around that transition too. The Apparel CAD Pilot Checklist recommends checking size names, order, base size, and grade-rule values, comparing graded POMs with targets, and reviewing representative sizes at both ends. It also advises checking every pattern piece, including details such as pockets, notches, and button positions.
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Compare measurements and pattern geometry. Compare the selected sizes’ jacket POMs with approved targets to show whether the grading preserves the size specification. Review the nested outlines for unexplained jumps and confirm that sleeve, body, collar, and internal features progress as intended. Preserve a record of the differences, including where the generated run follows the intended rule and where a patternmaker needs to revise it.
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Record the test inputs and file revision so another operator can reproduce the same comparison. Record the software and version, input file revision, measurement chart or avatar configuration, units, selected size group, and operator. Save the preview and approved output as separate revisions. This lets the team repeat the same test after a rule, pattern, or software change.
A pilot succeeds when the receiving team can identify the pattern and size set, reproduce the approved measurements, understand each exception, and confirm the intended grade behavior. A visually smooth nest alone is not enough; the measurements and key pattern pieces must agree with the approved jacket specification.
Review the jacket on relevant avatars
The size run answers whether the pattern changes across sizes follow the rule set. A 3D fit review answers how the resulting jacket sits on bodies with those sizes and shapes. Use both views for sign-off when the pilot includes 3D fit assessment.
CLO’s 3D garment fit instructions advise sewing and draping patterns on an avatar, aligning shoulder seams to the avatar’s shoulder line, and then reviewing fit with fit maps and garment measurements. For a jacket, inspect the shoulder, chest, armhole, sleeve, waist, and hem, then check whether garment measurements match the target POMs. CLO Auto Fitting can support the avatar setup when the selected body is a CLO avatar or a custom avatar with a Fitting Suit.
Use avatars that represent the intended fit range, rather than repeating one body model for every size. An original virtual-garment evaluation study describes testing a target group of synthetic avatars to check sizing and screen fit on individual bodies and postures. Its researchers describe body-distance, elongation, and elasticity simulation views as ways to examine fit. The study’s fit-evaluation report supports reviewing a population and fit indicators together; it does not make a simulation view a substitute for the team’s garment-specific acceptance criteria.
For each selected size, capture the avatar configuration, garment measurements, fit maps, and written decision. Treat a map as a diagnostic signal: record where the jacket shows an issue, the pattern change made, and the resulting measurement or fit change. Review static fit first, then assess movement where the jacket’s use requires it. Bring physical samples into the process for the material and construction checks the team needs before production release.
Prepare a factory-ready handoff
The handoff should let the factory identify the released pattern, the grading data, and the intended import settings. Include the approved source revision, size names and order, base size, measurement units, POM targets, grade-rule record or companion rule file, avatar and fit-review notes, resolved revisions, and release owner and date.
ASTM D6673-04 describes 2D pattern-piece exchange using DXF and grade-rule table exchange using a specially formatted ASCII file; agree the receiving CAD system’s accepted format and rule-data settings with the factory. Send marker, spreading, and product-specification data through the team’s established production-data process.
CLO’s DXF import and export instructions let the user select DXF-AAMA, DXF-ASTM, or Standard DXF. CLO also provides an export option to include grading information in the DXF or send it separately as a Rule File, and its export selects one size group per file. Match those selections to the factory’s accepted format, required size group, and rule-file process. On import, set the pattern CAD’s unit and confirm how cutting lines, sewing lines, and notches are handled.
The receiving team’s sign-off record should cover piece and size inventory, measurements, geometry, grade data, and metadata after import. The CAD pilot checklist recommends written receiver confirmation and a controlled edit-and-re-export test, so the pilot exercises a revision cycle as well as a one-way delivery. Release the jacket files only after that exchange and the fit decisions are documented in the same revision record.
FAQ
Should the first pilot use the approved run or an automatically generated run?
Use the approved run as the control. Add a generated run as a separate comparison if the team wants to test automation, then compare the POMs, grade rules, and jacket geometry before adopting it.
Does CLO Auto Fitting grade every size in a jacket range?
No. CLO documents Auto Fitting as fitting patterns to an avatar’s size. Use the graded pattern and the chosen avatars to review a range, while preserving the size-range rules as a separate patternmaking input.
Can CLO support measurement-led drafting?
CLO’s Pattern Drafter documentation describes entering measurements during drafting, generating POMs, and applying grading. Compare the editable results with the approved jacket rules and POM targets before adding the pattern to the controlled size range.
What should the factory confirm first?
The handoff must specify the factory’s accepted DXF format, units, selected size group, and whether grading travels in the DXF or a separate Rule File. Then have the receiver verify the imported pieces, sizes, measurements, and grading before release.