What waste percentage should I use?

Typical cutting waste ranges from 10–20% for simple patterns on wide fabric. Complex patterns, plaids, or narrow fabric can push waste to 25–35%. Start with 15% as a baseline and adjust based on your marker efficiency.

Does this include other production costs?

No. This calculator covers fabric material cost only. You still need to add trims, labels, labor, overhead, and shipping to arrive at a full cost of goods.

How do I find yardage per garment?

Yardage is typically determined by grading and marker making. A rough estimate is to lay out all pattern pieces on a fabric width and measure the total length. Many pattern software tools report this automatically.

What if I buy fabric by the meter?

Convert meters to yards (1 meter = 1.094 yards) or enter the per-meter price directly — as long as your yardage field also uses the same unit, the result will be correct.

Why does fabric width matter?

Wider fabric lets you nest more pattern pieces side by side, reducing the total length (yardage) needed per garment. Narrower fabric usually requires more yardage for the same garment.

Fabric Cost Per Garment Calculator

Calculate the fabric cost per garment from fabric width, yardage per piece, price per yard, and waste percentage.

Fabric Inputs

Fabric Width (inches)

Common widths: 45", 54", 60"

Yardage Required Per Garment (yards)

From your pattern or marker layout

Price Per Yard ($)

Wholesale or retail price per yard

Cutting Waste (%)

Typical range: 10–20% for simple styles

Cost Per Garment

Enter your fabric details and click Calculate.

Summary

Calculate the fabric cost per garment from fabric width, yardage per piece, price per yard, and waste percentage.

How it works

Enter the fabric width in inches (e.g. 60" wide fabric).
Enter how many yards of fabric are required per garment.
Enter the price per yard for the fabric.
Set the waste percentage to account for cutting losses and selvedge.
The calculator adds the waste factor to the yardage and multiplies by price per yard to produce the fabric cost per piece.

Use cases

Cost a new apparel style before sampling.
Compare cost impact of switching from 45" to 60" wide fabric.
Factor in cutting waste when quoting wholesale prices.
Estimate how a price-per-yard change affects landed garment cost.
Teach fashion students basic garment costing mechanics.
Quickly check viability of a fabric choice for a production run.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-09-22 · Reviewed by Nham Vu