When buyers compare two uniform fabrics, they almost always look at the price per metre first. It is the obvious number, but it can be misleading, because it ignores how much usable cloth you actually get across the width. A fabric that costs a little more per metre can work out cheaper per finished garment if it is wider, simply because the tailor wastes less of it. This is the idea of cutting economy, and it is one of the most practical things a dealer or retailer can understand.
Why width changes the maths
Fabric comes in standard widths, commonly 44 inches for narrower goods and 58 to 60 inches for wider goods. When a tailor cuts garments, the pattern pieces for trousers, shirts and jackets are laid out across the width of the cloth in what is called a marker. The goal is to fit as many pieces as possible into the width with the least gap between them. A wider cloth gives more room to nest those pieces together, so less fabric is left over as offcut at the edges.
For large pieces, such as trouser legs and jacket panels, this matters a great deal. On a narrow cloth, a big piece can leave a strip down the side too thin to use. On a wider cloth, that same strip is often wide enough to take another small piece, such as a pocket or a collar. The result is more garments from the same length of fabric.
A simple worked illustration
Imagine a garment whose pieces need roughly 1.5 metres on a 44-inch cloth. On a 58-inch cloth, the extra width may let the tailor lay the same pieces more tightly, bringing the requirement down towards 1.2 to 1.3 metres. That is a saving of around 15 to 20 percent of fabric on every single garment, repeated across a whole order. Even if the wider fabric costs more per metre, the lower quantity per garment can leave you ahead on the total.
These figures are illustrative, because the exact saving depends on the garment, the sizes and the pattern. The principle holds in every case though: compare the cost per finished garment, not the cost per metre.
What to check before you compare prices
First, confirm the width of each fabric, because a price looks very different once you know how much usable cloth it carries. Second, think about the garment, since wide cloth helps most with large pieces and formal garments, and less with very small items. Third, ask about usable width rather than full width, because the edges, or selvedge, are not always usable and a small difference there changes the maths.
Valji’s poly-viscose suiting fabric, for example, is woven at 58 inches, which gives tailors room to nest suiting pieces efficiently for corporate and formal orders. You can see the wider and narrower options across the full fabric range.
Why this helps dealers and retailers
For a dealer, understanding width is a way to add real value in a conversation. A buyer who is weighing two quotes on price per metre alone can be shown the true cost per garment, which often changes the decision and builds trust. For a retailer serving tailors and institutions, stocking the right width for the common garment types means your customers get more finished pieces from every order, which is a benefit you can point to directly.
Width is not the only factor in a fabric decision, of course. Weight, blend, weave and colour-fastness all matter, and the right choice balances all of them against the end use. But cutting economy is the part most often overlooked, and it is the one that quietly affects the bottom line on every order.
Common questions
Is wider fabric always cheaper per garment?
Usually, for garments with large pattern pieces, because less cloth is wasted at the edges. For very small items the difference is smaller. Always compare the cost per finished garment, not per metre.
What is the difference between 44-inch and 58-inch fabric?
It is the usable width of the cloth. A 58-inch fabric carries more usable width per metre, so a tailor can often cut more pieces from the same length than on a 44-inch fabric.
How do I know a fabric’s width?
It is listed on the fabric spec sheet in inches. Your nearest Valji dealer can confirm the width and usable width of any running design.
Talk to your nearest Valji dealer
To work out the real cost per garment for your order, ask your nearest Valji dealer for samples, catalogue books and the exact width of each design. Running and popular designs carry no minimum order quantity. Retailers can order through Valji’s established dealer network across India. Explore widths and blends in the catalogue or the full fabric range.
