How much cloth do I actually need?

Nearly all our wax print is 45 inches wide. These are for that width; a narrower bogolan needs roughly a fifth more.

The short answer

• Head wrap — 2 yards. One and a half will tie, but two gives you the volume people actually want.
• Top or blouse — 2 yards.
• Straight skirt — 2 yards. A full or circle skirt, 3.
• Dress — 4 yards, or 5 if it is long-sleeved or gathered.
• Full outfit with a wrapper — 6 yards. This is the traditional length and why cloth is sold that way.

Two things that change the number

A directional print. If the pattern runs one way, every piece has to be cut the same way up, and you will waste cloth doing it. Add half a yard.

Pattern matching. Lining up a large motif across a seam costs you up to one full repeat per seam. On a bold print that is real yardage, not a rounding error.

When in doubt

Order the half yard. Cloth is cut to order and we cannot take a cut length back, so it is cheaper to buy a swatch and be sure than to buy six yards and be wrong.