# Points of measure, a practical guide > What points of measure are, the common ones for tops and bottoms, instructions a factory can follow, tolerances, grading and a consistent POM library. Page: https://samplyn.com/guides/points-of-measure Updated: 2026-11-12 By the founder. Published 2026-11-12, updated 2026-11-12. A point of measure (POM) is one named measurement on a garment, with a written instruction for exactly where to put the tape. A spec sheet is a list of them, with a value per size. Get the names and instructions consistent and fit comments get shorter. ## What a point of measure is Each POM has a code, a name and a how-to-measure line. "Chest width, 1 inch below armhole, measured flat, edge to edge" is a POM. "Chest" on its own is not: two technicians will measure it in two places. The value for each size, and the tolerance either side of it, sit on the spec sheet for a style. The POM itself, the name and the instruction, should come from a shared library so the same measurement means the same thing on every style. ## Common points of measure Most teams start from a short list per category and add only what the style needs. A typical starting set: - Tops: body length from high point shoulder, chest width below armhole, sweep or bottom opening, shoulder width, sleeve length, sleeve opening, armhole, neck width, front neck drop. - Bottoms: waist relaxed and extended, low hip at a set distance from the waist, front rise, back rise, inseam, thigh, knee, leg opening. - Dresses: the tops list plus waist position and full length from high point shoulder. - Knits: add a note on whether the garment is measured relaxed or stretched, and how. ## Write instructions a factory can follow Measure flat, on a table, garment buttoned or zipped, with no stretching unless the POM says so. Name the start and end points by something the technician can see: a seam, the high point shoulder, a set distance below the armhole. Use one unit per spec sheet and say which. Add a sketch with each POM marked by its code; a picture settles most arguments before they start. ## Tolerances and grading A tolerance is how far a measurement can be off and still pass. Your own manual, or your buyer's, sets them. A common pattern is a wider tolerance on large body measurements (length, chest, sweep) and a tighter one on small ones (neck drop, cuff, collar). Grading is how each POM changes from size to size. Write the grade per point of measure, not only the base size, so the factory does not have to guess how the sleeve grows from a small to an extra large. ## Keep a POM library, and presets per category The fastest way to consistent specs is to stop writing points of measure from scratch. Keep one library of them, each with its code and instruction. Build presets from it: a knit top, a woven bottom, a dress, per brand if your brands fit differently. A new style starts from its preset, and the designer edits values, not names. When the instruction for a POM changes, it changes once, in the library. ## Use the same codes in fit comments When a fit sample comes back, record comments against POM codes, not in a paragraph. "Chest width minus 1/2 inch, all sizes" is something a factory can act on; "feels tight" is not. ## Where Samplyn fits Samplyn keeps points of measure in one library and builds spec sheets from it. - A points of measure library, with presets per category and brand. - Per-style spec sheets: apply a preset, then edit the values. - Printable spec-sheet, sample-submit and swatch-submit forms that travel with the sample request. See how Samplyn handles specs: https://samplyn.com/platform/develop --- Book a demo: https://samplyn.com/demo. Every page: https://samplyn.com/llms.txt.