The area of fabric between the cutting line and the stitching line, providing extra material needed to construct seams. Standard seam allowances vary by garment type and construction method, typically ranging from 1/4 inch to 5/8 inch.
Compound of 'seam' (from Old English 'seam' meaning a joining) and 'allowance' (from Old French 'alouer' meaning to approve or grant). The concept formalized with standardized pattern-making in the 19th century.
Seam allowances are like insurance policies for sewers - French seams use double the normal allowance to encase raw edges completely, which is why luxury lingerie and baby clothes often use this technique. Savile Row tailors actually vary seam allowances throughout a single garment based on the stress each seam will endure!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.