Curtain and Drape Sizes by Market: Widths, Drops and Headings

A curtain is sized from two numbers, not from a named ladder like a bed: the finished width, which is the track or pole width multiplied by a heading fullness ratio and then split between the panels, and the drop, which runs from where the heading sits down to where you want the hem to end. Ready-made ranges still cluster around a few sizes per market: US panels are sold singly in inches, most often 132 cm (52 in) wide in lengths from 160 to 305 cm (63 to 120 in); UK and Australian curtains are sold in pairs quoted as width by drop; and continental Europe is largely made to measure by the metre. The figures below are the reference points major retailers sell to, to confirm against your buyer's own window and track before ordering rather than treat as one fixed standard.

The two numbers behind every curtain

Width and drop are derived, not picked off a chart. Get the method right and any market's sizes follow from it.

• Finished width = track or pole width x the heading fullness ratio, divided across the number of panels. A 200 cm (79 in) track with a pencil pleat at 2.5x fullness needs about 500 cm (197 in) of finished curtain, so a pair of 250 cm (98 in) wide panels, before hems.
• Drop = from the top of the heading to the hem line you want. Measure from the pole or track, not the window frame, and decide the hem finish first because it moves the number by 15 to 40 cm.

Because the width is multiplied by fullness, the flat cloth needed is always well over the window width, which is why a "90 inch" ready-made curtain in the UK is 90 in wide per curtain and hangs on a track roughly half that. Always confirm whether a quoted width is per curtain or the pair total, because the two markets split on exactly this point.

United States: single panels in inches

US curtains are sold as individual panels, and you buy as many as the window needs for fullness. Widths are per panel; lengths are the drop. These are typical retail sizes, not a universal standard:

Dimension	Common US sizes
Panel width	107 cm (42 in), 127 cm (50 in), 132 cm (52 in), 137 cm (54 in)
Panel length	160 cm (63 in), 213 cm (84 in), 244 cm (96 in), 274 cm (108 in), 305 cm (120 in)

The volume lengths are 213 cm (84 in) for a standard eight-foot ceiling and 244 cm (96 in) or 274 cm (108 in) for taller rooms. A single panel at 132 cm (52 in) wide gives modest fullness on a narrow window; a wider window normally takes two or more panels. US ranges lean on rod-pocket and grommet (eyelet) headings, so the flat panel width already assumes the buyer hangs enough panels to gather.

United Kingdom and Australia: sold in pairs

UK and Australian ready-made curtains are sold as a pair and quoted as width by drop, where the width is the flat width of each curtain in the pair. You choose a pair whose two widths add up to roughly double the track width for a normal gather:

Dimension	Common UK and Australian sizes
Width, each curtain	117 cm (46 in), 168 cm (66 in), 229 cm (90 in), 274 cm (108 in)
Drop	137 cm (54 in), 183 cm (72 in), 229 cm (90 in), 274 cm (108 in)

So a 168 cm (66 in) pair suits a track up to about 168 cm (66 in) wide, because the two panels together give the fullness. Australia sells the same way in centimetres and favours eyelet and pinch pleat headings, with popular drops around 160 cm (63 in), 213 cm (84 in), 223 cm (88 in) and 250 cm (98 in) for full-height windows. In both markets the drop is measured to the hem finish the buyer wants, so the same window can take a 183 cm (72 in) sill-length curtain or a longer floor-length one.

Continental Europe: mostly made to measure

Most of continental Europe treats curtains as a made-to-measure item cut by the metre rather than a boxed ready-made size, so there is no fixed size ladder to quote. Drops are commonly cut long, around 240 to 260 cm (94 to 102 in), for the tall windows found across Germany, France and the Netherlands, and width follows the fullness ratio for the chosen heading. Lightweight sheers, sold as voile or vitrage, are a large part of the market and are sized the same way. For a trade order this means specifying finished width, drop, heading and fullness explicitly, because there is no shorthand size to fall back on.

Heading types and how much cloth each needs

The heading sets the fullness ratio, which sets how much flat cloth a finished width consumes. This is the single biggest driver of fabric per curtain, so it belongs in the specification before any size is fixed:

Heading	Typical fullness	Notes
Rod pocket, tab top	1.5 to 2x	Casual, slides straight onto a pole
Eyelet (grommet)	1.5 to 2x	Even soft folds, no tape needed
Pencil pleat	2 to 2.5x	The UK default, gathers on corded tape
Pinch or French pleat	2 to 2.5x	Structured, tailored look
Wave or ripplefold	2 to 2.3x	Needs its own track to hold the spacing

A pinch pleat at 2.5x fullness uses well over half as much cloth again as an eyelet at 1.6x for the same window, which changes both the yardage and the price. Wave and pinch pleat also carry more making cost than a simple rod pocket. State the heading, the fullness and the hook or tape you expect, and confirm them on a sample.

Where the hem ends: sizing the drop

The drop finish decides the look and moves the finished length by a wide margin, so agree it before quoting a cut:

Finish	Where the hem ends
Sill	At the windowsill
Below sill (apron)	About 15 cm (6 in) below the sill
Floor	About 1 cm (0.5 in) above the floor
Break	Just touching the floor
Puddle	5 to 40 cm (2 to 16 in) pooled on the floor

A floor or break finish reads as tailored and is the usual choice for a living space; a sill or apron length suits kitchens and radiators. A puddle is a deliberate styling choice and needs extra cloth on the drop. Always add hem and header allowance and a shrinkage tolerance on top of the finished drop before cutting.

Wide and tall drapes without a seam

A tall curtain often exceeds a normal fabric width, which forces a horizontal seam across the drop unless the cloth is turned so its width runs vertically, a technique called railroading. On a wide, short treatment the same logic runs the other way. Our cloth is woven in widths to 136 inches, so many wide or full-height runs can be made without a joining seam, which matters most on plain and sheer cloths where a seam would show.

A curtain can be specified unlined, lined or interlined, with the lining and any finish set by the buyer to suit their own market's requirements. To develop curtains and drapes to your own widths, drops and headings, see curtains and drapes; for the underlying cloth options see our woven programme, and for minimums and sampling see our private label terms.

Common questions

What is the standard curtain drop size?

There is no single standard, because the drop is measured to the hem finish you choose. UK and Australian ready-made curtains cluster at drops of 137 cm (54 in), 183 cm (72 in), 229 cm (90 in) and 274 cm (108 in), while US panel lengths cluster at 160 cm (63 in), 213 cm (84 in), 244 cm (96 in) and 274 cm (108 in). Measure from the pole to where you want the hem, then pick the nearest size up.

How wide should curtains be for my window?

Take the track or pole width and multiply by the heading fullness ratio, then split it across the panels. For a pencil pleat at 2.5x fullness, a 200 cm (79 in) track needs about 500 cm (197 in) of finished curtain, so a pair of 250 cm (98 in) panels. Eyelet headings use less, around 1.5 to 2x.

Are US and UK curtain sizes the same?

No. US curtains are sold as single panels in inches and you buy enough panels for fullness. UK and Australian curtains are sold in pairs, quoted as the width of each curtain by the drop, both in centimetres and inches. Always check whether a width is per curtain or the pair total before ordering.

Can curtains be made to non-standard sizes?

Yes. Curtains are cut to your finished width, drop and heading rather than to a fixed range, so a made-to-measure size is normal for this product. Send the track width, the drop to your chosen hem finish, the heading and the fullness, and confirm the finished measurements on a sample before bulk.