What is a sloper, and where does it come from?  

A sloper is a basic apparel pattern without style lines or seam allowances which is used at the beginning or repeatedly throughout the evolution of a style.

There is nothing very interesting about plain, basic slopers. It’s what you do with them that can take you to new heights of satisfaction. From solving fitting issues to styling your own patterns personal slopers can provide everything from problem-solving comfort to a wealth of satisfaction and pleasure.  

Slopers available from pattern suppliers may not be called slopers. Other terms that you may find for slopers include standard pattern, basic pattern, block and master pattern. If you find them as patterns for plain dresses, that is OK, but for use as slopers, you would have to trim away the seam allowances.

Rather than starting with a sloper that you find in a standard, traditional sewing catalogue, it is worth your while to start with your personal one.  

You can create your own personal sloper in a variety of ways.  

Manually draping fabric directly on your figure. You will need someone to do the draping on you directly. This is a type of pinch-fitting where fabric is draped over the figure and pinned to create a smooth surface. It must be marked and deconstructed in order to draw a pattern from it. (not for the timid)  
Manually hand drafting on a large surface following basic flat pattern design instructions using a set of approximately 10 to 100 measurements required by the instructions being followed. For manual hand drafting, you will need traditional drafting tools such as a T-square and French curve. (long and tedious)  
Digitally hand drafting at the computer using traditional flat pattern drafting techniques the same as for manual drafting. Sloper development and patternmaking at the computer requires the installation and use of a CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting) program and needs only CAD tools.  (less clutter, still long and tedious)  
Automatically drafting at the computer using a patternmaking program. There are many computer programs that will do this for you when you provide them with a fee and a set of specific measurements that is required by the program used. (Varying in speed and ease of use)  
A sloper drawing file can be imported into a CAD program from an external source. You may find a source that provides individual sloper files that can be mailed or carried away on disk. (quick and easy)

 All slopers need to be tested for personal comfort and appearance no matter where they originate or how much they cost.  

You must decide whether to actually draft the sloper yourself or to have the sloper drafted for you. By searching the keyword sloper on the internet you can find a number of sites, programs and classes that deal with them.  

Note:You will come across a variety of shapes and sizing strategies. Do not search for the perfect sloper because, like the perfect figure, there isn’t one. The good news is that you can pinch-fit almost any sloper to meet your personal fitting needs and preferences.