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The
Clothing Chronicles
November 8,
2006, #251
FashionForRealWomen.com
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In This Issue:
Message
From Diana
Feature
Article: How to Tell if Clothes Fit Properly
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>>
MESSAGE FROM DIANA
I've been
posting all sorts of things to my blog over the last few weeks, from
designers launching websites to answering question from my readers.
What fun! If you'd like to see what I've been up to, here's the link:
http://www.fashionforrealwomen.com/blog
So what's on
tap for today's article? A look at how to tell if clothes fit properly.
Enjoy!
Diana
diana@fashionforrealwomen.com
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|
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>>
FEATURE ARTICLE
How to Tell
if Clothes Fit Properly
Well-fitting
clothes have long been a hallmark of the well-dressed person. Sleeves
that sit correctly, waistbands that don't bind, hems that hit at just
the right height - all impact how well you present yourself. When
everything you wear looks like it was made for you, you come across
as being sharp and into details. When your clothes pinch, bind, or
hang loosely, you don't. It's as simple as that.
But how can
you find custom-looking clothes in our off-the-rack world? You have
to look A LOT. Find the brands that fit you best and stick with them.
Everyone is going to have her own favorites.
For example, I
like Dockers™ for casual pants because they offer three
different leg lengths for each size: short, average, and tall. I can
pop into my local Kohl's and grab the size and leg length I need
without even having to try them on anymore. That's how to true to
size this brand runs for me.
But how can
YOU find the brands and styles that work best on YOU?
Here are some
guidelines for what you should be looking for when you try on clothes:
Suit Jacket
or Blazer
-
It should lay
flat against your body with no gapping or puckering, particularly
when buttoned. If you can't get it buttoned, it doesn't fit.
-
The jacket
shoulder should be 1/4"-1/2" wider than your shirt or
blouse shoulder so that it can accommodate that first layer.
-
The jacket
sleeve length should reach to the wristbone, allowing
1/4"-1/2" of the shirt or blouse sleeve to peek out. Too
long a sleeve looks sloppy, too short looks ill-fitting.
-
The side seams
of the jacket should fall straight. |
Chadwicks.com
A properly
fitting jacket has the sleeve seam at the pivot bone and allows the
blouse sleeve to peek out a little |
Shirt or Blouse
-
The neckline
should hug the base of the neck without wrinkling, gapping, or making
you feel like your being strangled.
-
The top of the
sleeve seam should sit at your pivot bone. (Where's the pivot bone?
If you put your left hand on your right shoulder and raise your right
arm straight out, the bone you feel moving is the pivot bone.)
-
The sleeve
length should reach 1/4"-1/2" beyond the wristbone.
Pants
-
You should be
able to pinch a little fabric at the fullest part of your hips.
-
Pleats should
lay flat. Better yet, skip the pleats altogether and opt for flat
front, which tends to be less bulky and more flattering on most women.
-
Side pockets
shouldn't gap.
-
The crotch
should be a comfortable length whether you're sitting or standing. It
should not be close-cut and binding, nor loose-cut and hanging
mid-way to your knees.
-
Any creases
should fall straight.
-
For full
length pants, the hemline should hit the top of the shoe/midway down
the foot. |
Chadwicks.com
Properly
fitting pants have a little room at the hips and allow creases to
fall straight. The hemline should hit at the top of the shoe/midway
down the foot. |
Skirts
-
As with pants,
there should be some "wiggle room" in your waist band.
-
The side seams
should fall straight.
-
Any pleats or
vents should lay flat.
-
The hemline
should be even and parallel to the floor - not riding up in front or back.
So what are
some tell-tale signs that a garment doesn't fit well?
-
It's too tight
or too loose.
-
It's
uncomfortable to sit in.
-
It fits one
part of the body (like shoulders or hips), but not another (like
tummy or waist).
-
It rides up
during normal wear.
-
It restricts
regular movement like raising arms or bending knees.
-
It puckers or
strains at the widest part of your body, like the chest, belly, hips,
or thighs.
-
It's too short
or too long.
If you have
clothes in your closet that you've only worn once or twice because
they don't feel good when you wear them, chances are that they don't
fit correctly. Some of the most common fitting mistakes I see include:
-
Wearing too
large a shirt, where the top sleeve seam hits at the mid-upper arm
instead of at the shoulder pivot bone.
-
Buying too
small a garment so that it strains and puckers across the chest,
tummy, hips, and bottom.
-
Sleeves and
pant legs that are too short or too long.
-
Jackets that
fit shoulders but that can't be buttoned over chests or tummies.
-
Low-rise waist
bands that are too low and too small, creating a "muffin
top" look around the waist.
-
Wearing
clothes that are just too big or too baggy.
-
Skirt hems
that ride up in the back.
What can you
do if you can't find clothes or brands that fit you well? I'll say up
front that that's not that uncommon. Most good men's stores have
tailors standing by to customize clothes, but few women's retailers do.
So what are
your options?
Otherwise,
keep a good list of the ready-to-wear apparel that fits you best.
Again, it may take time to build this list, particularly if you have
a hard-to-fit body. But it's worth it. Once you find the brands that
suit you best, you can return to them again and again to replenish
your wardrobe.
Good fitting
clothes are like a good set of skills: they may take time to acquire,
but they will always make you look your best. So take the time.
Because looking good and being skillful are an unbeatable
combination. Try it for yourself and see!
|
Need some help
in determining your body shape and fitting needs so you can find the
silhouettes that suit you best? WARDROBE MAGIC can help:
http://www.wardrobemagic.com |
 |
**************
Until next time,
Diana Pemberton-Sikes
diana@fashionforrealwomen.com
FashionForRealWomen.com
AccessoryMagic.com
BusinessWearMagic.com
OccasionMagic.com
WardrobeMagic.com
TheClothingChronicles.com
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Top Drawer
Publications, LLC
256 S. College Ave.
Newark, DE
19711 USA
Copyright
© 2006 by Diana Pemberton-Sikes All rights reserved. |
