Now that you understand which design lines and colors enhance your body, it’s time to understand clothes fit. It’s the combination that will allow you to tap into your confidence and personal power.
How do you know if you have found the perfect combination? You feel light and you can conquer your world.
This is important on days when you don’t wake up 100% and when you will be stretching yourself to the edge and beyond your comfort zone.
In the last 6 posts I have written about clothes fit in general and in more detail for:
- Blouses
- Dresses
- Jackets
- Skirts
- Pants
In this post I will summarize all the posts and refer back to the original post.
Clothes Fit -- General
In the first post, Clothes Fit — How Do You Know, I wrote that the fit of clothes depends on:
- Understanding how clothes are meant to fit
- The fabric they are made of
- Matching the length and circumference of the clothes with yours
Some styles are meant to fit close to your body while others have lots of ease.
There are two types of fabrics knit and woven. Knits are stretchy allowing a closer fit. As a general rule woven fabrics don’t have any give unless Lycra is incorporated into the fabric. This type of fabric still doesn’t have the same give as knit.
Length fit looks at the difference between:
- Chin and bust
- Bust and waist
- Waist and crotch
- Crotch and floor
Understanding your height and body proportions will help you know if you should consider wearing:
- Petite
- Regular
- Tall
Circumference first depends on the style of clothes. Some clothes are meant to fit close to your body while others have more ease. When you see horizontal stretch lines the clothes are too small. When you see lots of vertical fold lines that aren’t meant to be there the clothes are too big.
Clothes Fit -- Blouse
In my post, Blouse Fit — How To Create A Perfect Fit, blouse fit starts at the shoulders. This is because the rest of the blouse hangs from this point.
The areas to examine for fit are:
- Shoulders
- Bust
- Waist
- Hips
- Hem
Shoulders
The shoulder seam should lay flat on the shoulders and neckline around the neck. This area can be difficult to alter. However an experienced tailor/seamstress might be able to make the alteration.
There are shoulder fit issues:
- Square Shoulders — Shoulders don’t slope as much as the fit model’s causing fold lines to appear at the tip of the shoulders
- Sloping Shoulders — Shoulders slope more than the fit model’s causing fold lines to appear where the shoulders and neck meet
- Forward Shoulders — The tips of the shoulders lean forward causing the shoulder seam to lie back on the shoulders
- Shoulders Width — Shoulder and sleeve seams should be placed where the shoulders and arms meet for most blouses/tops. When the seam is above this place the blouse is too small in this area. If the seam is below this area the blouse is too big
Shoulder Blades
Shoulder blades are located on your back between the top of your shoulders to your armpits.. They move back and forth as your arms move. Most blouses and tops have built in ease which allows your arms to move freely. This ease might decrease when using knit fabrics or woven fabrics made with Lycra.
When you see stress lines radiating out from the side seams or you see bulges when the fabric is knit, the blouse/top is too small. On the other hand, if you’re able to pinch more than 2 inches on either side seam, it’s too big.
Bust
There are 3 fit issues in this area:
- Cup Size — Most blouses/tops are designed for a B/C cup. If you’re bigger or smaller than that then you will have troubles in this area
- Ribcage Width — “O” Body Shapes tend to have larger rib cages and as a result they will need to go up a size for the blouse to fit in this area
- Chin to Bust Length — When you’re long or short in this area, darts might point to the wrong areas causing fit problems
Waist
The fit problems for the waist area are:
- Circumference — When you see horizontal stress lines the top is too small in this area and when you see vertical fold lines which are not apart of the style the top is too big
- Bust to Waist Length — If the waist doesn’t hit at the waist, short or long, consider buying petite or tall sizes
Hips
Most blouses don’t go down as far as the hip area. For those that do there should be at least 2 inches of wearing ease. You need the ease to sit down.
Hem
Hems create horizontal lines. Make sure the hem hits you in your ideal place. If it’s too long you can always have it shortened.
Clothes Fit -- Dress
An important part of our closets are dresses. We women love wearing dresses for any occasion: everyday, lunch with the girls, work, evening and special occasions.
To review the whole post go to: Dress Fit — How To Create A Perfect Fit
The important dress fit areas are:
- Shoulders
- Shoulder Blades
- Bust
- Waist
- Hips
- Hem
Shoulders
As with blouse fit, proper dress fit starts with the shoulders. Shoulders are the area that the rest of the dress hangs from. This area can be difficult to alter. However an experienced tailor/seamstress might be able to make the alteration.
There are shoulder fit issues:
- Square Shoulders — Shoulders don’t slope as much as the fit model’s causing fold lines appearing out from the shoulder tip
- Sloping Shoulders — Shoulders slope more than the fit model’s causing fold lines appearing out from where the shoulders and neck meet
- Forward Shoulders — The tip of the shoulders shoulders lean forward causing the shoulder seam to lie back on the shoulder
- Shoulders Width — Shoulder and sleeve seams should be placed where the shoulders and arms meet for most blouses/tops. When the seam is above this place the blouse is too small in this area. If the seam is below this area the blouse is too big.
Shoulder Blades
Shoulder blades are located on your back between the top of your shoulders to your armpits. They move back and forth as your arms move. Most dresses have built in ease which allows your arms to move freely. This ease might decrease when using knit fabrics or fabrics made with Lycra.
When you see stress lines radiating out from the side seams or you see bulges when the fabric is knit, the dress is too small. On the other hand, if you’re able to pinch more than 2 inches on either side seam, it’s too big.
Bust
There are shoulder fit issues:
- Square Shoulders — Shoulders don’t slope as much as the fit model’s causing fold lines to appear at the tip of the shoulders
- Sloping Shoulders — Shoulders slope more than the fit model’s causing fold lines to appear where the shoulders and neck meet
- Forward Shoulders — The tips of the shoulders lean forward causing the shoulder seam to lie back on the shoulders
- Shoulders Width — Shoulder and sleeve seams should be placed where the shoulders and arms meet for most dresses. When the seam is above this place the dress is too small in this area. If the seam is below this area the dress is too big
Waist
The fit problems for the waist area are:
- Circumference — When you see horizontal stress lines the dress is too small in this area and when you see vertical fold lines which are not apart of the style the dress is too big
- Bust to Waist Length — If the waist doesn’t hit at the waist, short or long, consider buying petite or tall sizes
Hips
When looking at the hip area for dress fit, there should be at least 2 inches of wearing ease. When you sit your butt muscles relax and spread taking up that space. With the modern invention of Lycra the fabric is able to form to your body and stretch as needed.
When you see horizontal stretch/stress lines in this area, it means it’s too small and you need to go up a size.
Hem
Hems are horizontal lines and the placements of them is critical. They can make or break dress fit.
If you need to review horizontal line placement go to:
Clothes Fit -- Jacket
In my opinion jacket fit is the cause of the love/hate relationship most women have with wearing jackets.
The key to achieving a happy feeling is they have to fit well especially in the shoulders, shoulder blades and bust areas. This is where the best jacket fit begins.
To review this post go to: Jacket Fit — How To Create A Perfect Fit
The important areas of fit are:
- Shoulders
- Shoulder Blades
- Bust
- Arms
- Waist
- Hips
- Hem
Shoulders
There are four common shoulder fit issues when considering jacket fit:
- Shoulder Width — Jacket shoulders should extend ¼ to 1 inch out from the end of your shoulders
- Square Shoulders — Shoulders don’t slope as much as the fit model’s causing fold lines to appear at the tips of the shoulders
- Sloping Shoulders — Shoulders slope more than the fit model’s causing fold lines to appear where the shoulders and neck meet
- Forward Shoulders — The tips of the shoulders lean forward causing the shoulder seam to lie back on the shoulders
Shoulder Blades
Shoulder blades are located on your back between the top of your shoulders to your armpits. They move back and forth as your arms move. This is an important area for fit. If the width in this area is too tight your arm movements will be limited. Most jackets have built in ease which allows your arms to move freely. If the jacket fabric has Lycra built into it or the fabric is a heavy knit you won’t need as much ease.
Bust
There are 3 fit issues in this area:
- Cup Size — Most jackets are designed for a B/C cup. If you’re bigger or smaller than that then you will have troubles in this area
- Ribcage Width — “O” Body Shapes tend to have larger rib cages and as a result they will need to go up a size for the jacket to fit in this area
- Chin to Bust Length — When you’re long or short in this area, darts might point to the wrong areas causing fit problems
Arms
Jacket fit around the arms is important. This is because you most likely will be wearing something under it. You need to make sure the jacket can accommodate it. There are two fit areas you need to consider:
- Circumference around the Bicep — There needs to be enough room to accommodate whatever you’re wearing under the jacket. A general rule is to have 1-2 inches of wearing ease
- Length of Sleeve — The perfect length is just below your wrist bone
Waist
The goal for a jacket at the waist is to skim over the ribcage and over your waist to the hem. The jacket fit areas you need to consider are:
- Waist Circumference — When you wear a jacket buttoned or zipped there needs to be 1-2 inches of wearing ease. However you don’t need to wear a jacket buttoned or zipped
- Bust to Waist Length — If you are short or long in this area, jacket fit can be an issue
Hips
For the best fit in this area, there needs to be roughly 2 inches of wearing ease so you can easily move when the jacket is buttoned up. However, like with the waist fit, you don’t have to button up the jacket if it fits in the shoulders, shoulder blades and arms.
Hem
The placement of the jacket hem is an important part of the overall jacket fit. Hems create a horizontal line and you want it placed in an area that enhances your body. Your Body Shape and Body Proportions give you clues about the best placement for you.
Clothes Fit -- Skirt
Skirt fit is easy. There are only three areas that you look at:
- Waist
- Hip
- Hem
You can review this post at Skirt Fit — How To Create A Perfect Fit.
Waist
Skirt fit starts with the waist because the rest hangs from this point. There are two areas to consider:
- Circumference — Comfortable around your waist without it falling down or giving you a muffin top
- Parallel to the Ground — You want the hem to be parallel to the floor but the tilted of your hips can cause it not to be
Hip
The only time you need to be concerned about the hip fit of a skirt is for straight or pencil skirts. All other skirts have enough design ease built in so fit in this area becomes a non-issue. For straight or pencil skirts there are two fit issues:
- Waist to Hip Length — When you are proportionately short or long in this area the skirt’s hip area won’t fall in the right area on you. Also being petite or tall will cause the same problems
- Circumference — There should be enough ease so that when you sit down you feel comfortable
Hem
The hem of a skirt is a horizontal line. The question you need to ask yourself is: “Where do I want this horizontal line?” Your body proportions between your waist and crotch, crotch and knees, knees and floor, and crotch and floor will give you this clue.
Clothes Fit -- Pant
Of all the clothes types pants are the hardest to fit. There are a lot of curves between the waist and crotch that a pair of pants needs to curve around. Also women come in many shapes and sizes in this area. The key is to find a manufacturer that fits your body the best in these curved areas.
Go to Pant Fit — How To Create A Perfect Fit to get all the details.
The key to good pant fit is starting with the right silhouette of pants:
- Regular — “H,” “O” and “V”
- Curvy — “A,” “X” and “S”
Pant fit areas are:
- Waist
- Crotch
- Hip/Leg
- Crotch to Hem Length
Waist
The waist fit is important for a pair of pants because this is where the rest of it falls from. The amount of ease in the waist depends on your Body Shape.
“A,” S” or “X” Body Shapes can have a little ease. While “O” or “V” need a close fitting waistband. “H” depends on how they carry their weight.
When the waist is too big and the rest of the pant fits well, this is an easy alteration. If you find a muffin top go up one size.
Crotch
This is the most important part of any pant fit analysis and the hardest to get fitting well. There are two parts of this fit:
- Rise
- Curve under the front (pelvic bone) to the back (butt)
The rise is the distance between your waist and your crotch. If you have a tummy and/or butt then this distance increases. You want to make sure the rise of the pants is long enough to curve around your pelvic bone in the front and butt in the back.
There are different types of curves in a pelvic bone and butt. The curve of the pants should match yours.
Hip/Leg
The fit in this area depends on the style of pant: jeans vs trouser vs wide-leg.
Jeans have a close fit. Most jeans are made out of fabric with lots of stretch.
Trousers have a looser fit, especially in the legs. This style of pants is made out of fabric with little or not stretch.
Wide leg pants fall straight down from the widest part of your butt and are loose fitting and flowy.
Crotch To Hem Length
The correct length of pant depends on the leg style:
- Skinny
- Slim
- Straight
- Bootcut
- Capris
Summary
By understanding how clothes should fit and when to alter them, you can change an OK outfit into one you love to wear. Once that happens you’ll have the confidence and personal power to go out and conquer the world.
Alterations can increase the cost of the outfit but it’s worth it in the end. First of all, think about how you feel when you’re wearing it. You will wear the outfit more often because you love wearing it. This decreases the cost per wearing because you wear it more often.
If you find problem areas can’t be altered or there are just too many alterations, have that piece of clothing custom made. Yes it can be expensive but the increase in confidence and the number of times you’ll actually wear it make the cost per wearing decrease; it’s well worth it.
Another alternative is sewing your own clothes. There are so many YouTube videos that can teach you how to:
- Alter the patterns
- Sew the pattern pieces together
- Fit to your body
Finally if you find that you’re petite, tall or have a Body Shape that’s hard to fit, look on the internet for websites that specialize in your shape. If you’re petite, start with Macys, Ann Taylor, Gap, J Crew and Talbots. If you find everything is too short, start with American Tall.
Remember you are beautiful just the way you are. Feeling beautiful is simply a matter of wearing the clothes that enhance you.
Next Post
What did you learn about how clothes should fit your body? Write in the comments below.
The next post will be starting to look at outfits for design lines, colors and color combinations. So for this holiday season when buying clothes you can buy the best outfits for your Body Elements. This first post is called What To Wear — Alfani Houndstooth Dress.
Wear Your Greatness!!
