Clothing the world–and everything adjacent to it
Spring Fashion
Written by cjhammon in Life in Yesterday's Clothes, Style
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You really want to know why clothes look so good when they’re displayed in stores?
Because they are made for shipping containers.
Because they are made to look great folded.
Because they are made in a way that reduces waste for manufacturers.
Because they are made for anomalous baseline proportions such as a bust of 33.5 inches, a waist of 24.5 inches, and hips of 35 inches.
Take your pick, because they are all true to some extent. I’m no expert, but trust me, I know—because those are my dimensions, too. Just kidding! Those are, however, Renée’s exact measurements. (You’ve met my mannequin Renée, right?) She wears everything from a size two to a size 16 and looks fabulous in all of it. There’s a reason for that—and it isn’t her sense of personal style.
Why your clothes don’t fit
For the most part, manufacturers start with a static pattern based on their research. Once their baseline is established, they ratchet patterns up or down to the dimensions of each size. The larger the retailer, (think fast fashion) the more generic the sizing. Brands have to capture market share, and they do it by landing somewhere in the middle of everyone’s needs. I’ve over simplified the problem intentionally—because it’s a lot more complicated than you would think. Let’s just say that sizing is based on each company’s research—and small companies tend to do more of that than large ones.
Now you can see why so many off-the-rack styles don’t look good on real bodies. And why all of us need a good tailor. My beloved tailor recently retired and closed her shop. After having it on the market for a year, she found NO ONE who wanted to buy her business! By the way, from whence will our future tailors come with so few Americans skilled in the art of making clothes? From our nation’s immigrants, to be sure. So let’s get this immigration problem fixed. Otherwise, we’ll all be walking around in baggy pants like these.
Case in point
They are a perfect example of the sizing problem that attends mass produced clothing. I love this high-waisted J. Crew style. But. Here is the size dilemma: I have a long inseam, so I had to order a tall—which had an inseam of 37 inches! I’m not that tall, so they still need to be hemmed. A size four cupped my derriere in a way that’s not okay with me, but the waist was perfect. A size six spilled over my hips for a more flattering fit, but I have an extra four inches in the waist.
If I didn’t already know it, these slacks would tell me something about where I stand in the aggregate: that my hips are too big to correspond the majority of people who wear a size four; and my waist is too small for the majority of people who wear a size six—all based on the research of J. Crew.
Find a good tailor
Whatever you do, don’t grieve over your size. It truly is just a number. Look for clothes that fit you best and make friends with a fabulous tailor—or better yet, become one yourself! I’m a big believer in personal responsibility, but a bad fit is something you can blame on the other guy. Your body is right–it’s the manufacturer’s who’ve got it all wrong. And how can you blame them when they are simply trying to clothe the world and everything adjacent to it?
How did you find a good tailor? What brands of clothing work best on your body? And how many layers of Spanx would you be willing wear to make a body-skimming dress pour off your figure like water? Who wore your favorite dress at the Oscars? Mine was Charlize Theron in that gorgeous white Dior.
Life is short. Wear the good stuff.
13 comments
Lori L said:
February 26, 2013 at 3:16 pm
The lack of a decent tailor is the major reason I’m gearing up to sew again. I hope you can find a great one…good luck! BTW, you can even pull off the baggy pant look with style!
My pant problem is the exact opposite of yours. I’m a petite tall- I have a short inseam. Therefore, petites fit my pelvic area and waist the best but I’m too tall for the leg length. At least I can buy pettites for capris and clam diggers but it took me almost 50 years to figure this out:(
cjhammon said:
February 27, 2013 at 11:10 am
Wow, the things you learn from talking to others–didn’t even know there was a Petite Tall size. I know what you mean about figuring things out–sometimes I look back and wonder why it has taken me so long to discover a solution. And sometimes the answer to that is–the solution wasn’t available before! Things change for the better. Thanks for sharing, Lori.
Fran Dunaway said:
February 26, 2013 at 5:31 pm
First, I love your style! And share your frustrations. In fact, I became so annoyed by it that I’ve launched a clothing line that is addressing some of my biggest pet peeves – closing the bust gap by adding a hidden button, longer/wider sleeves and no side seams to create a more flattering look and give.
Our goal is to be able to engage women on how to create styles that they like while addressing sizing issues. The idea of democratized fashion.
We are raising funds now to get our first line into production. Wish us luck!
Fran Dunaway said:
February 26, 2013 at 5:40 pm
I forgot to include our link. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/937911689/tomboyx-staking-a-claim-in-womens-clothing
cjhammon said:
February 27, 2013 at 11:13 am
Thank you! We should talk!
cjhammon said:
February 27, 2013 at 11:08 am
Wow, Fran! What a great vision. I actually commented recently on one of your fit questions. I think it would be interesting to do and interview with you. Are you up for that?
Jan Graham-McMillen said:
February 26, 2013 at 5:36 pm
Dang, Crystal … are we on similar wavelengths this week or not?
Did you happen to see an old post of mine about my grandmother’s tailor shop?
( http://fortsmithstylista.blogspot.com/2012/11/my-grandmother-tailor.html )
To make a long story short, she closed it decades and decades ago, but I recently found a current ad for her shop, quite by accident. I followed the link, and found that her shop is still there, with her name on an almost original wooden sign, even the same phone number as in the late ’60s. I have to tell you, it felt more than a little jarring and time-warpy. The current owner is a very nice immigrant woman who told me that, over the years, successive owners kept her name on the business because her name was synonymous with high quality craftsmanship and service. You could have knocked me over with a stiff breeze.
But you are quite right about immigrants carrying our traditions for us. Not sure what that says about our own culture, but we would be well advised to take note. Personally, I’m grateful for what little I learned from her.
On a lighter note, I have an ancient dress-makers dummy who has a rusty cage but a heart of gold satin. She started life as a size 7 in the late ’60s. But she’s been wrapped with towels and tape with weight gains, and been unwrapped to celebrate losses. She helps with my style drawings by modeling what I don’t want to wear, and is full of straight pins. She deserves better treatment than I give her, and your post made me think about that!
cjhammon said:
February 27, 2013 at 11:12 am
How wonderful that her shop survived, Jan! Guess I was right on track about the future of these shops, wasn’t I? Hey, that’s a cool idea about the dressmaker. I can’t wait to read you post about your grandmother’s shop.
Trina said:
February 27, 2013 at 2:10 am
Perfectly said! I couldn’t agree more about a good tailor, especially for women in our age bracket. I found my tailor by shopping at Banana Republic, they use an outside source and she was wonderful. I have been using her for a few years and now have my husband sold as well.
I don’t think I am willing to do the Spanx (although I probably should), I just like the breathing space and freedom.
By the way, your red blouse is lovely, can’t wait to see the hat being worn by you.
cjhammon said:
February 27, 2013 at 11:05 am
Right there with ya on that Spanx comment, Trina. They torture me!
Jill said:
February 27, 2013 at 2:45 pm
Oh I hear you, I have the same problems. Just a couple of sizes up. I do love your blouse. It is beautiful.
cjhammon said:
February 28, 2013 at 1:07 pm
Thank you!! Nice to know I’m among good company, Jill.
LaTonya said:
March 17, 2013 at 11:41 am
My cousin’s wife sews and she did a wonderful job on a couple of skirts for me. There’s a local tailor I’m going to check out for more complicated work.
Embarrassed to say it but it took me until now (48) to truly learn the value of having my clothes alter to fit. I wear a 6 or 8 in pants and jump to 10 -12 on top. I’m 5″0 tall. It’s taken a long time to come to terms with my trucker shoulders, tummy no waist, no hip body, but I like it now, enjoy it because I’ve learned how to dress and yes, I do look good in my clothes when I have on the right fit.
Now, I’ve found your blog and I’m looking forward to learning more especially my desire to incorporate vintage clothing. Have you read any Victoria Moran? She talked about how vintage clothing was made for women. She said more. The point is she piqued my interest but I needed guidance and I think I’m going to find it here.
Thanks.