The Tailored Suit: Muslin Sizing Update - Subject to Change

OK, I did some more pattern measuring. This time the areas were:

• Shoulder seams
• Upper chest (again, approximated on the basis of where I presume the full bust on the pattern falls - I measured up 4 inches from there...)

I won't bore you with the numerous factors I considered this time. Point is, I really don't know if I'm measuring these things the right way and, sewing goddess help me, if I don't factor in the right number of seam allowances (it's surprisingly easy to forget a few) or measure from the right spot.

I even compared the measurements I recorded in this exercise against similar measurements on a blazer that fits me perfectly (although weirdly, it seems to have princess seams in the back only, and darts in the front). The feedback is totally not aligning. I mean, even if I cut the 8 in the suit jacket, the measurement comparisons don't come close.

Gertie responded to my Craftsy comment query about upper bust sizing for a size 6 and a size 8 (remember that I wasn't even considering a 4 at that point) with this response: "What about using a smaller size with a full bust adjustment".

Interesting side note: I've had the pleasure of meeting Gertie so she knows what my real life body looks like (not that she would remember it or answer my question with that in mind, but still, I like to think she was endorsing the 6 :-)) Equally interesting, I know what her real life body looks like. Given that she's designed this pattern to fit herself perfectly, as she says, and given that she's a size 8, I'm really betting I'm a 6 with a full bust adjustment. She has broader shoulders and a slightly larger frame than me, but also smaller bust.

So here's what I'm going to do - unless I change my mind:

• Cut the paper pattern in a size 6.
• Muslin it without making any adjustments.
• Pay attention to the likelihood that I'll need to revise the pattern to add (given that I'm going to keep the seam allowances at 5/8", ok, Taran? :-)), a 2" - 2.5" FBA. Making the unaltered size 6 will allow me to know how much I actually have to FBA. In the past I've always overdone it - and I've never done a larger FBA than 1.5". In truth, I may have neglected to consider that the increase has to be averaged over a certain number of seams which impact both sides of the body. I might have made my 1.5" FBA a 3" FBA by mistake. Hmmm. Food for thought.
  
• If the shoulders are too large, I can always cut the size 6 paper pattern down to a 4, before I do the anticipated FBA.
• Note that it will be very strange if I don't have to remove at least an inch of length in the waist because my waist is short.
• I guess there's a chance in hell it will fit me right off the bat. I mean, it happened to Erika.

To those of you who think I'm an over-analytical, wheel-spinning nut-case: I concur.

The Measure of a Woman

True story: Yesterday, I wore the Spring Basics Palette spring top which I'm not supposed to wear till spring. And I don't even care. I am such a badass! I was so bright. So cheerful. So popular (as I paired it with yellow tights and a lavender mini skirt). I was the most colourful thing you've ever seen. Also, it's really attractive and it makes my boobs look fantastic! Seriously, run out and buy this thing and then give me the credit when you look so gorgeous you can't stand yourself. OK, give the Jalie people a little bit of credit too.

At any rate, as an update to my update in my last post (about why all my patterns seem to be fitting large lately), I'm regrettably wrong in my initial assessment.

That assessment was that I must be getting leaner as a) everything seems to be fitting more loosely and b) all my new clothes (of TNT patterns) are particularly roomy.

As soon as I got home I took out my handy tape measure and took some notes. Alas, the numbers are almost identical to those of 2 years ago (and then of 3 months ago) - though somewhat smaller than those of 6 months ago (when I was on the eating binge). In fact, my bust and hip measurements are identical to those of January 2009 and April 2010. Those numbers don't seem to change. My waist - it's about 3/4 of an inch larger. Whatevs. I'm working on it. And it's January. And I like wine. Leave me alone.

There are some theories:

• I'm 41 years old. My body is changing in shape.
• I haven't been doing as much weight-bearing exercise lately. My muscle mass may be down, affecting fit.

These are supported by the fact that my RTW clothing seems to be fitting more loosely, in addition to my new handmade wares.

However, I think the likeliest reason for looseness of TNT (and even new, handmade) garments is that I'm sewing with smaller seam allowances. I never seam anything wider than 1/2 inch allowances these days. Often, I use a scant 1/2 inch or a generous 1/4 inch. I don't see any benefit in cutting too much fabric, only to let it languish in a seam allowance which, let's face it, is generally serged away. I guess I've just got to start cutting one size down given this predilection.

I don't know why this kind of thing fascinates me no end. Point is, though, the tape measure doesn't lie. And don't sew with 5/8" seam allowances. That's crazy wasteful.

Size Matters

In my continuing quest to put all breasts in the right sized bras, please read this.

Pay careful attention to the part where it's explained that the volume of 34A-sized breasts is exactly the same as that of 28D-sized breasts. You can't judge the size of a breast by its cup size. You MUST consider the relationship between cup and band size.

That is all.

Fabrication

I am so tired of being told that I can fix everything. It makes me feel like I am able to control - like I should control - every element of my existence. As a card-carrying control-freak, this is fuel to the flame. I'm sick of the media, of my community, of my own thought-patterns holding me hostage to unrealistic expectation.

No doubt, there are some things that, depite effort, some (though not all) people cannot control some (if not all) of the time. Among these: weight, appetite, fertility, socioeconomic status, body shape, job satisfaction, health, luck, sexual preference (I mean what you like, not whom)- and the list goes on.

I know it's not a popular modern concept to suggest that you may never be able to afford that yacht (or modest house in the neighbourhood of your choice). That you may never have a child, despite it being your greatest goal. That you may face frightening illness someday. That you might be the person with the metabolism that just will not let go of that final 20 pounds.

It's heavy, I realize. But I going somewhere with this.

In the face of all the things you can't necessarily control, there is one thing you can nab everytime. It's as simple as addition and as elegant as complex geometry.

You can dress like a movie star, trust me - in 99% of circumstances (I know there's always an exception) - even if you are low on funds, 20 pounds above your desired weight, saddened by life's challenges, hateful of your workplace, confused because (no matter how hard you try) your abs are still not rock hard etc.

Here's what you do:

Wear the right size.

• Take your measurements. I know, it's like heresy, but embrace the fear and do it anyway. What you will learn is that each of your various body parts has a certain circumference, measured in inches or centimetres. It's not rocket science. And it's not that scary when you consider that the numbers are simply a means of determining the right size of clothing to purchase or to make or have made.

• Take a tape measure shopping with you. You don't have to look like a freak in the showroom. Bring some stuff that should fit into the change room and measure while you test for stretch (which will impact the measurement somewhat unknowably). Then try it on. If everything you grabbed was too small (or big), because you're basing your choices on some imaginary mental image of your shape, no problem. Go a size up or down and try again.

• Make sure anything you buy is returnable. Show your new wares to a really well-dressed friend and ask him or her to give you an honest opinion of fit (not style). If you get a polite but negative response, take the goods in question back to the store and try yet another size - or forgo the item altogether if it's just not cut right for you.

Wear Good Fabric.

• This is where having tons of cash helps, though isn't a prerequisite. Understand that if you don't have money you need either a really good eye or a lot of time and probably a combo of both. Looking good takes time. You know that already. I mean, to point 1 above, you'll probably spend 2 hours in one store searching on fit - on numerous occasions. So what's a few days hunting down the right fit at a price you can afford. Note: As many will advise, thrifting and vintage will be your ticket to good fabric at the right price. If you don't like pre-owned, you'll have to get lucky or save your bucks. Or you could learn to sew. But that's a long-term strategy. Seriously.
  

• Good fabric has nice drape predicated on gauge and its suitability for the garment it's been used to make. In general, medium-weight, slightly stretchy fabrics skim many bodies attractively. They can be synthetic, natural or a mix of both. I suggest you hang out at a fabric store one afternoon and walk around feeling the bolts. Or you can touch everything, everywhere. That's what I do. No piece at Club Monaco/Holt Renfrew/Ca Va de Soi escapes my touch. If you think the fabric looks dicey, it probably does.

Suit your shape.

• If you don't really "get" your proportions, it's a mere accident when you find something that looks right. Of course, paying attention to that first, accidental item is key to locating other - and similar - shapes that fit on purpose. You can read a lot of style books that will tell you if you have a short waist or relatively long arms. Or you could try on a zillion styles and learn what works as you go along. Once your eye acclimates, you'll know exactly what to pick up (and what to leave) every time.

• You are a fingerprint. No other person, save maybe your mother or sister, will have anywhere near the same shape and proportions as you. The way weight settles on you is bound to be different than the way it settles on me. We can share the same body measurements and still not suit the same items. The combination of shape and drape with your frame is utterly unique. That's why you have to keep trying stuff on in order to know what works.

Be comfortable in your body.

• This is the substance of whole decades of psychotherapy for some, but this basic rule applies: To change your attitude about your body you need to change your brain chemistry. You can do that with drugs or exercise or sex other mood altering behaviours. Find one that works.
  

• Not to harp, but yoga is particularly useful in achieving this goal. Many studies show that people who do yoga experience greater body awareness which leads to the adoption of habits that make them healthier in the long run. Yoga's main influence is on the endocrine system - neurotransmitters and hormones. When those are in balance, one is grounded emotionally and body shape and skin tone are optimal. The action of asana (poses) is to stabilize the skeleton and lengthen muscles. This reinforces symmetry - a healthful quality that greatly assists in the elegant wearing of clothing.

• If you don't feel it, neither will we. The basis of attractiveness is recognizing what you bring to the table. Which is, in itself, based on gratitude. You may not possess Elle MacPherson's body - but the one you have enjoys the pleasures of this life. It mobilizes you and it heals you when you're sick - not to mention it's the image you project. Regular and organized movement will make you aware of your body's awesome achievements. Be confident and you will look confident. Which is always attractive.
  

Try This On For Size

You don't need to be a fashion designer or a seamstress to know that modern sizing is based on the whim of winged fairies, aka marketers.

Time was (in the era of standard clothes sizing) all number sizes approximated a specific measurement. That's to say, if you were a standard US size 8, your bust measurement was 35 inches and your waist measurement 26.5 etc. These days, at the Gap, a size 8 will fit a bust size of 40 and a waist of 31. (By the way, that's merely an estimation because every freakin' size 8 thing at the Gap fits differently.)

Catalog, or vanity, sizing - is the way to encourage sales by inflating self-worth based on relatively meaningless numbers.

Now don't get me wrong. The numbers are very meaningful as they relate to what size item one wears to be perfectly attired. They just don't correspond very accurately with your value as a human being or degree of attractiveness. Which in no way undercuts their evil power. Because, I don't know about you, but as those numbers diminish, my perceived gorgeousness goes through the roof.

Let me be the first to say I love the "catalog approach". I mean, it's a psychological gold star - projection par excellence! Recently, as everyone on the planet knows, I started to sew. On purchasing my first pattern, I was mildly horrified (though I knew to expect it, from years of reading and because I buy vintage) that my measurements accord with a size 6 numbers larger than my "regular" one.

Admittedly, I'm not convinced that the pattern in question uses standard measurement either. I mean, I have another pattern for which my measurements accord with a mere 4-number increase. Go figure.

You know I made my first skirt recently. (I promise, I will do a photo post, I've just been feeling so hideous and burned out lately that I can't bear to put on a smile and pretend I'm cute.) At any rate, I made the skirt and it fits really nicely, much as any nicely fitting piece would fit, and I don't really give a shit - after the fact - that it's a modified size 12.

The thing about clothes that fit perfectly is that they fit perfectly. They make you look good because they're doing what they're designed to do - to enhance the human shape that happens to house your consciousness.

Let's do a little quiz: What's the difference between a size 6 and a size 12 (or 18 etc.)?

Answer: Some inches of fabric.

Yeah, that's about it. Crazy, huh?

In the Victorian era, when your tailor made you a dress (you were rich, right?), it didn't have a tag. It wasn't necessary. Your garment was made to size. Your size. You didn't need to pick it up off a hanger in a shop. The seamstress used the adequate amount of fabric to produce the desired shape. That's why we should all know how to sew - to interpret fabric. Or have people who do, at very least.

When the required inches of fabric are there, your clothing glides over you like a butter. When they're not, you look like a sausage pretending to be a spear of asparagus (which goes nicely with the butter, but still). And that's even if you are a spear! Conversely, you may also look like a paper bag. Note to reader: holiday cooking will commence shortly.

I'm not going to sit here and pretend I don't believe that some people aren't infinitely more physically attractive than others. I'm not even going to posit that everyone has an equally nice clothes frame (and I'm not talking about fat vs thin. I'm talking about dimension, skin texture, tone, strength, symmetry - these come at a size 20 as well as a 2). Lord knows, the genes that cursed you with crappy hair might have blessed you with great tits. Some things are not in your control.

I am going to tell you, categorically, that if you don't look as good in your clothes as you want to (and as you can), the reasons are more than likely these:

1. You are wearing the wrong size - either too big or too small.
2. You are wearing unlovely fabric (something that doesn't drape well / sit nicely, probably because it is badly constructed or cheap).
3. You are wearing a shape that is not compatible with your shape. And let's face it, your shape wins.
4. You are not comfortable in your skin.

At the risk of having put you to sleep with this volume of text, I'll leave it till my next post to share some pragmatic solutions to resolve these ubiquitous challenges.