Tailor Your Clothes

Part 4 in a series by Karen A. Stevenson, President, Studio K Salon

Want to know how to appear thinner without losing a single pound?

Having your clothes tailored makes all the difference creating an illusion of a thinner, sleeker look.  Clothes purchased directly off the rack are made to a specified size that the designing company designated as the ‘average’ size 8, the ‘average’ size “Large” and the “average” size Long.

Who in the world decided that those sizes for that particular company were actually ‘average’ at all? 

If you and a friend went to the mall, both found the exact same suit, both wore the exact same size, chances of them fitting the same when you try them on in the dressing room are slim to none.

Tailoring has to do with creating a garment to fit your personal body type.  You may very well be a size 12, but that doesn’t mean that your size 12 as a 5’9” person fits anywhere near the size 12 of the person that is 5’2”.  There are width issues, short waist, long waist, some people have larger hips, some have thin thighs, some have a protruding stomach, and some have strong hipbones.  These are just a few of the things that make us all ‘different’.

Clothes are made at the factory with a certain straight, pre-determined size that could be extremely flattering, or an intense disaster.  If you visualize a size 12 skirt that has a waistband of approximately one inch, back zipper, and is 28” long, the length alone could just annihilate a person’s shapely legs if the hemline ends at the heaviest part of the calf.  The legs would appear wide, skirt then becomes very unflattering, and takes away from the beauty of the entire outfit and of course, takes away from accenting your qualities.

Same goes with suit jackets that are boxy rather than tailored in at the waist, coat shoulders that are too wide, pants that fit perfectly in the waist but entirely too baggy in the rear.  Skirts that have a waist too loose yet fits perfectly around the hips.

Sure, you can purchase garments that seem to fit okay, but why not fine tune the outfit by further tailoring to allow for a more shapelier appearance, more refined overall look, and much cleaner style.

Someone you trust should tailor your business attire, professional outfits, casual dress as well.  Here are some guidelines to get you started:

1.      Skirt and/or dress hems should end at the thinnest points of your leg profile.  These thin points are just above the kneecap, just below the kneecap, at the bottom of the rounded part of the calf, or at the ankle.

2.      Skirt hems should usually taper, or be ‘pegged’ slightly, approximately one inch on each side if it is a fitted skirt, so that it creates a more shapely line from waist and hips downward.

3.      Women’s suit jackets should be tailored so that they have a pleasant tapering in toward the waist to create a more finished look and a more curved appearance.

4.      Pay attention that waistlines are at your waist, not above or lower than your actual waist.

5.      Have your waistband removed, and pants darted inward toward the waist if the waistline is too loose so the garment is more fitted.

There are other means one could use to create an illusion of less weight.  For instance, some people should not wear pleated pants.  They tend to bulge out and look like you have a larger stomach than you may actually have.  Those shorter than average should not be wearing cuffs in the bottom of their pants because they cut their legs off and appear less flattering. 

Necklines, such as ‘v’ necks or turtlenecks should be looked at closely to identify if they truly are flattering or take away from your body shape.  Waistbands can be a real negative if they bunch up on the person’s waist and fold over due to a few extra pounds or the pants are simply too tight, therefore the no-waistband pants or skirts are more flattering.  Tailored men’s shirts are by far sleeker than bulky excess material hanging on either side of his pants.  

Personal shopping for people, we find that more than eighty percent of clothes need to be tailored in one way or another.  Whether it be the hem length, the pegging or tapered shirt bottom, bringing in the waist, shortening the sleeves, taking in the shoulders, removing cuffs, they all tend to need something. 

Pay attention to clothes that fit your co-workers with a nice, professional tailored look.  It is neat, clean, shapely, refined.    Chances are good that you have items in your closet right now that you would wear, if you would simply take the time to have them altered, more fitted.  

What a great way to begin your New Year!