Sewing Clothes For Your Body Shape

Sewing clothes to fit your unique body shape can be challenging, but with additional tips you can solve any fitting problem.

See, almost all “problems” with getting great-fitting clothes that flatters your body can be traced back to one thing:

POOR INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCES IN RETAIL MARKETS

Sadly, because the fashion retail industry creates clothing for millions of people, it’s common for the retail market to use a standard size and not cater specifically to you.

While you can maintain good fit for awhile buying ready to wear, as you age, you will eventually have to figure out how your body shape differs from the industry standard.

It happens every time!

Fortunately, you have come to the realization that your body is not the standard size 12 and shopping off the rack is totally preventable. It’s because you can easily make adjustments to fit your body shape and start creating your own fashionable clothes.

And if you have been struggling with how a design is going to fit your body up until now, don’t worry.  It’s better that you’re finding out now, so you can take action and fix your style as soon as possible.

Knowing your body shape is the key to successful dressing.  Many do not know their body shape and it is a very essential step to style yourself.

Your body shape helps determine your own personal style; and both may change over time. You will probably not remain one size all of your life, so it’s a good idea to develop and define your own personal style.

I recommend you do a quick analysis to assess which body shape best matches yours in order to sew fashionable clothes to fit:

– Measure your bust, waist, hips and back waist length

– Determine your height; you are considered to be short if you are 5’4″ and under.  And, tall if you are 5’7″ and over.

 

 

Apple, Round, or Circle Shape:  Your bust line is fuller, rounder shoulders, waist is fuller and less defined with narrow hips and legs.

Example:

40” Bust

 36” Waist

 34” Hips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pear or Triangle Shape:  Your shoulders are narrower than your full hips and legs, you have a small bust line, with a well-defined waist.

Example:

30” Bust

34” Waist

42” Hips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hourglass Shape:  Your bust measurements are the same or very close to your hip measurements and you have a very defined waist.

Example:

36” Bust

26” Waist

38” Hips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inverted Triangle or Wedge Shape: Your shoulders are wider than your hips, large bust line with narrow hips and legs.

Example:

34” Bust

30” Waist 

28” Hips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rectangle or Square Shape:  Your have very straight shoulders, hips and butt with an undefined waistline.  In other words, all three measurements are about the same width.

Example:

40” Bust

38” Waist

40” Hips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First of all, each body shape has its own strengths and weaknesses, and neither is better or worse than the other, just different.  Clothing that fits your body well creates an illusion that your body is symmetrical and well proportioned, no matter which body shape you are.  In other words, you can camouflage the area of your body that you think needs help.

The key to good fit is balance and proportion.  Fit is really creating an overall look that enhances your particular body shape.  Good fit does not require that everyone has the same industry size 12.

What you want to do is enhance the body you have at the time.  Again, no body is right or wrong, or good or bad.  It’s simply that every person’s body is different.

By determining your body shape, you’ll be taking the first steps toward creating the best styles to make you look your personal best and sewing clothes for your body shape will become part of the norm.