Why patterns sizes don't fit
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Hi Reader, I'm back teaching classes after the Christmas holidays, and one theme keeps popping up. Fit. So many people take up dressmaking because they struggle to find ready-to-wear clothes that fit properly. They want clothes to feel like they were made for them. But even after learning to sew, so many still find themselves frustrated when their handmade garments don’t fit and come up too small. This week, almost every class I’ve taught has come back to one simple, crucial step. Taking measurements. Because here’s the thing: you can’t know what size to make if you don’t know your actual measurements. And to make matters even more confusing, the size you wear in the shops doesn’t necessarily match the size you’ll cut from a pattern envelope. In fact, dressmaking patterns are often around 2-3 sizes smaller than their ready-to-wear equivalent, which means you'll usually need to choose a pattern size 2-3 sizes bigger than what you'd buy in the shops. I've written a blog post about the evolution of the size chart and why pattern sizes don't match ready to wear and what to do instead.
I'd love to know. |
Vee Tanner
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