The title of this article might be “the easiest way to find clothing that fits you properly,” but the truth is that clothing wasn’t made to fit everyone, and most people won’t easily fit perfectly into clothing off the rack. The easiest way to find clothing that fits you properly is to find clothing that fits you pretty well and then get it tailored to perfectly fit your needs.
You know how some people always seems to have clothing that fits them perfectly? It’s not about how expensive a garment is, but how well it has been tailored to fit the person wearing it. If you know or see someone who always seems to have perfectly fitted clothing for their body, it’s very likely that they get most things tailored.
Clothing is not made to fit everyone
It’s easy to feel frustrated or dejected, but it’s important to remember that it’s impossible to make clothing fit for everyone. For example, a lot of men’s jeans are made in a standard 32 length. The idea is that it’s much easier to hem jeans to be shorter than to make them longer, and it’s much less expensive to make all of the jeans the same length. Think about it: a lot of jeans were literally made to be tailored!
When it comes to finding clothing that fits your body, ask a tailor for their advice. Tailors have experience and can look at an item of clothing and tell you where it needs to be altered to best highlight your figure. Take advantage of this and accept that clothing needs to be adjusted based on individual need. I have to get almost everything I purchase tailored, but it makes my clothing look and feel so much better. My boyfriend also gets everything tailored and he gets complimented on his clothing almost every day at work. Tailoring can make a $20 item of clothing look like a $200 item. If something lays correctly on your body, it makes all the difference in how good it looks.
You can look for a local tailor, or you can use tailors at department stores where you purchase your clothing. Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack offer free tailoring when you have a store card, and other department stores like Macy’s and Bloomingdales offer their own tailoring programs.
Forget about the size and focus on the fit
No one is going to be looking at the tag on the inside of your clothing but you. If it bothers you that much, cut out the size tag once you purchase the clothing.
The number size is not what matters; it’s all about the fit. Getting the right sized clothing (either going up or down in size) will compliment your body better. I see a lot of people who are stuck on the number and forget about the fit, which results in them squeezing into a smaller size, and actually looking less flattering than if they were to go up to the correct size.
It’s always important to remember that fitted clothing is different than tight clothing. If something is tight, it will be bunched and gathered in the wrong areas which makes the garment lay incorrectly. Fitted clothing lays properly and compliments the body without discomfort and fabric distortion. This goes for clothing that is too large as well. If a garment is gaping or bunching in an area it shouldn’t, it is too big. This means that you should either get the item tailored to your body or get a smaller size.
Fit clothing to the largest part of your body and tailor down from there
If you’re someone that is busty, or if your bottom half is larger than your top, make sure that you purchase clothing to fit the largest part of you. You can always get something tailored smaller to fit the rest of your body, but remember that it is much easier to take something in than to let it out and make it larger.
For men, one of the most important area to focus on is the shoulder area. When it comes to shirts and jackets, make sure that you find an item that fits your shoulders well because the shoulder area is often the hardest part of the garment to adjust with tailoring. Length and fit of the arms and waist are a lot easier to adjust based on individual need.
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The easiest way to find clothing that fits you properly is understanding what works best on your body and dressing to highlight your favorite parts. This can shtake some time and getting used to, so if you’re struggling, reach out for help. As a stylist, I love helping people see how clothing can make them look and feel their best, and other stylists feel the same way.
In my opinion, clothing can change the world, one person at a time!