The subject of "fit" came up often during the 30 x 30 Challenge. The subject was initially kicked off by Toban when she commented:

It is very important to me to wear excellent fitting clothing even in the midst of body changes. I am working too hard on weight loss to have poor fitting clothes add visual weight and I receive a very big confidence boost from perfect fitting clothing.

That statement absolutely resonated with me. I lost a little weight and was starting to wonder about the fit of my own wardrobe. I devoured all of Toban's posts, particularly those posts that talked about assessing fit and her strategies for building wardrobe capsules to accommodate a weight loss journey. I wanted to include links to those posts, but there have been so many threads posted in January, I lost track of them at this moment.

Midway through the Challenge, I started to assess the fit of every ensemble I tried. Toban offered excellent instruction and suggested action items for me to learn to assess fit.

It was still challenging for me.

Then Lynn was kind enough to point out that fit is very personal, especially when it comes to the amount of ease a person likes in clothing. Identifying what kind of ease a person likes is a good first step in assessing fit.

For example, does that person like garments that ---
- Fitted, i.e., very body con?
- Semi-fitted- skimming the body but still showing the body's contours (the sweater)?
- Easy-fitting- looser fit but body contours still noticeable?
- Loose fit to very loose fitting (VLF) - body contours typically masked.

Lynn pointed out that fabric will change the fit. The same size garment in different fabrics will fit differently. So getting in the habit of trying on multiple sizes is good idea.

As the conversation continued, Sarah chimed in that she liked Fluid Not Sloppy. Specifics: slightly loose skimming fit in tops, slim straight leg pants. There is a fine line between loose/relaxed and baggy in clothes and where you draw that line is individual. Both do add visual ‘weight’ to an outfit that can be mitigated (if desired), such as with flowy or drapey materials that move or hint at underlying shape. Appearing one’s slimmest self is a concientious choice and not mandatory at all. This is why both Lynn and Toban recommend trying 2-3 sizes of a variety of items to learn your personal preferences.

I didn't have time to really pursue this in January. But I did decide to make Fit. Fit. Fit. my motto for 2018. Even though the Challenge has ended for me, I am still applying the lessons learned and continuing to assess the fit of every single garment. I am also continuing to ruthlessly cull those items that don't fit my current body or my current life style.

There were thoughts that this topic might be a good discussion item for the YLF Forum at large.