Yes agree Gaylene. Maybe because men buy less it is very accepted to alter.

And yes Jenn - it is priorities. Trying to offer a range that suits the reality of different bodies is a start. Some lines will suit broader shouldered women, some may suit those with wider hips.

Absolutely fascinating. I had read a while ago about how difficult it is to grade patterns but had never learned the details. I agree with Janet completely about the importance of specialists - because I do not see how one big manufacturer could possibly incorporate all the variations without cutting corners and lots of waste. Gaylene's point is excellent also. There should be more generous seam allowances in women's clothing at the very least. (You do more often find that with vintage garments.)

I just watched the previous season of Making the Cut and there was a neat discussion of in-store tailoring as the future of fashion. (Very charming show, by the way! Low drama and supportive. And I'm being cautious about spoilers here.)

Something Heidi Klum said on the show reminded me that celebrities tailor everything for a better fit, and I'd be so intrigued to see what her tailor would change on my clothes. I'm into oversized looks right now, and I don't have great intuition for what to change for a subtly improved fit while keeping it loose. It's easier to imagine with more fitted clothes. I bet they'd take things in a touch and shorten the arms so I look less lost in my clothes. Maybe I should ask my amazing tailor to clue me in on all the possibilities! And yeah, it would be awesome if clothes went back to having larger seam allowances for more tailoring options. Maybe hard to make that work with the lighter fabrics and unlined clothes that are standard now?

I was a fit tester for Everlane's first batch of jeans (just a lucky fluke of living a few blocks from their offices). They'd sewn samples in a narrow range of sizes, and the designer looked at how they worked on us. They definitely changed the sizing and length; I remember the sample boyfriend jeans were huge on me, and the ones I bought in stores were my usual size. It was my only glance into the professional world of clothing design and it was really interesting! I'd love to know more about the process and how it differs in fast fashion vs somewhere like Everlane that offered very few items back then. Maybe some blog posts?

Oh Greyscale, that would be interesting indeed! I’d like to know more about the actual design and production of clothing — in my experience, people appreciate the value of what goes into a product much more when they know more about the process of designing and making it.

I watched MTC too! Gary is my favorite, and I have purchased from his Amazon offerings (not sure how far you are into the series but I think you’re near the end, so you can find his designs in my Finds — I won’t put them here just in case of spoilers)!

I think in-store tailoring, or even having SA’s have some knowledge of tailoring, is a huge benefit! I have become much more likely to have things tailored in the last few years. I can now try on a garment and have a very good idea of whether it can be adjusted to be a better fit on me. In fact, I’ve had some old tops tailored to suit me better, after years of wearing them with a fit that I realized didn’t feel exactly right. For instance:

- Taking in the sides of a top, dress or jumpsuit under the arms and through the waist, even on a loose garment, helps prevent me from looking swamped or a top look too poufy and oversized, since I sometimes have to size up for bust or hips.

- Shortening and angling sleeves helps me achieve a more flattering effect than big wide sleeves that almost come to my elbows.

- Altering the hem of a top so that the sides are vented or the hem is curved creates a nicer line and more ease through the hip than a straight across hem. I’ve had tops shortened at the hem too, since I am short in the torso. Likewise, sleeveless tops and dresses often get shoulders taken up to accommodate that short torso.

- The most obvious for most people: I’ve had pants hemmed to a shorter length, but also adjusted for slightly higher front than back so they don’t scrunch too much on shoes in the front and keep a nicer line.

- I’ve bought maxi skirts and dresses and had them altered to be midi lengths. I’ve also had slits added to side seams of sheaths to add a bit more ease of movement.

Experienced and knowledgeable in-store stylists can point all those things out to a client, and that would be an excellent way to increase sales and perceived value. Of course all of that drives price points up, and this is not going to be a model embraced by Gap/ON and the like. But it circles back around to the idea of buying more carefully, buying fewer, more well-made and tailored items that are customized for the individual.

Wow- that sounds complicated! Makes a lot of sense that not all dimensions would have to change, or change at the same rate. I'd think there would be CAD programs now that could do it fairly easily though.