Have you ever picked up a top that you liked, in “your” size just to hold it up and think, or say, “No way”? It’s bigger or smaller than you were expecting but you don’t really understand why. This happens a lot and the reason is there are no real “fit standards” just “guidelines” and some companies like to color outside the lines.
Even if there were a standard that all the companies used, has God used a standard in making us? All one mold? Even if He did we have free will and can make choices that will make us not fit that standard.
As a woman of with a bust size that’s larger than average I shop for clothes that are at least 2XL, but often end up in a 3XL. I have no problem with the numbers or letters. The issue comes into play when that bust measurement has been divided by 2, half for the front and half for the back. I don’t know about everyone, but most women, no matter the bust size, don’t have the same amount to cover in the back as they do in the front.
Because of that I very rarely try something on that has a line or seam where the bust “should” end. That seam usually ends up directly across the largest part of my bust.
In the photo above you can see how far down the neck and sleeve will be pulled for this come down below my bust.
Another issue is by the time I have something that will mostly fit the bust, it is so big on the bottom that if it’s a 2-piece set the pants are unwearable. My daughter struggles with this as well. While she isn’t as large as I am in the bust, yet, she is bigger than most and is only 5′ 4″ / 152.5 cm. So by the time the dress is big enough around for her it might be touching the ground.
What about a shirt, should be simple right? Should be, but it’s not.
Since the fabric has been divided to be half in the back and half in the front this shirt will not come down as far as needed on me. The little bit of red is the company tag on the bottom of the shirt I am wearing. The striped ladies shirt will not come that far even though it is a size larger than the black shirt I am wearing.
So who’s fault is this? No one and everyone in my opinion. Fast fashion has a lot of the blame here and it spills over into other areas of concern about how women think about their value and bodies but we’re not going to get into that here.
The industrial revolution made fabric more readily available and in time made off the rack affordable for everyone. “Off the rack” is the problem. When people stopped making their own clothes or having them made, off the rack became the norm. Now having your clothes made is a privilege that many won’t experience outside of a dress or suit for a very special, expensive, occasion.
This way of thinking is beginning to spill into the crochet and knit pattern world as well. I’ve seen people label patterns as not size inclusive simply because none of the sizes offered fit each of their measurements. I am all for making patterns available in more sizes than they were just 10 years ago, both up and down. That doesn’t mean as a designer that I need to do the work, or pay a grader, to make sure that every possible combination of measurements is covered. One, that’s not really realistic and would be pages and pages long. Two, that’s not my job.
I saw a video recently where someone commented how terrible the recipe was. This person had used substitutes and said that the recipe creator is responsible to list any issues for substitutes. Thankfully, someone else commented, no, substitutes are your problem as the user.
The answer to both of these things? Education. If you are a person who can’t/won’t eat certain things, learn what subs do work and why and then expect that it still might fail.
As a stitcher it is your responsibility to make sure that you are working with yarn, hook/needles and tension that meet the gauge of the pattern. That you know you need more fabric here or less there and therefore need to plan ahead a little bit to make that happen. There are so many books, online classes and YouTube videos out there to help you make your clothes fit better. Some of these ideas can even be applied to pieces that are store bought and just need a little adjusting.
The next time you go shopping for clothes, remember that what the tag says is not reflection of you, good or bad. It’s about how you feel in the clothes and being comfortable in/with what you’re wearing.
Happy Making!