How to Make a "One Size Fits All" Work for You

Sadly, not all clothing that used to be "one size fits all" actually fits everyone anymore. Instead, it may fit you, it may be a little big, or it may be rather snug. If a lot of the clothing you buy is supposed to fit nearly anyone that puts on these garments, but the clothing does not quite fit you, here is what you can do about it. 

Find an Expert Tailor or Seamstress

Before clothes were made in various sizes and mass-produced, people went to tailors and seamstresses to have clothes made. As electricity made it possible to sew clothes faster by machine (rather than slower by hand), more and more clothes were produced in varying sizes to fit the public in general. While some of the most elite and expensive shops in the country still craft suits, dresses, skirts, and shirts by hand, you are not likely to buy clothes from them. However, if you find a tailor or seamstress, you can have ready-made, store-bought clothes altered to fit your body type and shape. 

Get Alterations

The "one size fits all" or "one size fits most" label only really fits people with certain body types. If you have really thick thighs and a tiny waist, or your chest is particularly broad, these garments do not really fit. Conversely, if you tend to be really petite, and even petite clothes do not fit you well, you need things altered to fit.

A tailor or seamstress can help by either taking things in or letting the seams out. When the tailor/seamstress takes things in, he/she is opening the seams on a garment, tucking more cloth inward and then sewing a new seam to fit the extra tucked-in cloth. If there is a lot of extra cloth tucked into the new seam, the tailor or seamstress will turn the garment inside out and trim the excess cloth so that it does not rub against your skin. When the tailor/seamstress lets things out, he/she opens the seams, inserts extra cloth along the original seams to expand the length, width, or girth of a garment. 

Alterations for Constantly Changing Bodies

The good news is, if you need clothes let out, the seamstress or tailor can always take them back in again. This may happen if you lose a lot of weight. The opposite is also true. If you need someone to make alterations to your clothes rather frequently, it can be done to the same garment until there is not enough of the garment left to work with. The key is to find a place with expert alterations like Fifi's Tailor & Custom Design.

Share