Sizing
Tailoring students at a trade school, 1955, Sweden. (digitaltmuseum.se)
Stress-Free
Simple sizing made to work. No need to try on a dozen trousers that don't fit--
just let me do the work.
Inclusivity
No matter who you are, what gender you identify with, your size, your height-- I am happy to accommodate you.
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Measuring Yourself
Need help? Schedule an appointment, I'll walk you through the process.
First, get comfortable.
Start with a tape measure. (Not the metal kind you use for houses, I made that mistake once... never again.)
Wear the undergarments you plan to wear with your piece. Your favorite bra, boxers, anything that might alter the shape or size of your body.
Don't try to take these measurements with bulky or padded clothing. Sweatshirts off for now!
Bust
Get your giggles out now!
This one is taken at the apex-- or the largest part of your bust. For most, this is right over the nipples (you can laugh!!).
Wrap the measuring tape around yourself, and relax. Take a few deep breaths and let your chest expand, loosely holding the tape so it accurately shows your most comfortable, accurate size.
If you need the under-bust measurement, simply move the tape down and measure directly under the breast, closer to the rib-cage.
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Waist
This is one of the things that is unnecessarily gendered, so there are two ways of doing this depending on the fit you want.
For the dresses in my collections, you need the measurement for your natural waist, similar to the vintage drawing in photo A. This might be higher than you are use to, and should be right above your hipbones. You can lean from side to side at the waist and find the crease, wrap the measuring tape around, and take a deep breath. allow your stomach to expand comfortably, and hold the tape loose so it sows the accurate, comfortable measurement.
Your trouser waist is often lower, and ultimately is based on your own preferences. Wherever you want the waistband to sit or wherever is already sits should be the place you measure.
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Hips
A lot of my clients accidentally get this wrong! Contrary to popular belief, the hip is not measured in your hipbone. (This confused me to no end as a child and actually made me believe my hips were above my waist... screw you, low waisted 90s fashions!!)
The hip is measured around the largest part of your thighs and butt.
You should also try sitting with the measuring tape still wrapped around you, that way you can ensure the fit is comfortable even while sitting.
Length
When talking about length for a piece, I am almost always asking where you would like the hem to stop. For trousers, measure from the waist measurement from earlier all the way to the floor, then subtract an inch or two depending on how long you would like them to be.
For skirts and dresses, measure from the waist to your desired length.
You might need someone to help you out with this one, because its really easy to mess it up when measuring it for yourself.
Inseam
For trousers, this is the distance from the crotch seam to the hem.
Again, you might need someone to help you out with this one, because its really easy to mess it up when measuring it for yourself.
If you have a pair of pants that you feel fit you well length-wise, you can also just measure that.