Thou shall fit.
There are three types of fit:
- Good Fit
- Poor Fit
- Best Fit
First, what is ‘fit’. We hear the term and often it goes undefined as we like to use terms that we don’t know in order to sound like we do.
Fit is mechanical, it is when the garment sits on the body in a way that during the day’s activities, it almost feels as though they are not there. Reaching for the coffee on the shelf, tying one’s shoes, sitting and standing, and of course general movement. All of these actions may sound mundane, but if your clothing does not allow this to happen freely and easily, then there is a chance your clothes do not fit.
Style is another point and not one to be discussed today, but sometimes the style of the product does interfere with the fit. This is more common in tight fitting clothes that are designed in a way to almost entrap the wearer, however, if this is your style, then the fit is right for you and in that moment.
A good fit is the desirable outcome, one where the clothes are worn, and the wearer does not have to adjust or handle the clothes once they are on. If your trousers have to be constantly adjusted when you sit, stand, walk, or generally be active, then, again, there a strong chance they do not fit. Trousers that are worn below the waist (including jeans) and that hang unceremoniously halfway along the rear end of the wearer are an example of something that does not fit.
A poor fit is easy to see, jackets with shoulders drooping over the natural bodyline, sleeves that are too short or too long… all further examples of garments that are fitted poorly. In many cases purchasing clothes is a game of economics, having to give one thing up for something else in return. In the case of a shirt, it may mean sacrificing shoulders and sleeves for the protruding belly. Every human body is different and trying to fit one size or product onto different body shapes/sizes is always going to lead to required alterations. There is an old saying, One cannot lie to one’s lawyer, the taxman, or your tailor.
To make matters worse, even in custom and bespoke garments, there are limits. Body shapes are what they are, and we must all face the image in the mirror eventually. Unlike every other aspect of our lives, the term ‘best fit’ is one to be used in times where the result is less than desirable but all that can be achieved inside the working product. This is something that many ‘off the rack’ products are destined to be and, in many cases, the ideal outcome. When one is wearing clothes made from a block and supplied ‘off the rack’ aside from minor adjustments (maybe) the only desirable option is a ‘best fit’. Which may be enough. For many blocks, the design is for the garment to be worn with a particular shape/size in the mind, the further out from theblock we may be, the less it will be comfortable. If one has longer arms or broader shoulders, moving a size up, may solve part A of the problem but has now created another two problems which may or may not be solved.
Made to measure for many is an option, and often seen as a luxury, but the plan is to own clothes that:
(a) will be worn;
(b) are of a good fit; and
(c) styled for the individual to taste.
In the triumvirate of fashion these are goals we are striving toward. This is most reasonable, if we want to wear something, it has to fit well, and we have to be comfortable (styling) to wear it, therefore having something made for us and to our shape, at the very least we can avoid poor fits.
Always remember the first commandment.
Thou shall fit.
