THE IMPORTANCE OF FIT AND HOW TO GET IT RIGHT

Well-tailored clothes make a huge difference to your appearance. By well-fitted, we mean clothes that conform to your body’s shape, allow you space to breathe and move and don’t add bulk to your frame. Hems that skim your ankles correctly, seams that don’t pull, sleeves that don’t require rolling to the right length are all subtle elements that are unremarkable when they are precise but very obvious when they are not and make the wearer look sloppy.

It is not as easy as it sounds to purchase off-the-rack clothing which fits well, however, so finding a good tailor could be the difference between looking sloppy or sophisticated. A tailor will be able to assess your body shape, and not only alter clothes to suit you, but also advise you on what to choose to enhance your shape.

Another option is to have clothes custom-made. If you are going this route, your tailor should measure you up. If your company is providing you with a corporate wardrobe, and having the clothes custom made for you, you may be expected to provide your own measurements. Here are some tips on ensuring that your measurements are accurate.

1. Get someone else to do the measuring with a flexible measuring tape rather than a fabric one as they tend to stretch. Keep it parallel to the ground when you are taking horizontal measurements.
2. Stand on a flat surface with your legs together and hands at your sides. Being slightly raised off the floor can make this easier for the person measuring.
3. Wear the everyday underwear you’d wear to work and form fitting clothing like leggings and a tight strappy top.
4. Don’t try and suck in your stomach but do stand up straight.
5. Make sure that the tape measure which measures around your body is held firmly but it shouldn’t be too tight – two fingers should fit comfortably. Clothes that have a little wriggle room are preferable to those which are too tight.
6. Remember that by waist measurement, the tailor doesn’t mean where you wear your pants – that’s often your hips. Your waist is the narrowest portion of your torso under your ribcage near your belly button. The hip measurement can also be misleading – this one is not round the top of your hip bone, rather wrap the tape around the widest part of your hip area.
7. A final tip is to measure everything twice to ensure accuracy.