Dress fit is the subject of this blog post. Dresses are an important part of our wardrobe. At Macy’s this is the biggest department in the women’s ready-to-wear area. We women love wearing dresses for any occasion: everyday, lunch with the girls, work, evening and special occasions.
Most dresses are made for the “H” Body Shape with a few “X” and “S” Body Shapes mixed in. However many styles can lend themselves to “V,” “O” and “A” Body Shapes. The key is to know which ones they are.
Manufacturers design dresses to fit a well-proportioned 5’5” or 5’6” tall woman. Length of body proportions can sometimes be a problem. It is for me; I have a long torso causing the waist placement on ready-to-wear dresses to be approximately 2 inches too short.
In this post you will learn how to determine if a dress fits your body and if it can be altered to make it fit. As we did with Blouse Fit — How To Create A Perfect Fit, the sections are divided into:
- Shoulders
- Shoulder blades
- Bust
- Waist
- Hips
- Hem
- Regular Vs Petite
Before you start determining if the dress fit is right for you, you need to understand your 5 Body Elements and the clues they give you. If you need a review or need to determine them go to:
Dress Fit -- Shoulders
As with blouse fit, proper dress fit starts with the shoulders. Shoulders are the area that the rest of the dress hangs from. This area can be difficult to alter. However an experienced tailor/seamstress can make the alteration.
The shoulder seam should lay flat on your shoulders and around your neck.
There are four common shoulder fit issues when considering dress fit:
- Square Shoulders
- Sloping Shoulders
- Forward Shoulders
- Shoulder Width
Square Shoulders
The first shoulder fit issue is square shoulders. This means your shoulders don’t slope or have less slope than the fit models.
If you have square shoulders, you will find excess fabric where the shoulders and neck meet. You will see fold lines radiating from where the shoulder and arms meet. Pinch the excess fabric at the shoulders and neck. If the fold lines disappear then this is a fit issue.
If this is a common issue for you, find an experienced tailor/seamstress who can make this alteration. This can be a difficult adjustment. As a result having dress custom made can be a much easier route.
You might think that you can’t afford that. Think about the cost per wearing. If the dress fit is perfect for you, you will wear it more frequently, resulting in decreased cost per wear. Also custom made clothes tend to be better quality, resulting in wearing it longer and decreasing the cost per wearing. The goal here at Beauty Fashioned Simply isn’t to have a giant closet full of clothes you love to wear. It’s about having enough clothes to cover your needs and you love to wear every single one of them.
Sloping Shoulders
Another shoulder issue in looking at dress fit is sloping shoulders. This means your shoulders slope lower than the original fit model’s shoulders.
When you have sloping shoulders you have excess fabric where the shoulders meet your arm. You will see fold lines radiating out where your shoulders and neck meet. Pinch the excess fabric where your shoulders and arms meet and the fold lines will disappear.
An experienced tailor/seamstress can make this adjustment. It’s easier than the shoulder/neck adjustment from above; but still can be difficult.
Like with square shoulders, a custom made dress is a good option to get a perfect fit.
Forward Shoulders
Another dress fit problem in the area of shoulders is forward shoulders. This is when the shoulders lean forward causing the shoulders seam to lie back on the shoulder. This causes the neck of the dress to ride up.
The only time this alteration can be made is when you also have sloping shoulders. If this is you then ask your tailor/seamstress if they can do both adjustments. Otherwise if this dress fit issue bothers you, you will need to pursue the custom made route.
Shoulder Width
In general, when a dress has a sleeve you want the shoulder seam to meet the top of the sleeve at the arm socket.
If you have a “V” Body Shape buy for your shoulder width. Then if other areas are too wide have them altered. It’s easier to have them taken in than adding width.
If you have an “O” Body Shape, buy for your waist, which will cause the shoulders to be too wide. You will need to have your tailor/seamstress take in the shoulders.
If you have an “A” Body Shape you will need to buy for your hips resulting in the shoulders being too big. In this case work with your tailor/seamstress to have the shoulders taken in.
Shoulders are an important part of the overall dress fit and can be difficult to resolve if there are issues. If this is you, find an experienced tailor or seamstress and see if they can make the alterations. Remember, not all tailors and seamstresses are the same. Look for the ones that the alterations you need are their bread and butter.
Dress Fit -- Shoulder Blades
Shoulder blades are located on your back between the top of your shoulders to your armpits. They move back and forth as your arms move. This is an important area for fit. If the width in this area is too tight your arm movements will be limited. Most dresses have built in ease which allows your arms to move freely. This ease might improve when using knit fabrics or fabrics made with Lycra.
When you try on a dress, especially ones with sleeves, move your arms to make sure you can move them easily without any restriction. You can also look in a three way mirror and look for stress lines in the shoulder blade area, especially ones radiating from the side seam underarm area. If you see these stress lines go up one size.
If a dress is made out of a knit most likely you have no restrictions. However, in this fabric, your concern may be seeing all your bulges. You want it to fall from your shoulders skimming over your shoulder blades not accentuating any bulges.
This area is also a crucial one because it’s difficult to alter. If you find this area is always too big while other areas fit well, then make sure the dress fits in this area and look for a tailor/seamstress who does alterations of these areas on a regular basis.
Dress Fit -- Bust
There are three types of bust dress fit issues:
- Cup size
- Rib cage circumference
- Chin to bust length
Cup Size
The bust area can be a difficult area to fit because most designers/manufacturers design for a B/C cup. If you are smaller, this area is always too big and if you’re bigger this area is always too small. This causes a circumference problem. When you’re small, the circumference is too big. On the other hand when you’re too big, the circumference is too small.
You know the dress is too big when you see excess vertical fold lines in the area and especially under your arms. When you pinch the side seams they disappear.
Your dress is too small when you see horizontal stress lines between your bust.
If you’re smaller than a B cup consider wearing padded bras or ones with underwire. In my younger days this was me. I wore a 32A. To help fill in the excess space, I wore padded underwire bras. This worked perfectly for me. You can also consider getting alterations done to take in the side seam.
When the dress has darts or princess lines taking it in can be a little more difficult. Talk to your tailor/seamstress to determine what can be done.
If you’re larger than a C cup you have to look at larger sizes to get the right circumference. I know the shoulder seam won’t be perfect. This is when I suggest you find a tailor/seamstress to alter the area.
Ribcage Width
Ribcage width is another area to consider for dress fit. It’s the circumference of your ribcage just below your bust.
If you have a “O” Body Shape your rib cage can be wider proportionately than your shoulders. In this case, go for a larger size and alter the shoulders.
Chin To Bust Length
Another issue relates to length. Body proportion-wise some women are short from their chins to their busts, while others are long in this area. If the style of the dress has darts or princess lines, then this can be a problem. This is one reason many women who are short or long in this area prefer dresses made out of knit fabric. They don’t have to worry about darts or princess lines.
If you want a dress with darts, the side dart point should be horizontal with your nipple and 2 inches away from it closest to the side seam. If there is a vertical dart the point should end 2 inches below your nipple.
Altering dart points can be difficult, but a skillful tailor/seamstress might be able to do the alteration.
Dress Fit -- Waist
The goal for waist fit is to have the dress skim over the ribcage down over your waist to the hem. The dress fit areas you need to consider are:
- Waist circumference
- Bust to waist length
Waist Circumference
In considering circumference fit around your waist, there is a fitting ease you need to look at. When we sit our waist circumference changes because in the sitting process our inside digestive area moves which can cause the circumference of the waist area to increase. A dress can fit perfectly when standing but when you sit it can become uncomfortable and may ride up.
Having 1 to 2 inches of wearing ease in this area is ideal. Many styles have more than 2 inches of ease built in. This style of dress is ideal if you have a tummy or waist line you want to hide.
If you have a “V,” “A,” “X” or “S” Body Shape, you might find that dresses tend to be too big in this area. I highly recommend getting them altered by either adding darts (front and back) or taking it in at the side seams. This is a simple alteration and your tailor/seamstress will know which is best.
Bust To Waist Length
The length between your bust and waist can create an issue in dress fit especially if you have a curvy Body Shape.
Many women are short between their bust and waist and long between their waist and crotch because it gives more room for the baby. However this causes problems when looking at dress fit.
Remember in my post, Clothes Fit — How Do You Know, I said most clothes are designed for a 5’5” or 5’6” well proportioned woman. If you’re taller or shorter than the design height, you might have problems. The same thing is true if your body proportions are long or short in this area.
The easiest way to tell if the dress fits in this area is too long for you is by looking at the zipper. If the zipper bulges out at the waist the dress is too long in this area.
When the dress is short between the bust and waist, then the waistline lands above your natural waist. You can tell where your natural waist is by bending to the side. The place of the bend is your natural waist.
This can be a hard alteration to make. Ask your tailor/seamstress for help, if you love everything else about the dress.
Dress Fit -- Hips
When looking at the hip area for dress fit, there should be at least 2 inches of wearing ease. When you sit your butt muscles relax and spread taking up that space. With the modern invention of Lycra the fabric is able to form to your body and stretch as needed.
When you see horizontal stretch/stress lines in this area, it means it’s too small and you need to go up a size.
That all being said the style currently for dress fit in the hips is form fitting. Today with our form fitting fabrics this can be easily accomplished. The question you should be asking yourself is: How do I feel in this dress and is the fit appropriate for the occasion?
This website is all about tapping into your confidence and personal power through your clothes. When looking at the fit of a dress and clothes in general, which fit allows you to tap into your confidence and personal power the most? You know this by paying attention to which one makes you feel the lightest.
When considering fit and tapping into your confidence and personal power also think about where will you be wearing it:
- Dinner with your husband
- Spending time with your girlfriends
- Work
I just want you to consider something. When wearing form fitting clothes, you can appear sexier. Sometimes that can be appropriate like going to dinner with your husband. But sometimes it can take power away from you, like at work. In our male dominated world their focus can be taken away from what you’re saying and trying to accomplish. I just want you to be mindful of the situation. I want you to be tapping into your confidence and personal power at all times. This could mean the fit of the clothes should change for particular situations.
Dress Fit -- Hems
The placement of hems depends on your body propositions and where you want attention brought to. Hems are horizontal lines. As I wrote about in my post, Horizontal Lines: Friend Or Foe, they:
- Stop the eye
- Emphasizes that area
- Cut the body and make it appear shorter
As a result the placement of hems is critical. They can make or break dress fit.
If you need to review horizontal line placement go to:
In most cases shortening a dress is an easy process. Any tailor/seamstress can do it. However, if there is a border or specialized hem, it can be harder. Consult your tailor/seamstress.
Lengthening it can be a harder proposition. You will be limited by the width of the hem.
Also talk to your tailor/seamstress about finding a creative way to lengthen it if you love everything else about it.
Regular Vs Petite
I had a customer at Macy’s who was looking for a Mother of the Groom dress. She said she had tried on so many dresses and she felt frumpy in all of them. I met her when she was shopping in the regular size section of the dress department.
She was around 5’2” and I asked her if she had tried any petite dresses. She said, “No.”
We went to the petite department and found several dresses. When she put them on she felt a big difference and she found the perfect dress. Her face and whole body lit up.
Do you shop in the regular sized department even though the clothes feel frumpy? When you pinch the shoulders, does everything magically fall into place? Go to the petite department.
Petite clothes are made for women who are 5’2” or 5’3”; however, there are women who proportionally have short torsos. If this is you, consider going to the petite department. You might have better luck there.
Summary
When looking at dress fit, make sure the shoulders fit well because this is where the dress hangs from.
If any part is too small, circumference wise, go up a size until it fits. Then look at the other parts and determine if they are way too big. If so can they be altered? Talk with your tailor/seamstress to determine what they can and cannot do. If it can’t be altered, look for styles that will work for your body.
An easy fix on any dress is long hems. If you find most dresses are long, have them altered to a place that enhances your body.
If you are tall or proportionately have a long torso, you might have problems with length. What should you do?
I’m one of these women. I’m 5’8” with a long torso.
There are several websites that cater to tall women for example American Tall — 5’10” and above.
If you can’t find an experienced tailor/seamstress to do the alterations or alterations can’t be done, have your dresses custom made. I know they can be expensive, but consider the cost per wear. Take the cost of the dress then divide it by the amount you wear it. The more you wear it the cost per wearing decreases.
Another option is to create your own dresses. There are YouTube videos that can help you with the altering of patterns to fit your body and how to sew the dress. Benefits are:
- It gives you creative time
- You have clothes no one else will be wearing
- All design lines and colors reflect your body clues
- They fit your body perfectly
Did you learn anything new regarding dress fit? Tell us what you learned by writing it in the comments below.
Next week’s post is on jacket fit. Much of it is similar to blouses and tops. It’s called Jacket Fit — How To Create A Perfect Fit.
Wear Your Greatness!!
