Decoding the Perfect Fit: A Comprehensive Guide to Fit Checking Your Garments

Have you ever bought a piece of clothing that looked fantastic on the hanger or in an online photo, only to find it didn’t quite live up to expectations once you tried it on? That sinking feeling of ill-fitting garments is a common experience, and it stems from a lack of proper ‘fit checking.’ Fit checking, simply put, is the process of carefully assessing how a garment looks and feels on your body before committing to a purchase or finalizing a sewing project. It goes beyond just looking in a mirror; it’s a detailed evaluation of how the fabric interacts with your unique shape, ensuring comfort, flattering proportions, and overall satisfaction.

This comprehensive guide will delve deep into the art and science of fit checking, providing you with the knowledge and techniques to confidently choose clothes that make you look and feel your best. Whether you’re a seasoned shopper, a budding sewist, or simply someone looking to refine their style, understanding how to fit check is an invaluable skill.

Why is Fit Checking Important?

Fit checking is more than just a time-consuming step; it’s an essential part of the garment selection process. Here’s why you should make it a priority:

• Enhanced Comfort: An ill-fitting garment can be uncomfortable, restricting movement and causing discomfort throughout the day. Proper fit allows you to move freely and confidently.
• Improved Appearance: Clothes that fit well flatter your body shape and proportions, enhancing your overall appearance. Ill-fitting clothes can look sloppy or unflattering, regardless of how expensive or stylish they are.
• Increased Confidence: When you feel good in your clothes, it shows. Well-fitted garments can boost your confidence and make you feel more put together.
• Reduced Wardrobe Waste: Fit checking helps you avoid impulsive purchases of clothes you’ll never wear. By making informed choices, you can build a wardrobe of well-fitting, loved pieces.
• Better Understanding of Your Body: The process of fit checking helps you become more attuned to your body’s shape and proportions, which will ultimately make shopping and sewing easier.
• Sewing Success: For sewists, fit checking is paramount. It allows you to identify and correct fit issues in a muslin (test garment) before cutting into your final fabric, preventing costly mistakes.

The Detailed Steps of Fit Checking

Fit checking isn’t just about glancing in the mirror; it’s a methodical process that requires attention to detail. Here are the steps to guide you through a thorough fit check:

Step 1: Preparing for the Fit Check

Before you even slip on the garment, there are a few things to consider:

• Wear the Right Undergarments: Wear the undergarments you’d typically wear with the garment. This is especially important when trying on dresses, skirts, or anything that might show undergarment lines. The wrong bra, for example, can drastically alter how a top or dress fits.
• Remove Distractions: Find a well-lit space with a full-length mirror and ensure there are no distractions that could interrupt your concentration.
• Be Objective: Try to approach the fit check with an objective mindset, focusing on the garment’s fit rather than your own self-image.
• Have a Helper (Optional): If possible, have a friend or family member assist you, as they can see angles you might miss and provide valuable feedback.

Step 2: Assessing the Overall Fit

Now, put on the garment and stand naturally in front of the mirror. Take a step back and assess the overall look:

• General Silhouette: Does the garment’s shape complement your body shape? Is it too boxy, too tight, or just right? Consider the intended silhouette of the garment, whether it’s A-line, fitted, oversized, etc., and see if it’s achieving that look on you.
• Length: Is the length of the garment appropriate for your proportions? Is it too long or too short? Consider the overall look and whether the length creates balance. This applies to tops, bottoms, and dresses.
• Proportion: Does the garment visually divide your body into pleasing proportions? For example, does the rise of the pants or skirt sit at a flattering point on your waist? Does a top or dress create an awkward cut across your torso? The goal is to create balance, and you want to evaluate if the garment looks visually harmonious with your body.
• Overall Balance: Look for overall balance of the garment on your body. Notice if the shoulders look well-aligned with your body, the waistline falls in the correct place, and the hems are even.

Step 3: Checking Key Areas for Fit

Now, let’s delve into specific areas of the garment for a more detailed evaluation:

Shoulders

• Seams: Shoulder seams should sit at the edge of your shoulder bone (acromion process). If the seam falls beyond your shoulder, it’s too big; if it sits on your arm, it’s too small. Dropped shoulders, often a design feature, should also fall appropriately, typically a few inches down your arm.
• Smoothness: The shoulder area should be smooth, without any pulling, wrinkles, or puckering. If you notice any of these, it indicates a fit issue.
• Armhole: The armhole should feel comfortable and not restrict your movement. It shouldn’t dig into your underarm or feel too loose.

Bust/Chest

• Smooth Fit: The fabric across the bust/chest area should lay smoothly without any pulling or gaping. Pulling indicates it’s too tight, while gaping suggests it’s too loose.
• Button Gap: If the garment has buttons, ensure there’s no gaping between them. If the fabric pulls when buttoned, it indicates a fit problem. Look out for ‘button gaping’ which occurs when the shirt or garment doesn’t sit right over your chest due to lack of fabric or poor construction.
• Dart Placement: If the garment has bust darts, they should point to the apex of your bust. If the darts are above or below the apex, the garment might not fit properly.
• Movement: Make sure you can move your arms comfortably. If you can’t raise your arms without the garment pulling, it may be too tight.

Waist

• Position: The waistline of the garment should sit at your natural waist. A high waistline will emphasize your chest and may feel too high and uncomfortable, while a low waistline will shorten your legs. You should see how the garment moves and sits when you move as well.
• Snug Fit: The waist should fit snugly without feeling too tight or digging into your skin. You should be able to breathe comfortably. If the waist feels constricting, try a size up.
• Smoothness: The fabric at the waist should be smooth, without any bunching or wrinkling. Bunching indicates extra fabric, and wrinkling indicates the waist is too tight.

Hips

• Smooth Drape: The fabric around your hips should drape smoothly, without any pulling, clinging, or bunching. Pulling means the garment is too tight, whereas bunching can make you look larger than you are.
• Ease of Movement: Ensure you can walk and sit comfortably. If the garment feels restrictive when you sit, it is likely too tight.
• Pocket Placement: (if applicable) If there are pockets, check their placement. Pockets should sit flat against your body and should not be distorted by the garment’s fit.

Arms/Sleeves

• Length: The sleeves should end at the appropriate point on your wrist. Longer sleeves can feel cumbersome, while sleeves that are too short can make your arms look disproportionate. For ¾ length sleeves, the sleeve hem should sit between the elbow and wrist in a way that looks natural.
• Comfort: The sleeve should allow for comfortable movement of your arms. The width of the sleeve should allow for a natural fall; they should not be too tight and restrictive or too loose and billowy.
• Pulls: Check if the sleeves pull at the underarm when you move your arm. If the sleeves pull, it indicates that they may be too tight, or the shoulder fit is not correct.
• Cuffs/Hems: The cuffs and hems should fit comfortably without being too tight. For example, a button cuff should allow for a full range of motion at the wrist and not be digging in.

Length (for Tops, Dresses, Bottoms)

• Overall: Is the length appropriate for the garment’s intended purpose? A mini-skirt might not be appropriate for work, or a floor-length gown might feel too restrictive for a casual day out. Ensure the length is right for the situation and context you are looking to wear the garment for.
• Skirts/Dresses: Consider where the hemline falls on your legs. Is it flattering? Generally, the hemline should hit the narrowest part of your leg (e.g. just above or below the knee). The hem of a dress can change the shape of your body so take care when assessing how it sits.
• Pants/Trousers: The hem of your pants or trousers should be the correct length for the shoes you plan to wear with them. Hem length varies significantly between styles and can dramatically affect the overall look.

Step 4: Checking Movement

Don’t just stand still. Move around to ensure the garment feels comfortable and doesn’t hinder your movements:

• Walk, Sit, and Stretch: Walk around, sit down, and reach your arms forward and above your head. Pay attention to how the garment feels and moves with you.
• Identify Restrictions: Note any areas where the garment feels too tight or uncomfortable, restricts movement, or pulls when you move.
• Evaluate Fabric Movement: Watch how the fabric moves when you move. Does it flow and drape nicely, or does it look awkward or cling?

Step 5: Making a Decision

After the fit check, you need to decide if the garment is right for you. Consider these points:

• Comfort: Is the garment comfortable enough to wear for an extended period?
• Flattering Fit: Does the garment enhance your figure and make you feel good about yourself?
• Potential Alterations: Can any fit issues be easily corrected by alterations? If the fit is only slightly off and you love the garment, alterations may be an option.
• Value for Money: Is the quality and fit of the garment worth the price? It is important to think about how much use you will get out of something that does not fit correctly.
• Personal Preference: Does the garment align with your personal style and preferences? Don’t buy something just because you think it looks good on someone else.

Fit Checking for Sewists

If you’re a sewist, fit checking is even more critical. Here’s how to approach it when making your own garments:

• Make a Muslin: A muslin (or toile) is a test garment made from inexpensive fabric (like muslin or cotton) that you sew before making the garment from your chosen fabric. This allows you to make adjustments without risking your precious fabric.
• Fit the Muslin: Use the same fit checking techniques described above on the muslin. Draw or use pins to mark any areas that need adjustment.
• Adjust the Pattern: Use the marked muslin to adjust the pattern before cutting into your final fabric. Make incremental adjustments and re-fit until it is just right.
• Re-Check: After making the final garment, repeat the fit check process to ensure the fit is perfect.

Common Fit Issues and How to Identify Them

Let’s explore some common fit problems and their symptoms:

• Pulling: Fabric pulling across the bust, hips, or shoulders often indicates that the garment is too tight.
• Gapping: Gaping around the neck, bust, or armholes usually means the garment is too large.
• Wrinkling/Bunching: These issues can occur due to incorrect fit, fabric construction, or when the garment is not cut correctly.
• Ripples/Drag Lines: Ripples in the fabric, often along the seams, suggest that the fabric is too loose in that area. Drag lines often point to areas where the garment is too tight or isn’t aligned with the way that you move.
• Restricted Movement: The garment shouldn’t pull at the underarms when you move your arms, or feel restrictive when you walk, sit, or raise your arms.
• Unbalanced Hem: An uneven hem can indicate problems with the cut or construction of the garment.

Tips for Successful Fit Checking

• Take Your Time: Don’t rush the fit checking process. The more time you invest, the better the results.
• Trust Your Instincts: If something feels off, it probably is. Don’t dismiss any discomfort or awkwardness.
• Don’t Get Hung Up on Sizes: Sizes vary between brands, so focus on the fit rather than the number on the tag.
• Consider the Fabric: Different fabrics drape and move differently, so always assess the fabric and consider how it will fall on your body.
• Use a Full-Length Mirror: A full length mirror is essential for viewing proportions and how a garment sits on the body overall.
• Keep Notes: Keep notes of fit issues, especially when fitting patterns. This will make future pattern adjustments easier.
• Experiment: Try on clothes with different styles and silhouettes to determine what looks best on your body. Learning what suits you best will make the fit checking process easier.
• Seek Professional Help: If you are struggling with consistent fit issues, consider seeking the help of a tailor or stylist who can provide personalized advice.

Conclusion

Mastering the art of fit checking is a journey that can dramatically improve your relationship with clothing, boosting your confidence and ensuring that everything you wear looks and feels fantastic. It is a skill that everyone can learn, and will pay dividends over time, saving you both time and money. By understanding your body, paying attention to details, and applying the tips discussed in this guide, you’ll soon be able to confidently select or create garments that fit you perfectly. Happy fitting!