Comments on: Could a Perfect Fit be Too Tight?

By: Miss Temby

Miss Temby — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 03:32:25 +0000

This is definitely a thought provoking article, I think that when we only have surviving garments to study as well as photos of people in their best clothes it’s hard to tell how fitted or tightly fitted they were for everyday living.
Personally, I know that modern thinking towards today’s clothes still affects what size pattern I cut out and I’m working to get out of that mindset.
What is a good idea is to wear the mockup for a while just around the house to see how it feels – if it is comfortable or not – or if it’s restricting any movements. Then you can make adjustments needed to ensure that you’re bodice will fit properly and comfortably when out and about =)

By: CATHY Hay

CATHY Hay — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 14:58:00 +0000

The answer is in pattern drafting books of the era. Take your measurements, apply the instructions in the book, and voila, the fit of the era, without the need for any conjecture on the topic. I can vouch for 1908 being very tight in comparison to modern standards.

By: Heather

Heather — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 17:34:30 +0000

Also, among the not-so-wealthy, clothing would be worn & mended until nothing was left. Pregnancy, illness, changes in diet and the passage of time all change the shape.

By: Diane Ullman

Diane Ullman — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 22:38:44 +0000

In reply to Katy Stockwell. It's also more flattering. A lot of people with weight problems think that if they wear their clothes very loose and baggy that it will hide their figures. Nothing could be further from the truth. Baggy, saggy clothes tend to make us look even larger! I fit my clothes to show off the fact that despite my weight I have a very small waist!

By: Maureen Burns

Maureen Burns — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 16:00:30 +0000

I’m very new to historical clothing and this wonderful site. These thoughts have been in my head since I’ve come to the fold. It reminds me of when you buy a pattern with a sketch on it…you always know that it’s not going to look like the drawing, and why I like photos of finished garments as well. But if you’ve seen photoshoots of catalogs you know there’s a lot of pinning and taping to get the garment to fit in an appealing way. Not to say we can’t strive for a more graceful fit, but lots of the sources are fashion shots. I’m tempted to seek out some of those old movies of old San Francisco taken from the cable cars running down Market St. 🙂 Thanks for a thought provoking topic.

By: Diane

Diane — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 15:26:20 +0000

In reply to Liz. When I first started making regency dresses for balls (English Country Dancing), I was doing so without a regency corset. I had instruction and someone measure me for my regency corset, which I then had to re-adjust because it was too roomy. There is nothing like learning about your real size than making one of these. It's useful for all different kinds of sewing, and once you face up to the fact that you are fitting you and not a fashion model mannequin, the results will be satisfying. After I re-adjusted the regency corset and fit my dressmaking form to accommodate it. (stuffed fabric around the inside to simulate the sisters, I ended up with well fitting dresses, and the corset keeps everything from bouncing up and down during slipping and skipping. Fitting a dress without first creating a corset is a mistake, I think. I am very happy with my decision to make the corset then create the dress. It all takes time, but the time is worth it.

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 23:40:21 +0000

I once needed a late Victorian dress for a Live Action Role Playing game (LARP), set in the West. I was playing a wealthy woman, but one who was also an active rancher. I had long planned to make the 1878 Snowshill Manor daydress from Janet Arnold’s “Patterns of Fashion”, & decided that THIS WAS THE TIME! So, determined that it would be a really good project (& not just thrown together for the game), I asked for fitting help from my sewing circle. Who proceeded to pin the dress to me in such a way that I could not even get it off by myself. My husband actually had to try to hide his snickering when I tried pointing out to them, in vain, that “I’ll be wearing this during a LARP, I have to be able to move!”, only to be told, “No, you don’t.” They had NO IDEA what was involved. Needless to say, I didn’t sew the dress as closely as they pinned it up (and a good thing, too; I’ve put on about 5 pounds in the 2 years since I made it!). Everyone says the gown looks *great*, so I guess it’s ok that it’s not like a 2nd skin!

By: LadyD

LadyD — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 08:45:10 +0000

I have photo’s of some of my ancestors from victorian/edwardian times. And none of their clothes have a really close fit. They actually look quite comfortable. I believe they were lower middle/upper working class.