If you are anything like the average person, you enjoy wearing clothes which complement your figure whilst being fashionable and comfortable. Apart from the fact that ready-made clothing is expensive and not always entirely to your personal taste, the sizes may not fit your particular shape if your figure does not conform to the sizing guidelines of the manufacturers. A woman, for instance, maybe a standard size 14 on her upper body, but a size 16 – 18 on the lower half or the other way around, which is something most clothing manufacturers do not account for in their sizing. Men have similar problems when it comes to trouser length versus waist measurement, where there is sometimes no happy meeting point. Think of exceptionally tall men who need extra trouser length or much shorter men whose waists have expanded with time, requiring a larger size trouser which comes with unwanted additional leg length. Admittedly, men have it much easier when it comes to clothes shopping, but even they cannot escape completely! The main problem with mass production of clothing lines is simply that the items are made to suit particular types of figures, and those which do not fall within the “norms” of standard sizing are left with very difficult choices when it comes to purchasing new clothing.
Doesn’t fit? Alter it!
Whilst it may be considered an easy option to buy clothing which fits as closely as possible to your unique figure shape and have alterations made later by private dressmakers or tailors, this can prove to be expensive, time-consuming and sometimes flat-out impossible if there is no wiggle room in the design or excess material available, especially when it comes to enlarging highly visible areas of the garment.
Do it yourself if possible
Of course, if you are one of the talented few who are able to design and make their own clothes, you will not have these problems, and you will have the additional bonus of wearing clothing which is entirely unique and suited to your personality, AND in a material of your choice which allows you so many more options. Whilst you’re about it, why not make more than one item in different colours for a quick change of look? The skilful home sewing enthusiast is perfectly capable of buying a ready-made paper pattern which can be adjusted to suit a variety of figures, and still produce an item of clothing which is unique and fits perfectly. But what about those of us who are – quite simply – unable to follow a pattern and end up producing a rather shapeless sack made from what may well be an expensive length of material? That, sadly, describes me exactly, and I am sure I am not alone here.
Get the professionals onto the task
So what do we do? We rely on those individuals who have made it their business to fill in the gap between mass-produced size-dictated clothing and home enthusiasts who are able to make their own clothing. We find people who can measure, design and sew beautiful bespoke clothing for any figure shape, be it male or female. These specialists are able to tailor ready-made off-the-peg clothing for a better fit, or repair and mend much-loved and well-worn items to preserve their wear life for a little longer. We ask them to design bespoke clothing for both men and women, including tuxedos, wedding dresses and matching suits for the groom, matric farewell dresses and suits, formal wear and casual clothing. We ask them to make up the garments from paper patterns which are a minefield to those of us who are not able to accomplish much more than threading a needle at the best of times. And oh, the absolute joy of seeing that material turned into something which actually resembles the picture on the pattern pack …
Need a corporate clothing line for your business? Ask the professionals …
What do we do when it comes to producing corporate clothing for our business? As a business owner, we don’t want our employees’ identity when representing us to be ‘cut from the same cloth’ as so many others, so to speak. We want our logos, our colours and our individuality as a brand to stand out in the marketplace. How do we do this? We approach companies which specialise in designing and outfitting larger numbers exactly as we dictate. They are the skilled persons who bring corporate clothing to life, who help us to design and add our unique brand to our employees’ work clothing. Nobody really likes being made to wear the same uniform every day, but if it is stylish, attractive and makes you proud of the company you are representing, it is doing its job.
Don’t despair – there ARE options available!
Clothing is so much a part of who we are, both in our private and business lives. We dress up to impress or dress down for comfort and relaxation. We wear our clothing both to appropriately cover our bodies and to express ourselves and our personalities. As such, we don’t always want to fit into a standard “off the shelf (or rail)” style which makes us just one of the masses. Express your individuality in any way you feel comfortable, and if clothing is your choice of expression, make sure that you wear what you want, either by making your own clothes or employing the services of a designer, dressmaker or tailor to make or adapt store-bought clothing. Whatever route you choose, enjoy your clothing and face the world with confidence.
