Last year I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Sala Sihombing for her post cast. We ended up discussing how the clothes we wear are an important tool to remain present during life's changes (such as divorce that Sala helps couples navigate through mediation). I shared some important stories of impactful clients and how clothing held them back in certain situations. Take a listen/watch. https://www.linkedin.com/in/salasihombing/ Click Fit Check! It doesn’t matter if you’re shopping for something new or going through your wardrobe. How clothes fit YOU and YOUR body matters! The right fit will:
Clothes should always FIT YOU! You should NOT changing your body to fit clothes! It wasn’t until the popularity of Pret-a-porter (the French work for ‘ready to wear’) in the late 1950’s that clothing became a reflection of trend. You see before this; you would have a seamstress/designer/tailor make clothes for you! For YOUR measurements and proportions. For your style! Wearing items that were straight off the rack was a rebellious concept, post WW2, that emerged as a response to the increasing demand for clothing that was fashionable, easily and affordable. Fashion became made for the popular, a target market! If your style, silhouette, size or proportion was not included, it was hard. Because at the end of the day… fashion is a business! Having good sales would insure they could produce another collection and continue working. So catering for the average women became a business focus, and for some stores like Zara, it still is today! If I think back to high school math, I remember a lesson on statistics and standard deviation (that looks like this bell curve below). Popular fashion is generally with in 1 standard deviation, ensuring that it would fit MOST women that they marketed too. But if you were one SD above or below, the fit of clothes may have been difficult. An example of this is height. If you were taller or shorter than the average standard deviation measurement, something as simple as a pair of pants could be too long, to short, too tight in the crotch length, ect. To put it simply, they would NOT fit your body well! Don’t get me wrong, Pret-a-porter has been a wonderful invention for clothing production. Previously, it may have taken you 6 months to receive new season clothing. Made to measure is a method that we would associate today with luxury industries such as Haute Couture, but it was the standard of how clothing was made prior to the 1950’s. Now that we realise that Fast Fashion (a sub industry of Pret-a-porter) is having a HUGE negative impact environmentally, more and more stores are relying on small craftsmen like tailors to help perfect fits for their clients. So, what should YOU look out for when it comes to fit for your clothes? We talked about WHY fit is important and a brief history of Pret-a-porter. But what should you look out for when it comes to the way your clothes FIT. Let’s go through and red flag different aspects of FIT that CAN NOT be altered successfully by a professional.
Whatever garment you wear, make sure they it enhancs YOU and YOUR BODY (so not stopping at the widest part of your body)! The right fit will have you feel comfortable and look polished. So you can be ready to take on the day, no matter what occasion! I hope these tips have been valuable. Check out my extended blog post for more information. Stay stylish ladies! I was so lucky to get to know Sala Sihombing who is an amazing mediator in Hong Kong. Map the Maze is a podcast for people using mediation to manage their separation and divorce. We had a wonderful conversation over coffee a few weeks ago and she's has allowed me to share her Youtube clip. It's really more than just clothes! It's a tool to embrace opportunity! Who knew that Mediation and Styling had sooo much in common. |
AuthorAmanda is Founder and CEO of 'Amanda Leigh Style', a Hong Kong-based fashion consulting business, which is committed to empowering its clients to achieve their unique sense of style and build confidence to maximise life’s opportunities. Archives
October 2024
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