Back to Basics: A Size Crisis!

[datrat]

Hey styleforumers--

I'm dreading the conclusion that I think I inevitably have to reach: I might soon be a Medium, and all my Small clothing doesn't quite fit perfectly--or at all--anymore, and will have to be replaced.

But I'm not sure and truly feel like I'm in between sizes, on the border. I try a Small and Medium OCBD or sweater or jacket in Jcrew, Patagonia or wherever and it feels like both can work. Sometimes if I place my hands on their opposite shoulder and then raise my elbows in a Small, the fabric on the back and over top near the shoulder top of the arm is tight.

What are the signs you look for when assessing fit? (particularly for OCBDs, long or even short sleeve Ts, lightweight or medium weight wool or cashmere sweaters, perhaps blazers or even outerwear and midlayers like down sweaters, ski shells, fleeces--these are all some of the garments that feel newly tight on me!)

 

[Todd Shelton]

Hey, the S, M, L, XL sizing scale is not a customer friendly system. It's the easiest system to understand for a customer, it makes decisions easier - and it's easier for a store to manage inventory. But it leaves lots of holes for fit conscious people.

The fit at shoulders and high chest must be your priority. When wearing the shirt, with arms to the side, you don't want to see any tugging or pulling in that area - you want that whole area to lay nicely. If it doesn't, move on. If the shoulders and chest of the Medium fit you good, but the stomach is too big, you can have that altered. I think alterations are a last resort, if the brands you already know aren't meeting your needs off-the-rack, then maybe you search for some new brands.