Make Sure your Clothes Fit!
Custom made clothing might be the fit you need.
by Rita P. Gworek

The first thing to consider is how clothing “off the rack” fits you. If you have found that you can walk into most clothing stores and find things that fit your proportions and style, then you do not necessarily need to purchase custom clothing. However, it’s possible that there is a certain style that you are seeking and you have not been able to find it. There may be a style that you like but cannot afford the price of that designer’s label. Maybe you can’t find your size or would prefer another color. All of these are valid reasons to have custom-made clothing even when you fit “off the rack” clothing.

Then there is the question of needing custom-made clothing because you do not fit off the rack styles. Consider what criteria a clothing manufacturer used to produce the item. It could be that you do not fit the specifications used; you may not have the same posture used to create the clothing. Most people’s bodies are not symmetrical. A lot of people have one shoulder that is higher than the other, one arm longer than the other arm or one hip higher. These are things that need to be corrected by having alterations done to the clothing or by having something custom made.

When I worked in a custom clothing store, I was able to divide the people who came to the store into two distinct groups. One group were those people who did not want to look like everyone else in “off the rack” clothing and the other group were those people who did not fit into that clothing. Those that did not want to look like everyone else usually had disposable income and could spend whatever they wanted to have a distinct look or style. They did not necessarily need custom clothing, but they wanted it.

The people in the group who did not fit in “off the rack” clothing wanted to look their best and knew they could not achieve this by purchasing clothing from stores. The best solution for them was to have their clothing custom made and adjust their budget accordingly.

There are times, as I mentioned, that a simple alteration may correct the problem, however, for every correction made there must be another adjustment made elsewhere to compensate for it. Thus, in some cases the clothing can become distorted instead of being properly corrected. This would warrant having something custom made.

In the United States, custom-made clothing can have a high price tag. If you have the opportunity to go overseas, it would be a good idea to have some of your clothing custom made while you are there. Become familiar with the fit of clothing, fabrics and styles that you like before you go so that you make the right choices.