Plus size , curvy woman enjoy shopping just as much as anyone else, Although many high street shops and websites like Dorothy Perkins, Evans, New Look , Asos and Mango have begun to realise the potential profits in catering to the curvy fashionista the choice of well fitted plus size clothing still remains limited.
Too often, the plus size brands are just larger scale versions of the general atelier. The problem is when patterns are sized up, all the elements are made a little larger. Often they are too small in key areas like bust line and hips and too large in arm and necklines. However the reality is, when our bodies get larger they tend to get larger in some places and not others. The result being plus size woman have no option but to squeeze into clothes too small or be swamped by clothes that are baggy and ill fitting; neither is a good option.
So how do you remain stylish and when you are a plus size? Follow the celebrity trend and find yourself a good alterations company like the Zip Yard which has 26 shops nationwide. There are a number of simple and affordable alterations a Zip Yard seamstress can do to ensure your plus size garments fit you to perfection.
Basic hemming is essential to any well dressed woman. Hem length can make all the difference by making legs look longer and slimmer, defining waists and hiding larger arms and calves. Zip Yard tailors and seamstress knows that a hemline on a dress must hit a woman on the most flattering part of her leg, whether is it below, above or on the knee. This depends on the woman’s height, and weight. One hemline does not fit all! Ill fitted sleeves can swamp a petit plus woman and sleeves that are too short, can make clothes look too small and give the impression the woman is trying to squeeze herself into the garment. Sleeves should always be hemmed at the thinnest part of the arm.
A common tailoring problem among plus size women is the cursed gaping blouse/ dress. Button down blouses and large busts combined with bad button placement often lead to the garment gaping and exposing more than intended. Ensuring the buttons are place below and above the bust limits the possibility of gaping and creates a smooth line.
Bespoke dressmaking offers endless possibilities to the curvy fashionista. Dresses can be altered to create more flattering V-neck lines that accentuate the bust and elongate the neck giving a more sliming affect. Vertical panelling can be added to shift dresses to keep them on trend, while also ensuring the illusion of a more flattering figure. Lace and fabric trims can be added to dresses, tops, jackets and shorts to ensure a more befitting hemline. Buttons and zips can be repositioned to give a more flattering silhouette. Sheer and lace sleeves can be added to dresses and tops to hide thick arms while also giving the illusion of skin.
Making room in your budget for alterations is essential particularly if you are plus size. Women would often prefer to spend a €100 on two okay fitting dresses without seeing the potential in spending €50 on one dress and another €50 on alterations to ensure she has one well fitted, great dress she will wear rather than having 2 dresses adorning her wardrobe. When clothes fit and flatter a woman, you don’t really think “Those sleeves are the perfect fit for that woman” or “that dress falls exactly on the right part of her leg to make her legs look longer”; instead, you think “that woman looks amazing”. That is the secret of good alterations, they switch the focus from how big the woman looks to how stylish and confident she is.
