Putting an end to problems of finding the right size

Ready-made clothing imposed on us

Ready-made clothing… It’s obvious what it is -- prepared, sewn, finished clothing. We usually buy read-to-wear clothes to meet our clothing-related needs. How many of us ever go to the tailor to have a dress, skirt or pair of pants custom made like in the old times? Our habits regarding ready-to-wear clothing continue to create problems for us. People with heights that are different from the standards set by the ready-wear sector might be the ones who suffer the most. Maybe you’re a size 38, which is considered to be the perfect size. But outfits don’t look as good on you as they do on your friend, who is also a size 38. Either the shoulders are too broad and droop over, or the waist is too low and sits on your hips, or the cuffs of the shirt are too long and cover your fingers.

Short people, in particular, encounter these problems frequently because the standard size table is for people of a specific height and weight. You may share the same waist, chest and hip size as others, but when your height is different outfits don’t look the same way it looks on them. As a result, short people have trouble finding the right outfits. Even if there are minor variations in size, every brand has a certain “height” length that it uses in patterns for clothes. The measurements of the outfits that are available for a person who wears a size 38 but is 1.75 meters tall and another person who wears a size 38 but is 1.60 meters tall are the same. But, while these two people may share the same “width,” shorter people have different waist, hip and frame heights and finding outfits that fit these features is the trick to making an outfit look beautiful.

While there is no universal standard, there are certain body sizes that are widely accepted as the norm, and these norms vary according to country. For example, a person who wears a size 38 according to German patterns would not fit into a size 38 in other European countries. The size you wear varies depending on the country of origin of the brand you shop from. Every race has its own unique physical characteristics. In some countries people have a wider waist or wider hips, and in other countries people have narrower shoulders. People are not like plastic mannequins that are made according to a fixed shape. That’s why a standard one-type size 38, 40, 42 or 44 is not always appropriate for them. It is a fact that there are people with various heights in every country. Some people are 1.80 meters tall, some are 1.55 meters, some have short legs some have a short upper frame. Forcing yourself to fit into a standard when you have such unique dimensions can cause you to hate shopping, and realizing that nine out of 10 outfits don’t look good on you might cause you too develop a negative image of yourself. Don’t forget that the secret to looking fashionable is finding outfits that are appropriate for your size. And that doesn’t include just your width, it also includes height dimensions.

You may not have a personal seamstress like your parents probably did, but now there are brands that have a special collection for people of a shorter height. Some leading brands have taken notice of this detail and are creating visionary ready-wear collections for short people. But aside from the ready-wear brands that have been designing outfits for different body types over the last couple of seasons, there are some brands that have undertaken this mission with a true concern for providing customized clothing. Among the brands that prepare customized collections taking into consideration important features like neck circumference, shoulder width, height, abdominal width, arm length, cuff width, hip height and back width to ensure that the clothing looks stylish and rich are T. M. Levin, Hawes & Curtis and Milimetric.

*Reyhan Yazıcı Kızılağaç is a fashion designer.

Special tips for short people

 Make sure the length of the shirt’s arm does not pass your wrist bone and make sure the shirt sits on your shoulders.

 Make sure your pants are no longer than the heel of your shoes.

 Don’t wear shoes with thick platform heels because you want to look tall. Opt for hidden platforms.

 Wear shoes with heels, albeit small heels.

 If the waist of a jacket or dress falls below your waist it will make you look shorter than you are.

 Avoid extremely loose and fluffy outfits.

 Opt for one layer of clothing as opposed to the layered style.

 Avoid big handbags.

 Wear smaller and more elegant accessories instead of bulky and big accessories.

 Prefer long boots instead of short boots.

 Give priority to suits and shirts with vertical stripes.

 Opt for skinny pants or pants that become slimmer towards the ankles.

 Opt for clothes with a deep V-neck as opposed to ones with a crew neck.