What thoughtful fit actually means

There is a particular feeling that comes from wearing a garment that fits really well. You don't think about it. You don't notice the waistband, the shoulder seams or the hem, and you're not constantly pulling at the neckline or wondering whether you'll be comfortable when you sit down. You simply get on with your day.

That's what good fit means to me. It isn't about squeezing your body into the smallest possible size or making a garment follow every curve. It's about creating enough space in the right places while still giving the garment shape and intention. It's about feeling like you're wearing the clothes, rather than the clothes wearing you.

The body was never the problem

For a long time, I thought there was something wrong with my body because clothes didn't fit me properly. I now know that was never a particularly logical conclusion.

Ready-to-wear clothing has an enormous job to do. A single garment design needs to be produced in a manageable range of sizes and proportions and then offered to people whose bodies vary enormously. Even two people with the same bust, waist and hip measurements can have very different proportions. One might be 155 cm tall and another 175 cm, with differences in torso length, bust shape, shoulder width, abdomen or seat projection and the position of their natural waist.

A standard garment made to those three circumference measurements will fit them differently, and that's before we account for the many other ways our bodies differ.

This is one of the reasons a size number tells us surprisingly little about whether a garment will actually fit.

There is no single “standard” body

The fashion industry has always needed ways to simplify the enormous variety of human bodies into manageable sizing systems. Anthropometric surveys — studies that measure the size and shape of populations — have been used to inform clothing sizing for decades.

Some of the data that has influenced clothing standards is now many decades old. In the United States, a major survey of women's bodies was undertaken in the early 1940s to improve the fit of women's clothing. Australian research has subsequently found that Australian women's sizing standards incorporated older US data, alongside later information, and has highlighted the limitations of relying on outdated or incomplete anthropometric data.

The point isn't that sizing systems are completely useless. It's that a size chart can never describe the full variety of human bodies.

And when we forget that, it's very easy to conclude that our bodies are the problem when a garment doesn't fit.

They're not.

Fit is about more than three measurements

Bust, waist and hip measurements are useful. They give us an important starting point, but they don't describe everything that matters when we're making a garment.

Height and proportion matter too. So do torso length, bust shape, shoulder width, abdominal and seat projection and where your waist naturally sits. Even two people with identical measurements can need quite different garments to feel comfortable and look balanced.

This is why I take measurements seriously when making an Unbound garment, while also being clear about what made-to-order means at Unbound Studio.

I'm not offering fully bespoke tailoring. A truly tailored garment can involve taking a large number of measurements, multiple fittings and individual adjustments throughout the process. That's not what I'm trying to create.

Instead, I use the measurements that matter for each particular garment to make it for your body rather than asking you to choose a ready-made garment from a rack and hope it happens to work. You choose the design and fabric, provide your measurements and I make the garment for you.

It's still a creative process that we share, and there's something very special about wearing something that was made specifically for you.

How much ease do you need?

One of my favourite words when talking about clothing is ease: the space between your body and the garment that allows you to move and breathe comfortably.

There isn't one magic amount of ease that works for everyone. The amount I like is what I'd describe as modern and relaxed without being oversized, unless a particular design is intentionally oversized. I want my clothes to have enough room to move without feeling like you're swimming in fabric.

Our bodies aren't static throughout the day, either. My own body changes as the day goes on and, like many people, I can feel more bloated by the afternoon. A garment that feels fine first thing in the morning but becomes uncomfortably tight later isn't a good fit for me.

I don't want to spend my day thinking about whether my clothes are going to cooperate. I want to forget I'm wearing them.

Fit should let you move

A garment can technically fit your measurements and still not give you the freedom you want from your clothes. That's where thoughtful design becomes important.

At Unbound Studio, I want garments to support the ordinary movements that make up everyday life: sitting down, reaching for something on the top shelf, walking the dog, playing with your children or grandchildren, bending down, getting in and out of the car and moving through your day without having to think about whether your clothes will get in the way.

Design details can make a real difference here. Openings, gathers, ties and other construction details can create room where you need it and allow you to adjust a garment when you want to. Sometimes you want to cinch something in; sometimes you want to leave it loose. Thoughtful design gives you options.

Comfort and style aren't opposites

I don't believe we should have to choose between looking good and feeling comfortable. In fact, I think it's difficult to feel stylish when you're physically uncomfortable. A garment that is too tight, too restrictive, too hot or simply doesn't sit properly can make you feel awkward no matter how beautiful it looks on the hanger.

For me, a flowing linen garment is style at peak comfort. There's no compromise.

The way I like my clothes to fit is part of my personal style. I like clothing with movement and ease, beautiful natural fabrics and garments that feel relaxed but still considered. That's my aesthetic, but someone else's might be completely different.

And that's exactly the point. Thoughtful fit isn't about imposing one ideal shape, silhouette or definition of comfort on everyone. It's about making room for individual preferences.

What inclusive sizing means to me

To me, inclusive sizing means making clothing available to people regardless of their size or proportions. It doesn't mean pretending that every body can be accommodated simply by adding more numbers to a size chart. It means recognising that bodies are diverse and designing with that diversity in mind.

This is one of the things I love about made-to-order sewing. If you're not sure whether I can make something to your particular measurements or proportions, get in touch. We can have a conversation.

That's the beauty of making clothing for a person rather than making clothing for a hypothetical average body.

So, what is thoughtful fit?

For me, thoughtful fit is the intersection of body, movement, comfort and style. It's enough ease without unnecessary volume, a garment that accommodates your proportions rather than asking you to conform to someone else's, and clothing that allows you to move through your everyday life without restriction.

It's also understanding that comfort is personal and that a garment can be technically “the right size” without necessarily being the right garment for you.

Perhaps most importantly, thoughtful fit means remembering that when something doesn't fit, your body isn't necessarily the problem.

If you've ever stood in a change room wondering why nothing seems to fit you properly, I'd like you to remember this:

My body is not the problem. These clothes just weren't made to fit me.

And then perhaps, instead of trying to change yourself to fit the clothes, we can start making clothes that fit real people.