A lot of students come to me in classes unhappy with the fit of their garments.
There are A LOT of things that affect good fit, but today I'm going to pick one to talk about: bust shaping.
Look at the pattern below. I've had several students struggle with this one. (I'm not saying this pattern should be banned, but.... yeah I am.)
This pattern is a straight-cut rectangle, and unless you're shaped like a pogo stick, it's not gonna work for you.
It's not about the style of the dress; it's about putting room in the strategic places we need it. See the drag lines around the bust? The fabric folds are telling us we need a dart there!
Check the next pattern below. It's still a simple shift shape, but the side bust dart makes a huge difference!
A side bust dart doesn't make the garment more snug. It's still a loose, casual shift. But the dart eliminates the drag lines and makes the front hang more smoothly.
Good fit starts with good pattern choice! Look for a side dart to make fitting easier.
See the Friday Fun Fact archive here at the blog, where you can read all our useful tutorials and subjective opinions on sewing!
Urg. I bought that first pattern to use in one of your classes several years ago. It’s still not a dress but a pile of cut pattern pieces for precisely the fact that it would t have looked good on me! (Not a pogo stick!) At least I learned something! (I switched patterns mid class)
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