I've decided to write an article about sizes, ease, fitting and shopping (on the internet). Although every body is unique in terms of shape and proportions, there are some basic rules to be followed. This is a guide to help you better buy clothes online, where you cannot try them and see how they fit, but where variety knows no limit :)
Sometimes you just see the sizes (8US, 38EUR, S etc.), sometimes you get the body measurments and sometimes you get the garment measurments and what do we do with all these? How do we corelate our body to these pieces of information? So let's see...
A very important thing while shopping online is to ALWAYS CHECK MEASURMENTS! Don't rely only on US10 or EUR12 or M symbols, because they vary so much from one brand to another, so you'll be surprised that US8 at one brand might correspond to EUR36 at another and to EUR38 at another and so on. Again, ALWAYS CHECK MEASURMENTS! :) The best way is to know both standard body measurments for sizes and also the measurments of the garment, and corelate them. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME! Wait, it's not that complicated....
So, why aren't they the same?
Because of EASE. Your body needs to breathe, to move, to hug, to stretch, to kick asses sometimes :), so it needs a bit of space. We all do, don't we? :) And every part of the body needs a particular ease, for its particular movements. Aaaaa, now the light is closer.
Here is the chart that we use at SHTOICA for body measurments and sizes and a guide for ease.
So, for a 168 cm height woman, we have the following BODY MEASURMENTS:
Size
|
34
|
36
|
38
|
40
|
42
|
44
|
46
|
48
|
||||||||
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
|
Bust
|
80
|
31.5
|
84
|
33.1
|
88
|
34.6
|
92
|
36.2
|
96
|
37.8
|
100
|
39.4
|
104
|
41
|
110
|
43.3
|
Waist
|
62
|
24.4
|
66
|
26
|
70
|
27.6
|
74
|
29.1
|
78
|
30.7
|
82
|
32.3
|
86
|
33.9
|
92
|
36.2
|
Hip
|
86
|
33.9
|
90
|
35.4
|
94
|
37
|
98
|
38.6
|
102
|
40.2
|
106
|
41.7
|
110
|
43.3
|
116
|
45.7
|
Chose the size that corresponds the most with your own values. Have in mind that depending on the type of garment, one measurment is more important: for shirts, dresses, jackets- the bust, for skirts and pants- the hip.
As for ease, this is our WEARING EASE chart (considered for the full body measurments), meaning the ease needed for the normal body motions. Add these values to your body measusurments:
Garment
|
Fitted
|
Semi-fitted
|
Loose
|
|||||||||||||||
Bust
|
Waist
|
Hip
|
Bust
|
Waist
|
Hip
|
Bust
|
Waist
|
Hip
|
||||||||||
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
Cm
|
Inches
|
|
Skirt
|
-
|
-
|
1-1.5
|
0.4-
0.6
|
1.5-3
|
0.6-1.2
|
-
|
-
|
1.5-3
|
0.6-
1.2
|
3-5
|
1.2-
2
|
-
|
-
|
>
3
|
>1.2
|
>
6
|
>2.4
|
Dress
|
4-8
|
1.6-
3.2
|
2-5
|
0.8-
2
|
4-7
|
1.6-
2.8
|
8-12
|
3.2-
4.7
|
6-10
|
2.4-
4
|
7-12
|
2.8-4.7
|
>
12
|
>4.7
|
>
10
|
>4
|
>
12
|
>4.7
|
Pants
|
-
|
-
|
1-2
|
0.4-
0.8
|
2-4
|
0.8-
1.6
|
-
|
-
|
2-3
|
0.8-
1.2
|
4-6
|
1.6-
2.4
|
-
|
-
|
3-4
|
1.2-
1.6
|
10-16
|
4-
6.3
|
Jacket
|
6-10
|
2.4-
4
|
4-6
|
1.6-
2.4
|
6-8
|
2.4-
3.2
|
10-16
|
4-
6.3
|
6-8
|
2.4-
3.2
|
10-14
|
4-
5.5
|
>
16
|
>6.3
|
>
8
|
>;3.2
|
>
14
|
>5.5
|
Besides wearing ease, a garment also might have style ease, but that's specific for the overall silhouette and design. Another thing to remember is that these values are smaller or zero for stretch fabrics. Very stretch fabrics like jerseys, swimwear knits have even negative ease, so that's another story. Very fitted evening wear with corsets or strapless etc is also a special case with negative ease.
So when checking an article online, is recommended to compare your body+ ease measurments with the garment's and observe if you'll be able to breathe or not.
I hope this didn't get you more confused :) That would be funny...
PS: feel free to try these tips here :)
PS: feel free to try these tips here :)
Hugs my dears,
Mihaela
