Supersizing of America & a rant

[shootingstar]

In fact, I would be surprised that many people have alot clothing bought off the rack, that fits perfectly.

Anyone who sews, knows there is always abit of altering the pattern pieces before cutting the fabric. One really starts to understand in greater detail a person's unique body shapes/curves.

I never saw anything wrong cutting off 4-6 inches pant legs. Yes, it's a pain in the neck to do an alteration. Shrug. Yes, it can alter the overall look of a pant. But then...I don't buy the style in the first place. (which is why I won't wear capris. Doesn't complement shorty here.)

Maybe it's because women just tend to buy alot more different garments (?)..I can see it being a hassle for fashionistas who don't sew. Fashionistas who sew alot, would consider it a design/redesign challenge or at best, minor reworking.

[PamNY]

Maybe it's because women just tend to buy alot more different garments (?)...

I think that probably explains the difference in how men's and women's pants are manufactured/marketed.

Plus, perhaps men aren't as particular? Ordering a specific inseam from a catalog doesn't necessarily produce a good fit. You need to try on the pants to see how they hang.

[skhill]

I've been thinking it's time to improve my sewing skills. Following patterns is not my thing...

What really gets me is how much harder it is to find clothes that come anywhere close to fitting me these days. When I wore a size 20, it wasn't so hard-- things might have been frumpy or not to my taste, but I could at least find stuff that basically fit. Now, most places I can afford to shop don't carry anything under a size 4, which is usually huge on me. I'm just thankful for the boy's department; all my shorts come from there, and a lot of shirts too. I just wish boy's jeans were long enough... But it's kinda ridiculous that I'm nearly 40, and stuck dressing like a 12 yr old boy. It's almost enough to make me want to put 50 lbs back on... improving my sewing skills is definitely a better option!

[Thorn]

But men's (unisex) clothing does seem to have the same issues. Have you noticed the change in what a "large" T-shirt is to some manufacturers?

Last year, one of the rides we participated in up-sized their "large". The T-shirts were barely wearable. This year the "large" is a full 1.5" wider in the shoulder than last year's oversized shirt.

I never had to try on T-shirts and sweatshirts. Now, for many T-shirt manufacturers I've gone from being a large to being a medium.

Like shootingstar, I really haven't bought any clothing besides cycling gear for the last several years. I dread the day my current set of jeans wear out...