The Beginning by fabulousfit

The Beginning…

Jill Ralston for Fabulous Fit®

Index Master the Art of Fitting Clothes

Proportion Silhouette and Style

Into a Million Dollar Pattern

finding your style... Getting dressed is not always easy, but feeling great about how we pull it all together can be really fun. Inspiration can be as simple as a $13 pair of sterling silver earrings from the street vendor or a simple Chanel jacket created by you. “L’Instant”, says Chanel, with her fabulous pull on pants and sweater; her neck adorned with one small white flower. I love that. When I think of life’s memories, the first thing that comes to mind is what I was wearing. Always. I love style. Style supersedes weight, height, body singularities, age, and can even lift a really bad mood. If you are new to this, stay close. No experience is necessary in learning to create fabulous clothes in your personal style.

simplify your life! Do you have anything in your closet that just feels like you? What fabric is it in? Pull it out and really take a look. Is it the cut? The feel of the fabric? The color? Maybe it’s something you wear every day (think sweat pants), that can be easily translated into silk, wool, or linen; to be worn on any occasion and look fabulous. The best way to start a closet or a lifestyle collection is to start with a few basic pieces; thus we always start with the favorite dailies. Analyzing why you gravitate to wearing certain clothes is always an eye opener. Maybe you have several pieces you love or maybe not. If not, go to your photographs and recall a time that was absolutely fabulous. What were you wearing and how did you feel? (This cannot be about your wedding dress with the 25 ft long train or if you were hypothetically, 30 lbs. lighter and 30 years younger). If you are still at a loss, and many people are, just get as close as you can to something we can work with. Anything.

play... The take-away from this is to re-create what works. The translation can be as simple as Palazzo pants, a straight skirt with heels,and an unmatched sweater set, or that Chanel “l’instant” created by you. If the clothes feel good, and the color and proportions are right, you will know what I am saying. It’s the energy. People notice. No one knows what suits you best better than you do. Style is about paring down your wardrobe to a few pieces that work together. It’s simple. If something in your closet doesn’t make you feel comfortable, confident, happy, or sexy it might be wasting space. In my collections, (and closet) I start with storyboard piles. Inspiration is where it all begins for me. Many designers are inspired by snowflakes, or sand on the beach; but that, so far, has never been my inspiration in designing clothes. Seems sad. I am inspired by the streets. When I start thinking about what I am creating, I jam through my iPhone for lost pictures of strangers who couldn’t wait to show off their new “put together” for colors or clothes; like wearing serious construction boots, way before the runway found them. I forget about why I didn’t feel inspired. The roll begins. The storyboard will give you direction. So that’s where we start.

find your story.. Just with a random collage of inspiration (which can be anything from pattern covers to magazine photographs) you will discover a natural trend for your colors, necklines and statement. Trendy, flashy, bling, classic...it all shows up. See how everything you choose can be translated for you! Great clothes create energy and a few really thought out pieces will simplify your life. In real life, I work until the last minute before I leave for a trip (I think we all do), but I am completely confident that whatever I grab for my suitcase works. I don’t even think about it. When I finally relax at the airport, I sigh and wonder at the ease with which the look came together. It’s because it was already planned, way in advance, when I found those very few pieces that work together. Similarly, should your best trip plans go astray (sometimes they do), with simplicity, your clothes can change plans with you. Once you understand the proportions of your body, your easy wardrobe and individual style just follows. Maybe it’s adjusting a waistline to hide that holiday pooch, or layering fabric to create an uneven hemline to hide an uneven body. The list goes on and on. Not to mention the parts of our body we might want to embrace! When you follow our simple, yet designer-level philosophy of anchoring fit and honoring grain lines, you’ll laugh with disbelief at how easy it is to create clothes that make you feel powerful and comfortable every time you wear them.

how to measure...

Horizontal Measurements 1. Measure your shoulders from shoulder bone to shoulder bone, across the back. 2. Measure your front chest from arm crease to arm crease. 3. Measure your chest by placing the tape above your bust, around your body just under your arms, (with arms down at your sides). Also, measure the width of your front and back chest separately. 4. Measure your bust-line around the fullest point of your bust. 5. Measure your under-bust by placing the tape under bust and around your body. 6. Measure your waist by placing the tape around the elastic on your waistline. 7. Measure your upper hipline (about 3 inches down from your waist) across your stomach and upper hips. 8. Measure your hipline by placing the tape around the widest part of your hips. 9. Measure your thigh two inches down from the top of your leg, at the widest part of your thigh.

Vertical Measurements 1. Measure your vertical bust point by placing the tape around your neck (like a halter) from bust point to bust point. 2. Measure your front vertical waist point by placing the tape at the front collarbone down to your waist. 3. Measure your bust-point by placing the tape at the nape of your neck to your tip of your busts. Note the distance between the bust points. 4. Measure your vertical back waist point by placing the tape at your first vertebrae and following the spine to your waist. 5. Measure your vertical back hip point by placing the tape at your first vertebrae and then following your spine to the widest part of your hipline.

Additional Measurements 1. The upper arm measurement is taken with the tape around the widest part of your upper arm. (Arm relaxed at your side). 2. The final body measurement, for the length of your jacket or dress, is taken with the tape at your first vertebrae and measuring down the back to your desired hemline. 3. The inseam is measured from the top of your leg (inside) with your legs slightly apart, keeping your body straight.

choosing your size... One Fabulous Fit®Fitting System will increase measurements to 3 sizes, or about 3 inches at any area. Larger sizes can be created by placing another Fitting System over the top of your already padded dress form. Choose your best size by the smallest of your bust, waist and hip measurements compared to the form. For example. If your bust is 36 and your hips 39, Size 8 is best to accommodate your bust and then build out the hips. If your bust is 33, your waist is 28, and your hips are 39, Size 6 is best to match the bust measurement. You can then shape the dress for with the Fitting System to match the bust and hip measurements. COVERS ALSO IN BLACK!!

life style... Consider how your weight might change and how your body moves. When you know you’ll gain that extra five pounds on the road, you might need a few extra outfits. (After all, even rock stars, and politicians have only “ranges” for weight.) Shaping pads on the dress form will show you what the extra 5 lbs. (or so) looks like in your clothes. If you need extra individual pads, we have them.

what could we possibly all have in common?... LOVE & CLOTHES!!...it’s all about creativity...It’s about fixing... and letting go of those issues that bother us. Seeing colors and shapes on your storyboards is not about life’s beauty from without...even though you might find a color, a shape, or a hemline from the picture. Somewhere, within your collage, there are common elements that will express who you are; showing colors and textures that you are innately drawn to. Style; trendy, classic, or goth? Go for color? Shapes? Check your pictures again. How about necklines? So go ahead...we do this for collections, stages, closets, and FUN...so we know it works. Looking at the inspiration board (or pile of magazine pages) focus on five pieces. Then choose three colors (including black and white, of course) and then choose two more. Fabric inspiration? Is it wrinkled linen, unlined cashmere, silk, or layers of cotton? Identifying the fabrics from the storyboard will give you direction, and lead to a lot less confusion at the fabric store. Put together the colors in the fabrics and swatch them.

check your dailies...

How does the storyboard compare to the favorites in your closet? The best way to start is to check your favorites; and to find your direction from what already works. If you haven’t done this yet, stop and go do it. It will only take a minute to find your favorites. If you have absolutely no favorites (this calls for a complete re-do), then that’s okay too. Just start with the first steps.

Your closet evaluation will give you a good idea about what you need to add to the basic pieces. Once you have identified your colors, fabrics, and the clothes which are still great to wear, it will be easy to build and re-create.

FINDING PROPORTION and SILHOUETTE The building block of our guideline is the very body you hang your clothes on. Once you accept and understand the proportions of your body, finding your style is just a matter of honestly accepting what’s there; and then working with it. Maybe a different waistline to hide an extra eight pounds (even before you lose it), or an uneven hemline to hide an uneven body. Teaching your hands and your eyes to connect is a universal ability. Just start with what you have and follow the steps. You’ll only need to learn this once. There’s only one set of rules in creating clothes.

check your mirror... Stand in front of a full-length mirror, and look at your body front, side and back. Let’s be honest about your reflection; don’t beat yourself up about it, don’t lose sleep, and don’t think about losing weight. Just document what you see. Look honestly at your silhouette in the mirror, and take note of the vertical proportion between the top and bottom of the curve. Creating a simple muslin for your first sample will direct you in deciding what length is best for your design and fabric. Discovering balance in your clothes begins by anchoring a pair of pants or the bodice allowing the fabric to fall and create movement with the best possible proportion. Note every proportion at these hem lengths: Best hem length from waist to finish a. Skirt Short Length b. Skirt Medium Length c. Skirt Long Length You can do this yourself! Try something on and then pin the best hem line for skirts, jackets, pants; everything. You will only need to mark one spot. The rest you can easily adjust on your dress form. (It’s all about the curves of your legs.) For pants, measure the rise and the inseam. That favorite comfortable piece can be translated a hundred different ways, worn a hundred different times. Best of all, these fabulous clothes will feel as comfortable as your dailies. Created for you!

What about the jacket length? The rule of thumb: Never end any hem at the widest part of a curve. Not the hip, not the thigh, not the calf, not the ankle. Always end the hem line above, or below the widest part of the curve.

mark... Once you decide where you want the hemline ( to best fit the shape and length of your curves), the rest appears on the dress form body double. There is no guessing when you can pinpoint the exact place to shape your silhouette in everything you create.

shop... Start learning with a favorite pattern that has the same basic features; a front, a back, shoulder, or an adjustable hip length (very important in jackets). Emphasize basic.

pin... Sculpt the paper pattern together. Then, step back, pin the pattern, or muslin on the dress form, and take a calculated look. Now MARK the vertical measurements. MARK what needs vertical seams, to appear elongated. which parts of a pattern need more fabric to cover curves, where hemlines should fall to accentuate, (or hide), what gapes, what pulls.

PINCH AND RELEASE any extra pattern tissue which doesn’t match the line of your body’s silhouette on the form. Roughly “sculpt” the tissue with pins to match your vertical and horizontal measurements. CUT the pattern in muslin, and baste. To me, style is simplicity, and proportion and feeling fabulous in effortless clothes.

color energy... We know that YOU know what colors are best for you. It’s instinctive; you will feel it. Try the colors in your closet against basics, like navy, black, charcoal, chocolate, khaki, or even “bordeaux”; (olive skin only!). When you put the colors up against your skin, you can feel the energy. It sounds crazy, but try it. How do you feel in that red blouse? I have a khaki trench that I love…literally love...but every time I wear this coat, I feel like a woman past “a certain age” and swear never again to wear it. Now, I always remember to grab a scarf or shirt to add color that I feel like myself in. Once you’re aware of the color energy, you’ll save many style mistakes.

solids... I love prints, but...My advice...build your clothes around solids first, and then add your favorite prints. I have seen so many print mistakes in otherwise beautiful clothes...and everything I have ever made in print just ended up hanging in my closet… so I stopped. (And, there always seems to be this frenzy about getting dressed when prints were around...scrounging the closet at the last minute, throwing clothes all over the room, and rushing out in solids!) I was never one to wear prints. That’s just me. So if you look good in prints, brava! Let that be the second part of building your closet. You can always mix prints with basics, and certainly mix prints with prints, but unless your eye is as good Dolce & Gabbana’s, I would begin with solids. Basic solid pieces will give you the “dailies”… the really comfortable clothes you can bring wherever you go.

finding your style... Everyone loves to feel great in clothes…even when we think it doesn’t matter. IT MATTERS…. However...what we see in magazines, and what we feel in reality, might be two different stories.

So, even if you don’t look like you’re floating down a runway (who really needs that?), your clothes will look their best when they reflect your personal style, express your individuality and most of all make you feel comfortable and powerful. We all know what needs to be disguised, and what we would like to show. The first step is understanding proportion. Create a few clothes that make you feel comfortable, confident, sexy, good looking or happy…and they will take you everywhere. Style is good thing! Easy, instant gratification when you see yourself on your dress form!

FINDING PROPORTION and SILHOUETTE • Minimize Curves / Large Hips: Choose a V-front jacket , tailored with vertical seams and a perfect length skirt. Rule of thumb #1: Never end the jacket hem at the widest part of your hips, ( no matter how great it might look from the front!). • Emphasize Curves: Go for basic patterns and turn them into fabulous halter dresses, or mark easy princess seams over the curves of the bust line. Match your widest bust measurement on the form, and then match the upper chest measurement.

• Elongate your body: Although a pinstripe jacket creates an optical illusion on vertical height, vertical seams will also work well if you are not the pinstripe person. Flare the front with princess lines or long darts to the bust. • Hide your butt. A long blazer hides your hips, under a skinny body fitting dress. Or SHOW that butt with a waist jacket over a long t-shirt! • Illusion of a waistline. Choose body-skimming styles, with a low waisted dynamite belt. • Conceal a pear shape. Keep jacket hemlines below your widest hip point. I love shaped 3/4 coats for that! • Thick torso. Usually happens with great legs! Choose your skirt length by ½” increments to show your legs. Skirt lengths just below, or just above the knee. Choose straight skirts, and longish jackets. • Low bust line. Thin notch collars, or unbuttoned shirt collars will draw attention upward. I like to open it up over a skinny T. • Narrow sloping shoulders. Fill in the shoulder area with carefully chosen shoulder pads, for a natural lift. • Lengthen a short waist. Choose drop waist skirts with no waistbands.

color energy... Fit is about balance and movement in your clothes. Many designers seriously create the design, but, so sadly, miss on the balance... costing tens of thousands in returns. The balance of each area must be planned to match a target customer; creating a â&#x20AC;&#x153;go toâ&#x20AC;? pattern library for clients, markets, or your personal lifestyle. The basic pattern can be easily modified for the changing seasons, year in & year out, while simultaneously keeping the fit in balance. Basic styles can be adjusted a hundred + times...or to infinity. Create it SIMPLE, until you see this... Hands and eyes connect magically, with practice. I promise! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll start with Front, Back and Sleeves. The simplicity, in following the Fitting Sequence, in creating and re-creating patterns, will allow you to easily translate the fit of every bodice you create hereafter. If the shoulder is curved or uneven, ease the shoulder line, and adjust the armhole to match the crease. Play with the shoulder slant until the fabric flows comfortably over the curve. Grainlines must fall straight. Check the vertical and horizontal measurements at each pressure point area; for silhouette and movement. The taped examples are marked with household electrical tape. In fittings, other than a waist tape, you may not need nor want the tapes on your dress form. If you need a marking after the first lesson, then a tiny basting stitch at the front and back seam on the Princess Cover will give you the visual.

start and mark...

#1 Mark the movement points on the dress form, matching vertical and horizontal measurements. If I am working with an athletic body, for example, the markings would be considerably higher on the form than if I were creating something for myself. Front & Back shoulders: Measure the front and back shoulders to the shoulder bone. This will be the beginning of your arm and sleeve movement; whether it be a crisp square shoulder or a dropped and relaxed sleeve. Across Chest The middle of the high chest to the arm crease. The thin white line marks the highest chest, which is the measurement for movement at the arm crease. If this measurement of the front pattern is too wide, or too narrow, (sleeve seam does not match crease of arm), the fabric will certainly pull. Following the arm crease along the line of the body and carefully place the sleeve over the arm on the dress form. This will allow you to identify, not only the pitch of the sleeve, but straight grainlines for all pieces.

Chest: Above the bust, under the arms and around the back. Upper body movement. Measure with arms down. Bust: This marking across the fullest part of the bust shows placement for ease or dart position to shape extra fabric across the curves. Place pads higher or lower to match vertical measurements. Waist: I sometimes mark two waists. One actual waist and one at my most comfortable low-waist position. Upper Hip: Upper hip is marked right across the stomach. Low Hip: Low hip is marked at the widest part of the bottom. Thigh: About 1 1/2 inches from top of leg at wide upper leg/ thigh

fitting sequence... Pattern The top of every pattern is your fitting anchor. This is your start point. Pants or skirts have a waist, or upper hip anchor, and that is the fitting start point. The top start point is the shoulders. The first basic pattern should look like the loved dailies in your closetâ&#x20AC;Śready to be replaced. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll start with a blouse or shirt. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m using a chiffon blouse so you can see how vertical measurements relate to the horizontal markers, and the importance of the cut at the shoulder slant and armhole. The pin tucks are a gauge for the vertical grainline. As we make our adjustments, watch the the vertical lines in front. The grainlines must fall straight.

Follow the Grainlines: The markings in red will best show you how to fit this blouse, but try it different ways. For example; the shoulders in this picture are wide and slightly too large; not intentionally. If your blouse is slightly too large all over: follow a straight center front and center back line, and start pinching. To test the blouse design, play with the size of the wide shoulder width by pinching the fabric in the front and back at the vertical center line until it matches the shoulder crease. Notice that the shoulder seams are placed slightly forward, from back to front. This will allow for movement across the shoulders on most bodies. That being said; if your body curve is a wider front and smaller back, the reverse rule would apply. The shape of the neckline follows the curve of the neck and rises higher in the back, at the first vertebrae. This all makes a difference in how your clothes feel; whether they are loose fitting, off-the-shoulder, or tailored with a collar. If the blouse is too small in the bodice only, release (slice vertically) the front and back center lines evenly from collar to waist and then add the needed width to your pattern. Re-position the grainline on the pattern, and check the fall of the grainline over the curves of the body on your dress form.

starting with the shoulder slant...

The shoulder slant is the first and most important part in anchoring. If sleeves or a collar are an issue during fitting, it’s likely because the fit of the the bodice relating to the slant of the shoulder is not balanced. Notice the armhole opening, shoulder slant, and how the fabric falls over the bust. Take a look, re-trace and start over. If a collar slips back…it’s the bodice. (Add 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch to back, horizontally, at the shoulder seam.) If the back seems tight...it is the bodice. (Add to the back (vertical or horizontal strips) at the stress area. Can’t move? It is the bodice. Check the armhole. A higher armhole with ample room in the sleeve cap (with ease at the elbow movement area) will give your clothes...dress, blouses, jackets, coats...a stance of their own. You can see a great piece from the hanger. If the sleeve pulls... Check the arm crease and how it relates to the elbow. Measure the underarm seam to the elbow for length. The measure the top shoulder seam to the outside elbow for length.

adjusting the bodice... Check your pattern markings against the markings on the dress form then compare them to your sample.

cut... Cutting the pattern in muslin, is the easiest way to test the fit on the dress form. The test piece will save a ton of time and fabric, and by spending the time now to

find the best balance for the entire shoulder, upper chest and bust areas, you will save hours.

Begin by observing the shoulder slant and how it relates to the natural shoulder of the body. If you were to draw a rectangle where the sides line up with the ends of your shoulders, and the top crosses the back of your neck, you can measure the shoulder slant by determining how much lower it is than the nape of your neck. For example, this will be an especially good guide if you have scoliosis with uneven shoulders. Once we know how much lower one shoulder is, every pattern and style can have the same adjustment…effortlessly. As you compare the shoulder slant on the pattern against the shoulder of a favorite piece, check the width of the shoulder seam on the sample. When you try it on the dress form, you’ll see where you want to go with the design; whether it’s changing the shoulder to match the crease of your arm, or following the exact measurement of the drop-shoulder sample. Position the shoulder seams, to match the curve of your shoulder on the dress form. If one side needs to be shaped with a shoulder pad to even out an uneven shoulder line caused by scoliosis or osteoporosis, then add a shoulder pad for the test as well. If the blouse is too big all over, pinch the front and back center lines evenly from collar to waist and pin. Otherwise, you can pinch in the extra fabric at just one area, and re-position the grainline on the pattern.

Compare the shoulder slant on the pattern against the shoulder of a favorite piece. How wide is the shoulder seam on the sample? When you try it on the dress form you’ll see if changing the shoulder to match the crease of your arm, or following the exact measurement of the sample is where you want to go with the design. Position the shoulder seams, matching the curve of your shoulder as you would want it to look when it’s finished. If one side needs shaping with a shoulder pad to even out an uneven shoulder line due to scoliosis or osteoporosis, then add the shoulder pad for the test as well. The back pattern at the shoulder will not only be longer and slightly forward, but wider than the front pattern piece. The extra ease in the back allows for movement in the fabric where you need it at the shoulder area. The bust, waist, and hips should be eased or darted to fall softly over the curves of the body, so that the sides flatter the silhouette. If the bust line causes the fabric to poke out in front: Go to Lesson 3 “The Power of Play” and we’ll show you how to slice the pattern for the curvy bust.

finishing... Line up your hems according to your notes on proportion, stand back from the dress form, and begin to observe this one simple comfortable piece to re-create over and over. Try it on! If you still need slight adjustments, adapt the pads on the form to match the fit of the muslin on your body, and then mark the changes right on your muslin.

GETTING TO NOW IN YOUR CLOSET! “How to edit and organize your wardrobe to Zen...by Jane Suttel. Fashion Designer, Writer......special person. “I have always worked with clothes. Working in costume and fashion design, clothes so easily accumulate. And I love beautiful things! But on several occasions, over the years, I have purged my closets, and I have never regretted the time or the results. Now I take time on a regular basis to let go. I take notes in my planner about what seems to be missing, or needs replacing. When I buy one thing that seems perfect after a few outings, I zoom back to procure a few more. My closet and I have a relationship. I take time to keep it current with my life (after all, I have to get dressed every day), and it rewards me with positive feedback through the assurance that everything it has to offer will fit and flatter me. Who would want it otherwise? Who am I? What do I need? How is my life set up? And how can my clothes support that? Would “less stuff” simplify, or make me feel deprived? Taking control of your wardrobe is a thoughtful and organic process: you make choices based on your life as it is; giving up clothes that don’t fit usually clears a lot out; even if it also means admitting you are not a size smaller. Letting go of things you used to wear may mean admitting your life is not as exciting as it was before you got married and had a few kids...things change. Our wardrobe requirements change. I am a bit innovative about this process, but if you don’t respond to the idea of lining up all your blue jackets, try this.

Pull out all the stuff you love, and if you wear it, or would wear it if you had the right shoes or skirt to go with it, these are keeps. Then, all the stuff you wear; day in and day out. Then the stuff you wear for the events and milestones. All these are keeps; this process will generate a lot of notes to “self”... “Hmmm, more of this; my, I don’t need any more black pants i this century, wish I had a pair of brown boots to go with those things, I’m really missing this, I just don’t have the right thing for that part of my life...needs repairing...needs replacing.” Let go of everything else. Give things to friends. Dress for Success or the Salvation Army. You will not regret this. My wardrobe breaks down to black (I live in New York!) and three color palettes; olive, periwinkle and orange. I’ve chosen to leave it at that to simplify my life. I don’t go outside this border, because each new color range means accessories, shoes, and socks to match, and I have no interest in “changing bags” every day. I’m too busy! It will be different for each of us. But once you start sorting, you will be amazed at how many things begin to organize themselves. It really becomes clear what doesn’t belong! I can almost guarantee that opening a closet filled with wearable clothes that you love, and they fit, and are in good repair, is its own reward. What a positive gift to give yourself...a closet that reflects who you are “now” on your journey through life.” Thank you!

When Less Is Really More... “Catherine has a very simple closet strategy; when she finds an item of clothing she likes, she immediately creates it in several different colors. It is a principle that she applies equally to tops, pants, skirts, and even jackets.” “It just makes life so much easier” says the 36 year-old Philadelphia media executive and mother of two. Why should I go running all over, trying things on in different stores? Half the time, I am never sure what size I am, because the fit varies so much from brand to brand. This way, if something fits me well and it looks good, that’s it---I just buy several of them and I am done.” “People are really looking to simplify their lives, to the extent that when they find an item that serves them well, buying more than one makes the process easier” says Barbara Ashley, of Retail Ventures, Inc. “And it ultimately simplifies the process of what to wear each day. Women can really relate to that. I mean, what do you want to spend your energy on---trying on seven pair of pants in the morning to match a certain top, or knowing that any of the pants you put on will work with that piece?” Cotton Incorporated... Lifestyle Monitor® OR JUST...FIND THAT PATTERN AND CREATE! ...Thank you, Catherine & Cotton. Inc. “The Fabric of Our Lives®!”

“We hope you enjoy! Our business is built on happy people - Thank you for your reviews! Wishing you fabulous clothes!” The Fabulous Fit Team