Technically Speaking
Plus-sized
Clothing Alterations By Judith Turner
Manufacturers seem to think that just because you have a large bust, you must have wide shoulders, long arms, and be 6ft tall. Unfortunately this isn’t the case with most plus-size women and here lies a continual fitting challenge for this figure type. In this article, Judith covers two garment types and how to alter them for a woman with an 18DD bust. BEFORE Natural shoulder position
AFTER Natural shoulder position
TOP
During the pattern grading process a garment pattern will increase in width and length, which means that the shoulder width increases as well (a ¼in each size). This isn’t such a problem if you are making a top for yourself, particularly if working with a multisized pattern, because you can adjust the shoulder width accordingly. If you have purchased a top, this may mean a lot of alterations to get the shoulders fitting correctly. The types of alterations that would be required are: • Raising the sleeve to the correct shoulder position • Shortening the sleeve length • Shortening the hem length.
PINNING
Shoulder Lift the sleeve so the seam is sitting at the correct position at the end of the shoulder and pin in place. Starting at the shoulder seam, relocate the front sleeve seam, pinning as you go, tapering off to nothing approximately 2.5cm (1in) short of the underarm. Repeat for the back sleeve seam.
NOTE: The sleeve-head will not change; only the shoulder length and armhole width are going to be reduced.
