Where to End Your Tops and Jackets
I’m often asked where to end your tops and jackets. In this video I give you some pointers to help you find your sweet spot that flatters your figure.
Turning a Tunic Top into a Skirt
A while back I bought a tunic top from Target. I fell in love with the fabric, and overlooked that the shape didn’t do anything much for my body. Every time I put it on I felt frumpy and looked pregnant as my larger breasts made it balloon over my tummy. It’s design was the…
P is for Pants
Pants – that’s trousers for you UK folk, not underpants, are a staple in most wardrobes. They are, the hardest garment for most women to fit. Really, I find that I can spend hours trying to help a client find a pair that fits well. The most common fit issues are around the depth…
Which are the Easy Alterations
Would you be able to make a post about what kinds of alterations are easy and affordable to make? I’m not plus sized but I’m petite, so many things don’t fit. Having hemlines shortened is an easy one, but I’ve understood that for instance the extra space in the upper back could be taken in…
How a Simple Alteration Can Make a Big Difference
Women are notoriously bad for not altering their garments. We have an expectation that we can walk into a shop, try on a piece of clothing, it will fit us, flatter us and off we go into the sunset. But when you consider how many different body shapes we have, our variety of body proportional…
10 Costly Shopping Mistakes to Avoid
1. Being influenced by the sales assistant who is paid to get you to buy clothes (whether they suit you or not). Retail sales staff are paid to sell you clothes. Some are even paid extra commissions based on how much they sell. So it’s in their interest that you buy as much as…
Benefits of Lined Trousers and Care
Hello Imogen. I was hoping you could answer a question for me. I had the opportunity to buy a pair of lined trousers at a reduced price. I didn’t buy them because I’m a wash and wear type of person and the pants would have required going to the cleaners. Can you tell me what…
The Fast and Easy Way to Shorten Knit Tops
If you have a knit top that is too long, rather than take the hem up, why not ruche the sides rather than take up the hem. You can also use this method to shorten sleeves too. It’s really simple and you don’t need to know how to sew to do it. Watch this short…
Why Sleeve Length Matters
Here is a short video I’ve made about the length of sleeves on jackets. It’s one of the most common fit issues I see with clothes and in people’s wardrobes, yet can have a huge impact on your appearance. Watch this short video.
Where Should a Tunic Top Finish?
Imogen I would like your opinion on the hem length of tunic type tops. I’m a knitting designer and teacher and this topic comes up in my Fit and Flatter classes. I think women slimmest when the hem hits just below the crotch so that the leg length is undetermined by the viewer and therefore…
Why You Should Stop Buying Clothes that Don’t Fit Right Now
Have you ever knowingly bought a piece of clothing that doesn’t fit right now? You try it on in the store and think to yourself, sure it’s a little tight, but when I’ve lost those last 2kg (5 pounds) then it’ll be perfect. I thought I was too clever to do this, but I did,…
How to Fit a Bra – Berlei vs Freya
Yesterday I got all excited when I discovered that Berlei do a range of bras that go up to an H cup. So I decided to go and try on and see how they fit. To make a comparison I took 2 Berlei and 2 Freya bras into the change room. When fitting a bra,…
Fit Issues – Bunching at the Back
One of my readers commented on a post about common issues with fit: I’ve had problems with certain tops bunching in the back, too. What’s up with that? Most bunching comes from your body shape being not related to the shape that the garment was cut for. Too much fabric in an area that doesn’t…
Where to End Your Skirts
I was wondering if you might address correct hem lengths in one of your future blogs. I am on the short side (5′ 4″) so almost all of my clothing needs to be shorted but I am never quite sure what the correct length is. For example, are pencil skirts and dresses hemmed at the…
Which is Your Best White
All whites are not the same, and different whites suit different colouring. We can go from a very bright white which is cool and quite stark and only suits those with very cool colouring, via a soft white, through ivory to cream, which is very warm and suits those with warm colouring. Soft whites are…
Common Issues with Fit
There are lots of problems with the fit of commercially made garments, these are things that if you’re making the garment you can alter out of the pattern. But before you buy, make sure these are not problems built into the garment for you. There are some common issues with fit that are reasonably easy…
Why Armholes Matter
How the sleeve is cut and fits into a top or jacket can change the way a garment appears on your body. If you have a deeper, lower cut armhole, this will add some bulk to your chest region, so is great for women with narrower shoulders (A shapes) or smaller busts who would like…
Why Do My Pants Pull Across My Crotch
One of the comments left on a post the other day was this: jinnan-tonnyx said… Can you explain more about why trousers pull across the crotch on X shapes? I am an X and whenever I buy a new pair of pants my husband always says they don’t fit right – and I tell him,…
Why You Should Take Up Your Tops
I was shopping yesterday in Century City, LA with lovely blogger La Belette Rouge and she tried on a version of this top at Banana Republic. It looked great on her, but was about 2.5″ too long and hit at an unflattering point on her hips and made her looked proportionally unbalanced and a…
Have You Thought About Upcycling Your Clothes?
When economic times are tough, what can we do to save on our wardrobe? Here are 4 easy to follow budget fashion tips for the Recessionista Fashonista. 1. Alter You can make a garment fit properly with alterations. I spend a lot of time in wardrobes pinning garments, adding darts when it’s too boxy, taking…
Why You Should Revamp Your Clothes and Accessories Rather than Buying Something New
Did you know that sewing machine sales have skyrocketed in recent years. This made me think – are people actually going to start making their clothes again? Or is it more about revamping and altering what they currently own? As an image consultant, I spend a lot of time in people’s wardrobes. They often think I’m…