Hi,
I just wanted to know something about fitting. If you are fitting a shirt pattern for a man and they are like a medium chest and an extra large waist and a large hip, do you use the same formula that I’ve seen suggested for fittin women’s clothes, that is just draw new lines on the pattern going from one size to the next. Will the finished product look funny? Or will it look O.K. Or should I fit it like he bought it at a store, and just make the shirt the bigger of the sizes? I really don’t know how it works. I know when Sandra B or Patti P fit a dress they just connect new cutting lines from each size change on down the body. It seemed to me the last time I tried to make a shirt for this guy, it would have meant having a very curved seam at the sides around the tummy. So I compromised and I hated the fit and he said it fit like a bell and all the air came up into it. Anyway, any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
sun
Replies
I have made shirts for men with large tummies & I just increase gradually from the armpit down & increase the front a bit, as well, from the chest down (this doesn't look good with a stripe or plaid, though). As well, you could cut the back below the yoke a bit wider, so there are gathers/pleats for more ease. You may have to make the body a bit longer at the front to compensate for the larger tummy. The shirt would be more tent-shaped, rather than bell-shaped (which indicates that the bottom maybe was narrower to give the bell effect). What fabric was used to give the billowing effect that he didn't like? How much more do you have to increase it from the chest measurement to the waist? Is this a dress shirt or casual shirt?
If you go to the larger size pattern, the shoulders & neck would be too big. So, if the pattern fits at the neck & shoulders & armholes, I would draw straight lines from the bottom of the armpit (no curved seams) downwards.
Edited 5/15/2007 12:36 pm by Gloriasews
Generally, menswear has completely different fitting priorities than womenswear does. Most menswear has a lot of ease and is not very fitted at all, and most men are happy with that. If not, they have to pay top dollar for custom or designer shirts or shop in a Big & Tall store, where they'll have a choice of only one or two possible shirts that happen to fit them and will pay over $100 for a plain cotton dress shirt.When I sew for a male, I always use his favorite shirt to guide my project; otherwise, no matter how well I think it "fits," he'll never wear it! If the man you are sewing for doesn't have a perfectly-fitting shirt, ask him for the one he likes best and then ask what he'd like you to change.
Teaf 5 gave good advice about using his favorite shirt. Never, never, tell a man that you have enlarged a garment in any way LOL. I sew for a man with a tummy and a behind and what I do is the large bust alteration for dartless garments only place it further down on the garment so the fullness is where he needs it. This keeps the front on the straight grain and also adds length to the cf. Then check the side seams to be sure they are vertical (this is important) and add a little bit to the side seams if you need to. God bless you Galey
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